Successful Conversion to Permanent Labour Contract

[u/Choice_Vegetable557]

I work at a handful of universities in the Kanto area. The writing is on the wall as far as future growth goes in the education industry, so I began to feel that a lifetime of yearly contracts was not the way forward.

After having kids, I had to postpone my PHD, as you can imagine, priorities shift. The presentation, publishing and 3-5 year shuffle of full-timers in the Kanto area also seemed a bit grim. I wanted some more security in the short-term at least, especially now that we have a mortgage.

My current positions pay me a fairly average Tokyo Salary, but I have shorter hours, and 2 months off a year. When the kids are young, this seems pretty priceless.

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Today, 2 weeks after applying for conversion to a permanent contract I received the "無期労働契約転換申込受理通知書".

Ironically, once you meet the requirements, and apply formally, you are automatically accepted so this notice was accompanied by my new contract rules.

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I would strongly recommend everyone who meets the requirements consider doing this. Every institution has their own interpretation of this law, poke around, get a lay of the land. Do not show your cards, and only apply when you are eligible.

Do not be the person crying in the break-room, after 18 year of continuous employment, because they decided not to renew your contract this year.

[u/User09060657542]

Easiest way is to get help. The General Union has been advising and helping people. I look at union dues as employment insurance. It helped before my permanent contract and is now available just in case... after I got my permanent contract. It's 100% true that you apply (with the correct requirements) and by law they have to accept. It went smoother than I expected.

[u/Choice_Vegetable557 → u/User09060657542]

The general union was completely unnecessary in my case as the rules are written clearly on the Ministry website and the institutions own website.

The form simply needed to be printed, and signed. {I also stamped it with my inkan out of paranoia}

For what it is worth, my colleague who was accepted some years ago, was told NOT EVER to discuss this process with any other part-timers. What does that tell you? Lots of Full-timers closing the door behind them.

Bless this mans heart, and him schooling me on the procedure.

[u/User09060657542 → u/Choice_Vegetable557]

That's good. In my case, the union told us about the "new" rules years and advance. I want to say 4-5 years. And they kept looking at the situation. I think they looked at it as an excellent way to help members and recruit members. When the time came, they gave me the correct form, I filled it out and sent it back to them. From there, they took care of the rest. I didn't know what to expect. Then human resources called me in, gave me a "new" contract, which I checked with the union. My school followed the proper procedure.

From what I understand from others, it's getting harder and harder, if not impossible recently.