[Read the next entry for more information.]
I promised myself in my last entry that I would not defame the reputation of Peppy Kids Club, aka KTC Gaigo Gakuen, the headquarters of which are located in Nagoya, Japan. I rarely like to quote from dictionaries, however, if the standard definition of "defamation" is "false or unjustified injury of the good reputation of another, as by slander or libel," what I am about to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, of the events of this day, September 29, is a collection of irrefutable facts, supported by material evidence.
The short of it is that Ernie, my former Regional Performance Manager, has negotiated my last month of employment with me at the beginning of this month, September, 2006. We have agreed that I would be paid for the previous month on September 25, minus both last month's and this month's rent, and the remainders of my training and commuting loans, and that I would be paid for work I have done this month on September 29, in full.
Aside from my verbal agreement with Ernie*, my RPM, in itself legally binding, I have signed a paper attesting to the last paydate in the presence of my former Performance Manager, Mike Dilloway, and my Area Manager, Akiko Baba. I am, at present, in possession of the PKC document attesting to this supposed agreement. I am also in possession of a second document, attesting to my official move-out date from my Gifu apartment on October 2.
Despite all and any of the aforementioned facts, it is also a fact, which can be corroborated by any branch of my bank, Mitsubishi UFG, that I have received payment on September 25, but have not received the payment today, on September 29, between 9 AM and 12 PM, as was promised to me verbally by my RPM and in writing by my PS.
The last paycheque, according to an estimate I was given by a PKC accountant, was going to be a yen equivalent of nearly $2,000 CDN, and yet, today, on the day the payment was to be remitted to me, I have received no moneys from Peppy Kids Club. Furthermore, a member of the Native Support Department of Peppy Kids Club told me that it was "impossible" that anyone would agree to the aforementioned arrangements, because it is, supposedly, PKC policy to not disburse the last paycheque before the official damage estimate and move-out from the company apartment, and that the earliest I could get my money was on October 5.
In itself, this was Catch-22-style nonsense, because I cannot physically return to the Gifu apartment on the pre-agreed date of October 2, since I do not have the funds to do so; and this morning I was told that I could not obtain those funds before I moved out!
Yuki, the head of the Native Support Department at PKC actually had the gall to tell me that the paper I held in my hands was nothing but an "application," despite, as I have stated earlier, my verbal agreement with my RPM, and written agreement with my PS.
From these un-embellished facts, I can only conclude that, upon my official resignation on September 28, Peppy Kids Club felt that I, no longer an employee, could take it up the proverbial ass. However, I, quite rightly feel that PKC and, at least five of its employees are directly liable for breach of my contract, as well as for breach of other verbal and written agreements. That PKC and its employees were nengligent enough to botch one simple transfer of earned moneys attests to the lack of professional demeanor and comportment on the part of its employees.
The agreement I have reached today with Yuki, the head of the Native Support Department at PKC, was that, if I mail the keys to the already-cleaned apartment via express mail today, I will get my pay on October 3, although at this point I cannot trust anything any representative of PKC says to me.
For those of you sitting on your hands, wondering what I did with this mess of a situation, rest assured that I am not entirely fucked. Yoshie-san, my new boss has graciously stepped in and not only signed himself as a guarantor for my new apartment, but also personally lent me (with no interest) and fronted the entire amount that the rental agency requires of me, until October 3, when I will hopefully receive my money from PKC, so that I will already now have an apartment to live in (Ben, a fellow teacher, the terrific guy who helped me move from Gifu, and his wife, Yutaka, will help me move in on October 1).
Yutaka, my new manager, has also lent me some bedding and rallied members of the small Murai community to help with my arrival. Kenji, a fellow teacher, offered to give me a TV for free, and some of Yutaka's friends have offered to deliver a small fridge and washing machine to my apartment for nearly nothing. I am extremely grateful to these selfless and generous individuals, who have spent much of their time and energy on me.
I am making today's shameful events a matter of public record (I will post the relevant documents online soon) in order to present the facts of the negligent and unprofessional approach of Peppy Kids Club to its employees, as well as to commend the fine staff of Wise Academy on their generosity and initiative. I now clearly see I have made the right decision. Mahalo.
bastards.
But see, there you got it again. Darkness and light. good and bad. And if the one hting wouldn't have happened, the other couldn't.
Anyway, good luck, Mike,
this time things will work out for you.
YAY!!!
... are you sure that isnt defamation?
i mean won't PKC take it so?
Yeah, I'm a regular Dr. Mephistopheles, eh, boon? ;)
MLP, "defamation," as I've already noted in the entry itself, is, essentially, lying. What I have told here was nothing but a collection of solid facts. However, in this case, I will make an exception: there's too much at stake right now to be principled, especially since recent negotiations indicate that I am supposed to get the money tomorrow.
But, boon, it ain't all bad! My new apartment is pretty nice, and I got a fridge and a washing machine yesterday. Oh yeah, I have a sleeping loft, like a huge-ass shelf I can sleep on, complete with a special spring-loaded ladder and whatnot. I wish I had shit like this as a kid, hehe.
Where's my 400 yen?! Just joking =) Sorry to hear about what happened. I read your post and enjoyed it, though now I see you've removed it for possible legal reasons. Too bad. Good luck with the new job!
AAAAHAHAHAHA! ;) Good one, man. Anyways, if tomorrow pans out, I will probably return the post in some redacted form or the other. As for the ¥400, I don't know if it's such a good idea if I show up at PKC offices anymore.
Go to the Contact section, and send me your keitai's number by e-mail; I'll treat you to a beer or something next time I'm in Nagoya to close my bank account or whatnot, eh?
P.S. Who is Yuri and why does he/she/it need saving? ;)
I just randomly came across to this site...and I was wondering if you had any advice for me as far as what I should do and say to my boss?
I currently work for PKC and It looks like they will ask me to resign...even though they haven't told me yet...I haven:'t heard anything at all! but I know this b/c I saw my Japanese teacher's fax while i was in the classroom and it had the native schedule on it! I looked at my classrooms and my name wasn't on there!! My former P.S name was on there. Apparently everybody else have heard that I'm leaving but I haven't heard anything!
I got the 4 latest points all deducted...b/c 1. i was late calling the S.C 2. 1 of my classes got cancelled and 3. I was late 5 mins to the staff meeting.
If you can e-mail me to the above address, I'd appreciate it thanks! :)
PKC is still up to their dirty tricks, eh? Why am I not surprised? Well, I've e-mailed you my response; I hope it will help.
for anyone heading to Osaka beware of K. L. the RC
he's a fathead idiot liar and will work you over behind your
back...just watch that moron perform rainbow song and
you will know this is no fabrication
FVOFF Konrad Long you fat fVcker
HAHAHA! Good times! ;)
I also worked for Peppy, and it was the WORST experience imaginable. Everything I was told via fax was a lie 90% of the time, and my PS, whose English skills were equal to that of a monkey, would email my cell with work stuff that would contradict faxes sent to me that very day. I became extremely ill and had to be hospitalized, but there was no support from my co-workers in Sapporo. After 5 months of putting up with that ridiculous crap, I resigned, moved to a different part of the country and lived happily.
It seems as though Peppy is problematic all over the country and causes great problems for others as well. It should also be noted that their treatment of JT's is despicable...
I am just adding this post in case any potential employees are doing their research about the company.
Yeah, this reminds me of the time when I hurt my foot and could barely walk and they just faxed me the map to the hospital, all in Kanji. Anyways, 'nuff said. Thank you L. ;)
Hi All
Thanks for all this info! I cannot believe what bad experiences you have all had! I just applied to PKC & they want to interview me so I'm doing a bit of research and came across this site. I cannot believe it sounds so horrendous! I will attend the interview but thankfully I will at least be prepared now when they make promises, and be ware!
Can anyone recommend a good alternative to working in Japan which doesn't involve PKC? Tah
I had a decent time at a small company called Wise Academy in Matsumoto, Nagano (I'm third from the left in the back row in that photo). The boss (first from the left) treated me like a father and even lent me about $2,000 when PKC stiffed me on some pay.
Really, any small, non-franchised place would likely be just fine. Above all things, remember LADO and NOVA and you'll be just fine, heh. ;)
hi everyone, i've just been offered a job with peppy kids in sydney and now im a bit reluctant on accepting aftering hearing all these stories.. is it really that bad? i mean pay wise, how much is actually left when you're taxed and had to pay rent and food? Is the living expense high? And where have you guys been placed? remote areas or cities?
It's a hit-or-miss situation, basically. In the end, all ESL/EFL schools are profits-first organisations. Your mileage may vary, however, having seen the management in Nagoya real up-close, I wouldn't recommend it.
Hmm, now I'm having mixed thoughts about applying to the PKC. By the way, can anyone tell me how long after applying will the PKC contact you and let you know whether you got an interview or not??
thnx!!
As I said above, your mileage may certainly vary, but this is definitely a school with some pretty bad karma. Well, good luck! I think it was a couple of weeks for me.
peppykidsclub.com, peppykidsclub.net, peppykidsclub.org.
the worst job you'll ever hate.
total thieves.
total liars.
and at YOUR expense!!!
Even after three years, eh? Heh. Figures.
actually, i'm a lawyer from the u.s. i took a job working for them as a kinda working vacation, and my gf at the time needed a job.
i wanted to see northern japan, and do some photography.
pkc...
the staff is entirely incompetent. they are NOT teachers and pks is NOT a school, its fast food, garbage.
the incompetent staff, makes so many errors, and no matter what error they make it will ALWAYS be you who made that error.
read - peppykidsclub.com. its gross, but its all true. and much, much more.
pkc ripped me off for 6500.00. they do it to everybody.
the japanese system forces pay before 30 day period. but bad companies hold your money for 2 months. pkc is one of them. it is illegal, but they do it anyway. why? because foreigners go home and don't get those last 2 months pay, and that promised bonus either. its a scam!!! and the labor board will not help you.
further...
they just told their entire teaching staff that they will not honor their bonus'. this is illegal.
japanese companies don't give a ____ about foreigners. this is NOT an anamoly. it is across the board. and you can't get any help from the labor board either.
however...
at this time, i have several parents that tai kai (quit). one of them gave me a copy of their pkc contract, which a japanese lawyer translated into english for me.
we found massive contract breaches.
we are filing a class action against pkc.
we have a japanese lawyer working on the matter.
our goal is to force pkc - through legal action to reimburse thousands of students for fraud. read about NOVA and you'll understand what pkc is liable for. same bullshit. same fraud.
i put up the peppykidsclub.com website and it has already had more than a 1000 hits. in only one week.
pkc has taken no action, and won't. and i personally notified them it was up. they have not responded.
they know that i'll file any counter claim against them and put this matter in the media and as a result, the company will lose many students.
its a ____ company. their material is crap. and parents know they got duped by paying way too much for way too little.
my advice, stay away from the big companies. they ALL suck.
get a job as a small family owned business. they live in a single community, and worry about their reputation.
and yes, it is a fact, pkc has dead teachers and dead students.
SAFE is bullshit at pkc.
Crazy story, Mr. Ditto, heh, but, with all due respect, I wish your sites would be a little more professional, so that your message would not, uh, be overshadowed by images of defecation
In fact, if you would like, I could probably redesign the site for you and even offer my own testimonial. I think you could pull off something here, if you fought PKC with complete seriousness. Godspeed, friend!
My girlfriend just went over to Okayama under PKC...should I be worried? I was on the gaijinpot forums and there are both people who've had a good and bad experience. I do know that she won't be paid until October (I think)
Yes, you should be. No normal company pays for the previous month, once at the end of the month.
I was told that she gets two months worth of pay in October. Do you have any knowledge of this kind of payment? What else does she need to watch out for.
Nah. I think this pay deal is total bullshit. Anyway, any bonus or additional payment she was promised is probably totally bogus. She should fax in any incident in the classroom (from a nosebleed to a crying child), and, of course, since PKC would never help you if you get hurt, she should get some pretty good medical insurance. The rest is up to Lady Luck, I guess.
read the japanese labor code.
it requires out of pocket expenses to be paid at the end of each work week.
and salary to be paid within 30 days.
pkc holds on to 2 months salary as a way to rip off teachers at the end of the contract.
it is a very bad environment.
and the labor unions - teachers unions are ball less. and the labor union will not support any gaijin claim.
pkc = suicides, dead kids, and dead teachers.
i'd get your gal out of okayama.
and fast.
Jon, there's your answer, I guess. ;)
i meant the labor board will not support any gaijin on their claims.
they don't give a shit!
Peppy Kids Club is the WORST school I ever worked at in 8 years in Japan. Somebody out there needs to start posting this stuff on the JAPANESE websites where moms search for schools for their kids.
I have heard that there was a pedophile teaching there... is that true? If so then that needs to get out into the media big time! I mean, they don't do any kind of background checks at all. They'll hire any fool who will just do what they are told by the fax machine in the classroom. They don't even give you a clue as to what your schedule will be like or where you will be teaching until AFTER you sign the contract. This is TOTALLY ILLEGAL!
Their contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. I know, I had lawyers and the labour board read mine. THEY LAUGHED!
WAKE UP PEOPLE. This is a disgusting, money grubbing, company that lacks any respect for their customers or their staff.
EXPOSE THEM PEPPY KIDS CLUB, KTC, ITTTI
Well, at the risk of offending Kill PKC over there, I did have to go through a Canadian criminal record check when I had applied for a job through PKC's Vancouver office. However, having said that, the fax machine deal was ridiculous - but of course, a lot less ridiculous that some of the shit we have been posting here over the years. It's a wonder the company is still in business.
Wow, all this stuff sounds foreign to me. I worked for Peppy Kids Club for two years, the last one in Nagoya head office as one the many District Leaders around 6 years ago. Many of the same folks I know well still work there. The company is far from perfect but what company is?
Its no secret that Chuoh is a publishing firm first and 'school' last, but your comments appear totally blown out of proportion. Why is it such a big deal to wait a week for your final pay check to ensure the apt is left tidy? Why would you expect any verbal agreement with another pleb would hold water? Your in Japan man, this is the place where the phrase ' a little bit impossible' is fully understood.
When I worked there we had over 80,000 kids involved in the program and the obvious large number of staff associated. I have no doubt a few creeps slipped through the net although I didnt hear of any. My advice is that you if are looking for an adventure, have an open mind, mature and are willing to put yourself in a culture that is distinctly different then your own then Peppy is great. If you are looking for pedagogically sound ESL experience that adheres to whatever labour standards, and cultural norms that exist in your country then this is not for you. Stop whining and suck it up....I have no idea how nutjobs like the infamous Peppy.com poster get away with their poorly written, poorly thought out garbage without being sued. Good thing it is Japan for their sake. Everyone I know who has worked, and is working for Peppy now has enjoyed their time. I know that I worked my damnedest in head office for teachers as did everyone else there.
Hey Gern, you must be someone high up in Peppy Management who is trying to save the company's crappy image and reputation. Good try. Everyone I know, whole heartedly hated the company with their crap work conditions for the workers both Japanese and Foreign.
Gern, buddy, this sort of "when I was there, it was OK" crap is not going to fly around here. We know what we saw and had to go through. I remember the Nagoya office and its blatant corruption and small-mindedness very well. This has nothing to do with Japan or culture shock. Please don't tell me that writing down an hour of work as "45 minutes" to save the company from paying more taxes is an aspect of Japan's culture. This is all bad ol' Peppy.
To answer your questions: Yes, it was a big deal for me that no one supported me when I had hurt my foot. It was a big deal for me when I was forced to quit my job as a result, and it certainly was a big deal when I had to starve because the bureaucrats at Peppy deemed it to be just. Finally, yes, if I was given a piece of paper with the date of my final paycheque's disbursement, I expect some goddamn cash money.
Look, I worked in the Nagano countryside (in Matsumoto) and everything went quite well. The owner of the school even lent me the two grand that my good friend (read "total douchebag") Yuki had tried to stiff me on. At the end of the day, Peppy Kids Club was, is, and continues to be a cesspool of hacks and criminals (on both sides of the contract they essentially force you to sign).
Yeah, I think John here has got a point. PKC/KTC is beyond saving. The good news is, of course, that these schools (where university-educated teachers are whored out for pennies) all go bankrupt eventually (just look at NOVA and LADO). It sucks for the students and the がいじん teachers, but something's got to give, right?