[lemming1]

Originally Posted by pandayanyan

I work for a regional ALT company called Fifth Wings. From what I have heard of other teachers is that Fifth is really the best to work for in this area although certain parts of my contract are not in compliance with Japan's labor laws. This could've have been easily avoided if I negotiated and knew these things before signing, but I didn't. I have yet to argue with them about it and probably won't because I am figuring out a sly way around it.

If you are thinking about working for this company, my advice to you would be this…

BE CAREFUL!

I worked for them about two years ago, and whilst the only problem I found when I worked for them was that they were incredibly unorganised and a little incompetent (but only twice late with payment), I have since needed their help with something.

I have found a company in Brazil willing to sponsor a work visa for me, and they told me as well as my degree certificate, I would need a letter from my previous employers, to prove I worked for a year as an English teacher abroad. Processing a visa takes 2 months, so I was quite keen to get the paperwork done asap. I spoke to Ayaka, a woman who basically runs Fifth Wings, to she if could do this for me. “So you need us to write a letter saying you worked for us? No problem” was her response. I excitedly told her about my opportunity to work in Brazil, and how I was desperate for the documentation to be processed quickly. I told her I would also need to have this letter stamped at the local Chamber of Commerce, before being sent back to me.

This is where things got weird.

She told me that Fifth Wings were actually registered in Tokyo. So she did as I requested, and sent this letter to a friend of mine in Tokyo who had agreed to help, and he took it to the local Chamber of Commerce there.

They were confused, because they hadn’t heard of Fifth Wings being registered in this prefecture, and nothing came up on their system.

So my friend called Fifth Wings up to ask what was going on. At first they refused to believe their main offices were not in Tokyo, and they sent a photograph of a computer made print out, which was supposed to confirm this (as it had a Tokyo based address on it).

“Of course we are a legal company” was what Ayaka snapped, when I questioned the validity of this ‘document’, and why the Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo hadn’t heard of them.

So after 3 months of waiting (Ayaka was apparently too busy to speak to me for 3 months, or so the receptionist said), I was told the local Chamber of Commerce the letter needed to be taken to was actually in Ashikaga, just down the road from Fifth Wings.

So they had made a mistake this whole time, mistaking their head offices for the company owner’s apartment block….yea, I know, right!

So my friend took my letter to Ashikaga, and the guy on the desk looked a little confused. He said he would like to speak to someone from Fifth Wings directly. He couldn’t stamp my letter to prove they recognise Fifth Wings as a legal company there and then.

So again I called Ayaka, and asked if she would mind taking the letter there for me. “Sorry, we can’t” was what she said, before hanging up on me. This is the last I heard from her (I’ve tried several times, but no matter what time of day I call, when I explain who I am, I am always told she is out of the office). My friend called and spoke to her, saying he would pay for her to take the letter to be stamped at the Chamber of Commerce. Still, she refused (she didn’t ask how much he would pay, she just refused). I contacted the Brazilian embassy in Tokyo, who were baffled as to why she wasn’t helping.

Believing Ayaka simply didn’t understand what she needed to do, they called Fifth Wings every day for a week….only to have the phone put down on them each time they explained who they were.

If you’re a small company, being offered money to take a letter to be stamped in an office down the road….perhaps I’m being naïve in thinking you would probably help out? Especially with a government official calling you from an embassy in Tokyo every day for a week to ask why you weren’t.

I know what you're thinking now, 'they must have hated your guts when you worked for them!' But actually, when I worked for Fifth Wings, I was one of two ALT’s hired by them to work at a junior high school. Unfortunately, the second ALT I worked with was really not happy with the ALT experience, so without telling anyone, he just left. He was replaced, only for the second guy to do exactly the same, leave without telling anyone. The governing body in my area were furious, and have since ceased hiring teachers from Fifth Wings (my school actually wanted me to take a position independently, which is quite an honour because this type of contract is quite hard to come by. But they explained they liked me, and wouldn’t be working with Fifth Wings again. I decided not to take them up on their offer, but was flattered the school thought so much of me)….the ALT’s Fifth Wings were sending were simply not happy. I lasted the duration of the year, and when I considered leaving after about 8 months, I was taken out for lunch by the company owner, and told I was doing a great job. I ended up staying, and the owner told me she was really happy I did.

Fast forward two years, and I am being blanked by them. I know that Fifth Wings refusal to help has nothing to do with my performance at work. Something else is going on…..and in my opinion, I think it’s likely to do with the legality of this company.

I used to work for an English school called Nova, who went bankrupt owing teachers, students, advertisers and staff a great deal of much money (Google it if you have never heard of it, it's pretty messed up stuff!). The owners knew they were going bankrupt, but continued to ask for money from students to pay for classes. Corruption in Japan is much more commonplace than you would imagine, and I certainly wouldn’t rule out something dodgy going on with Fifth either. Maybe that is because I don't trust Japanese as easily after this experience though.

Is Fifth Wings a legal company? This will hopefully never be a question you will need to think twice about if you work for them. After all, if you’re getting paid on time and can experience Japan at the same time, then go for it. If you can do this with a company with a solid reputation, then all the better. One you can confidently assume is above board, and unfortunately I’m writing this to warn you, Fifth Wings probably isn’t this company. Nine months later I am still waiting on Fifth Wings to put a stamp on a letter for me.

It’s your call, just be careful. I'd hate to say i told you so….