by "Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
Published 11/02/2017 at 12:01
by "Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
Published 11/02/2017 at 12:01
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STARS: 1
I am pretty miffed with my employer. At night, before a three day weekend, I get an email telling me, “Oh by the way, we expect you have to have such and such insurance with liability maxes in excess of such and such.” This is halfway through our contract period, and I brought up my car several times, and there has never been a mention of this. It’s also not in the contract.
I have the mandatory legal minimums because I’m a very safe driver and because my car is worthless. I receive zero transportation compensation from this employer regarding my car and never expected my private commute time would make them in anyway liable. And even then, my current insurance card has a lot of information I don’t want my employer to have, like my plate number, my VIN, my mechanic’s info... I don’t want them to have this information.
I really cannot lose this position, but I also feel like I’m being put on the spot and extorted here. :/
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
11/02/2017 at 12:11, STARS: 1
Why would they even care about that stuff? Do you have any recourse for appeal of these demands?
"Azrek" (azrek)
11/02/2017 at 12:12, STARS: 0
Paging Steve Lehto!!
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 12:14, STARS: 0
This is Japan, so Steve probably won’t know enough about Japanese law, policy, and general expectations to be helpful, probably.
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 12:18, STARS: 1
My feeling is that they worry that if I have the legal minimums, the employer may be sued as I was driving to work at the time. This is ridiculous. My commute time is still my private time, as I am not being compensated for the car portion of it at all. They don’t pay for my gas, or my maintenance, or my parking, or my registration, etc, etc. And I brought up my car literally during the hiring interview, and again several times as I changed locations from within walking distance of the train station to having to keep my car at a parking lot next to the station to drive the additional distance. To quote Adam Sandler, this is information that, if really necessary, should have been brought to my attention yesterday (or six months ago!).
"Azrek" (azrek)
11/02/2017 at 12:18, STARS: 1
...but...but...he is pretty much the only Patron Saint of Oppo we have!
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
11/02/2017 at 12:27, STARS: 0
If it’s not in the contract, then how can they fire you for it?
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
11/02/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 2
You are completely correct. This is none of your employers business. I guess I’d just be polite and tell them that your car and insurance is your business and not theirs.
"rillweid - Now with more TRD and less TDI" (rillweid)
11/02/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 0
Not a lawyer, but this seems blatantly outside their purview. Never been to Japan, but I can’t imagine someone pulling this in the US.
"punkgoose17" (punkgoose17)
11/02/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
Can you answer “yes” and not do anything?
By saying “expect” are they demanding these expectations, but not officially requiring anything?
Do you park in a school parking lot, or park in a train station parking lot for work?
Whatever your employer is doing, it seems very strange.
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
Well, unfortunately, talking reality here, I can be fired for pretty much any reason. Now, would this be illegal? Yes. But then I still need to get the union involved or more than likely, sue in labor standards. It’s a civil case, not criminal, so it’s not like if they illegally fire me I can call the cops on them. But it gets worse, because they may choose to just “non-renew” me. While the union’s position is that this is also illegal, it’s even harder to win against than a mid-contract firing. Given the fact I absolutely cannot lose employment during the finalisation of my naturalisation process, this is why I call it extortion. I have no leverage at all. None.
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0
They want me to send a copy.
Yes, I do park in a school parking lot. Yes, I do park in a parking lot near the train station because of its proximity to work. But I have to park the car somewhere anyway. And even if I drove from home every day (absurd, given the parking cost involved in paying for a parking space in Tokyo), I’d still be parking in the school parking lot like every other teacher.
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 12:38, STARS: 0
It’s only the second time I’ve even been asked about insurance. Last time it was “do you have it?” to which I answered, “Of course. It’s legally required.” I was never asked for proof nor given a particular value of coverage. Before that, never asked at all.
"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
11/02/2017 at 12:43, STARS: 0
The only time I’ve been asked for proof of insurance by an employer was when I was delivering pizzas. It seemed relevant to that. You’re a teacher. Unless you’re using your personal vehicle to drive staff or students around, you shouldn’t need to show proof.
"haveacarortwoorthree2" (haveacarortwoorthree2)
11/02/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 0
“Oh by the way, we expect you have to have such and such insurance with liability maxes in excess of such and such.”
“Oh by the way, I expect you to either have told me this when we were negotiating my contract or to pay for such and such insurance with liability maxes in excess of such and such.” Because you didn’t choose option A, option B is the only option available should you wish to amend the contract at this time.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
11/02/2017 at 12:56, STARS: 0
Copy the insurance card and redact what you don’t want them to see. And call your union rep to find out whether this behaviour is kosher.
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 13:03, STARS: 0
Unions don’t work that way here. I’ve already sent messages to my case officer, but I’m one of the union execs. I’m pretty sure this isn’t kosher, I’m also pretty sure that like almost every single thing as a single person in my workplace, if I refuse and they retaliate, we’re looking at a two year fight over the illegal nature of that retaliation, almost certainly being fired or non-renewed, with likely outcome being some kind of financial settlement and not reinstatement, which is absolutely irrelevant to the nationality section, and will halt my naturalisation process. Period. Basically, my union can’t do anything really. I’m just in too weak of a position.
"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
11/02/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 0
I’d ask them how they plan on reimbursing you for the increased costs. Unless it is buried in a contract somewhere, they can pound sand.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
11/02/2017 at 13:07, STARS: 0
Sounds like the law is on your side, but for reasons you made clear earlier, you can’t lose this job. I hope you don’t end up getting boned.
"So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky" (badams109)
11/02/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 0
Could you perhaps submit a redacted copy with everything blacked out but your name and maybe policy number? Still shitty to put you on the spot for this stuff and I don’t know if this really helps but it’s what I’ve done with employers asking for things in the past.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
11/02/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 0
Significant cost to upgrade insurance?
And yeah, sounds like they have you cornered. Can you ask your supervisor whether it’s really necessary?
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 13:17, STARS: 0
Potentially, sure. But I also don’t have the kind of coverage they want. I believe I only have the minimum required coverage and no more.
I think they’re asking for a minimum liability of over $100,000 per person or something like that. Here’s the thing. In ten years, I’ve gotten one ticket for passing slightly too close in a lane change, $60. Otherwise I have, and still have until my next renewal, a gold license literally stamped with the Japanese for “VERY SAFE.” I’ve been in one accident in Japan, where a truck plowed into me and it was determined to be entirely the other person’s fault.
Yes, something catastrophic COULD happen, but at the speeds I drive? Like I average, according to GPS about 25 kmh. Not miles. Kilometers. I don’t take highways, I drive slowly on residential streets. In an accident that is entirely my fault, we’re talking a fender bender, not death or injury. And Japanese are not litigious by nature, so no ambulance-chasing lawyers will show up with whiplash cases. But again, I haven’t had an accident that was my fault, especially something like rear-ending someone or anything like that, since I was a teenager.
This kind of coverage is just not necessary.
"Kat Callahan" (kyosuke)
11/02/2017 at 13:25, STARS: 0
I don’t know. I’m going to talk to my mechanic when I bring the car in to do work in a few hours. He took care of my legal insurance when he did my inspection. I’m 34, female, with a gold license (means no infractions in several years, though I finally got an unsafe lane change ticket a few months back, which was a first in ten years!). I’m going to guess my cost should be pretty low. But I really have no idea what Japanese insurance rates are, because I always just get the minimum legal coverage.
"So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky" (badams109)
11/02/2017 at 13:35, STARS: 0
Yes, it’s confounding as to why they would require such a thing. I never even had to prove I had insurance when I was driving around for work in the US. Then again I once saw a Subaru Outback that was slightly banana shaped because it had been T-boned on the passenger side out delivering pizza and that is legal in this state, so yeah. Best of luck.
"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
11/02/2017 at 14:01, STARS: 0
Can you just go to them and flat out ask if they are demanding you have XYZ coverage? Can it be explained to them that since you are on your own time, what you drive and how you insure it is of no concern to them? And if they demand that you do, can you just pull out your copy of the labor contract and ask where that is?
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
11/02/2017 at 14:06, STARS: 0
Well then, that sucks.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
11/02/2017 at 15:36, STARS: 0
SigOther is Japanese, but she’s useless on this stuff - let her license lapse here and had to take an NYC road test again! But if this small change ups your uninsured motorist and comprehensive (or whatever they call it there, pays for property damage you do) that’s not a bad thing.
And, by the way, I am a lawyer, and this way of doing things confounds me as well.
"wafflesnfalafel" (wafflesnfalafel1)
11/02/2017 at 22:49, STARS: 0
All you do is commute? No vehicle use in the course of the business? If so, that is b#llsh!t. Many commercial carriers will require companies they insured to have minimum employee limits but ONLY when the employee is using their vehicle in the course of employment.
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
11/03/2017 at 00:37, STARS: 0
do you have to transport people or use the car for work? then i could see them requiring higher coverage, but that should be clearly stated in a travel policy