Pregnant teachers have rights, and dispatch companies are notorious for breaking the laws that protect them. Companies do this because they think that pregnant teachers and their families will not find out what their rights are, and that even if they do find out, the pregnancy itself can mean that the cheated worker may not have the time or the energy to fight for their rights. Companies also do this because they think they won’t get caught, or suffer any consequences.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare put together this overview of the law in Japanese and English, and we can look at some of the finer points.
日本語版:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000497322.pdf
One of the most important parts of these publications, as far as dispatched teachers are concerned, is in section four of the PDF. See the second bullet points in the box on the right. If your employer tries to tell you that they can’t renew your contract because they need to have teachers that can finish their whole contract, they are telling you that they are going to break the law and cheat you out of your livelihood and paid maternity/paternity leave.
You have options:
- At the bottom of these PDFs from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, is a list of Employment / Equal Opportunity Divisions (Offices), Prefectural Labour Bureau. You can fight this on your own and
- Many times, the point you realize that your employer is lying to you and cheating you out of your rights is a great time to join a union. Collectively, workers can accomplish more than individually and you can definitely find people in any union that will want to fight for the right of people to have children without losing their jobs and benefits.