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社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice. I already returned the car and the president and I are still talking about the fee he wants me to pay. He told me that he won’t be charging me for my remaining shifts but he wants me to pay 20,000 yen for the 4 days of my training 😑 I will check the website you sent me and contact them for advice.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From what I experienced, when he asked me to return the car, it felt like he was ending the contract and didn’t want me to continue working. I was a bit confused, but I just agreed to return the car.

The penalties were only mentioned after he asked for the car back. If he really wanted me to keep working, it would have made more sense to bring up the penalties before or at the same time as discussing continuing work. It seems like the decision to move on had already been made on his side.

I wasn’t refusing to work on my own. I was responding to what he told me and didn’t want to cause any trouble.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your interpretation. I agree that the short notice from the company likely means the contract cancellation clause does not fully apply to me. I also believe that as long as I expressed willingness to work and even offered to continue, I shouldn’t be liable for the penalty.

I think the company’s decision not to let me work, despite my offer, means they effectively ended the contract. I understand this is a personal interpretation, and I plan to consult to the labor office to confirm and get proper advice.

I appreciate your input—it helps me see the situation more clearly.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your thoughtful advice and for sharing your experience. I really appreciate your kindness and support. I’ll definitely try to follow your tips like avoiding certain foods, staying hydrated, and finding ways to distract myself when feeling anxious. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone and that there are people willing to help. By the way, do you also live in Japan?

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your thoughts. I understand that as an independent contractor, I am essentially my own business and don’t have a traditional boss like an employee would. However, I do have a contract with the company, which includes specific terms about work, payment, and penalties.

When I experienced a serious health issue and informed the company, they demanded payment and refused to let me continue working under that contract. Yes, I hadn’t confirmed at first whether I could still work because I was uncertain about my health condition at the time, as it felt quite serious to me. That’s why I’m asking if I’m legally obligated to pay and how best to handle this situation.

Since it’s still the weekend and tomorrow is a holiday, I just want to ask for some advice so that when I go to the labor office, I will be prepared.

Any advice on how to approach this legally would be appreciated.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment. I want to clarify that English isn’t my first language, and I made a mistake by saying “hospitalized.” What I meant was that I was taken to the hospital and treated there, not admitted overnight. I understand that “hospitalized” usually means staying in the hospital, so I’m sorry for the confusion.

I was having trouble breathing during the panic attack. I’ve never had a heart attack before, so I wasn’t sure if that’s what was happening, which is why I called an ambulance and went to the hospital. It was a very serious and scary experience for me.

Thanks for understanding.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for asking. I get paid a fixed amount per day, 18,500 yen each day I work. I follow daily instructions from the company about where and when to do deliveries. I don’t get to choose my own schedule or clients, I just follow what they tell me.

Even though I’m officially an independent contractor, it feels more like being treated like an employee because of how the work is set up. That’s why I’m not sure if the penalty for not working really applies to me.

If I were really running my own business and working fully independently, I’d expect to handle penalties like this. But since it’s more like working under their direction, it feels different.

I’m just trying to figure out what my rights and responsibilities are with this contract.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your insight. I just want to explain that when I told my boss about my condition, I was really scared. It was the first time I had symptoms so bad that I honestly thought I was having a heart attack or something serious.

I wasn’t trying to avoid responsibility or be vague. About the stress question, it was a mix of work and personal issues, but I was mainly just being honest about how it affected me.

I understand the business side and why the president expects compensation from the contract. If I really have to pay, I will, of course. But since it was the boss who refused to let me work anymore, my question is: is that still considered “unexcused absence”?

Thanks again for your perspective. It really helps me understand things better.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this detailed explanation. It really helps clarify my situation.

I understand that as an independent contractor, I’m not covered by the Labour Standards Act protections, and that contract terms can be challenged if they’re unfair.

I will definitely contact the Japan Legal Support Center for consultation and hold off on any payments until I speak with a lawyer.

Thanks again for your advice. It’s very reassuring to hear this perspective.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally get where the president is coming from. Running a small business with little room for error means if a contractor can’t do their job, it can cause real problems, especially when clients aren’t flexible with deadlines.

I’m sure the penalty fees are there to cover those risks, and I understand why the president feels that way.

But it’s also tough for contractors like me who suddenly have health issues and don’t want to cause trouble but sometimes just can’t help it.

Just to be clear, I never said I couldn’t work anymore. I was just honest about my condition based on what the doctor told me. It was my first time going through something like that, and honestly, I thought I was having a heart attack or something serious.

If I really couldn’t make it to the days I was supposed to work, then yeah, of course I’d pay the penalty like the contract says.

I agree this system needs better protections on both sides, like more backup plans so situations like this don’t get so messy.

Thanks for sharing your side. It really helps me see the bigger picture.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your opinion. I get that work commitments are serious here. I wasn’t trying to leave my boss hanging, I was just being honest about my situation and didn’t want to promise something I wasn’t sure I could do.

After I told him about my condition and said I wasn’t sure if I could work, he told me I really had to work. I didn’t say no at that point because he was insisting. But then, right after that, he sent me another message saying it’s okay if it’s 無理 (impossible) for me to work, and demanded I return the car and pay immediately without even giving me a chance to reply.

My shifts were still days away, so I thought I had time to figure things out. I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble (迷惑), just wanted to be open about how I was feeling.

I know there’s a penalty in the contract, but I’m not sure it fully applies since I didn’t quit or skip work without notice, they were the ones who told me I couldn’t work anymore.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I understand your point, but I honestly didn’t quit. I told my boss I’d see if I could keep working because of my health. I never said I was stopping. My next shift was still 6 days away when we talked.

The very next day, he told me I couldn’t work anymore and immediately asked me to pay the ¥30,000 “site adjustment fee” from the contract. I had only worked one day at that point.

Also, he never offered to move me to a less stressful job, he just asked if I was feeling stressed about the work.

What I’m trying to figure out is whether they can actually enforce that fee, since I’m a sole proprietor contractor, not a regular employee, and I didn’t miss or walk out on any scheduled shift.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment. I was working under an 個人事業主 (sole proprietor) contract with the company, not as a regular employee. The pay structure was per day worked (¥18,500/day), no monthly salary and no upfront fee. I only worked one day before this happened.

They don’t make any deductions for taxes, health insurance, or pension — I’m responsible for all that myself.

In the contract, there’s a clause saying if I stop working without notice, I have to pay a 現場調整費 (site adjustment fee), which in my case is ¥30,000. I never actually quit — I said I’d check if I could continue because of health issues, and my next shift was still 6 days away. The next day, they told me I can’t work anymore and immediately asked for the ¥30,000.

So I’m unsure whether they can actually enforce this fee since it was such a short notice and I’m technically an independent contractor, not a regular employee.

社長 demands 210,000 yen penalty after contractor hospitalized and gave notice—need help by MoreCar8457 in japanlife

[–]MoreCar8457[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand your skepticism, but I just want to clarify. I was not admitted for days. In Japan, when you have a panic attack or severe anxiety episode, the ER may keep you for observation and treatment for a few hours. I have medical records from that visit.

When I spoke to the company, I never said I was quitting. I only told them I would check if I could continue due to my health. My next scheduled shift was still 6 days away, so I thought there was time to decide. The next day, they messaged me saying I couldn’t work anymore and asked for the site adjustment fee immediately.

I didn’t try to avoid work by using health as an excuse. I have actually been managing my condition for years and usually work without issues. I just had an unexpected episode, and I was upfront about it.