JAPANITE Learn Real Japanese

There are are over a dozen web sites in Japan where people ask advice for just about everything. I believe these sites reflect  to some extent the concerns and issues facing Japanese society. They show another side of life in Japan.  Also, the Japanese written in these web sites is about as real as it gets.

Some background facts before you read the Japanese passage

The pay system in Japan
Regular employees still receive bonuses twice a year in many companies in Japan.  A bonus can amount to a few times the monthly salary. It is considered almost like a deferred salary in Japan.

A few companies still pay  a  perfect attendance allowance to those employees who never miss a day of work. In Japan if an employee hasn’t missed a day of work for one year they may get a few thousand yen for never being absent.

Also, many Japanese companies pay  ”family allowance” to those employees who have to support a family.  The bigger the family the higher the family allowance.

This system is still an important part of working life in Japan. But it has been declining over the years.

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Real Japanese

会社に有給休暇がありません。

風邪で休むと、日給が引かれてしまいます。そして、社会保険に入っていなかった事を内部告発され、社会保険庁より指導され、仕方なく社員のボーナスを30％カットし、保険に加入しました。家族手当や皆勤手当も人によって違い、辞めた人に退職金は払われていないのに、後日役員が大金を引き出している次第です。

お昼休みは、毎日電話番です。
残業代は貰えません。
こんな会社は、辞めるしか方法はないのでしょうか？

English Translation

There are no paid holidays at my company.

If I take a day off due to a cold, the company will deduct my wages for the day. Also, someone blew the whistle on my company for not enrolling the employees in the social insurance system. When my company was instructed by the social insurance agency to do so, the company had no choice but to cut 30%  from the employees bonus in order to participate in the social insurance system.
The perfect attendance allowance and family allowance are different depending on the person. Although severance pay is not paid to people who quit, executives will take large amounts of money for themselves.

Everyday during lunch break I have to answer the phone.
I do not get overtime pay.
Is my only choice to quit such a company?

(At some later date I will post examples of advice. - Mark)

Direct Translation

かいしゃ　　　　　　　　  ゆうきゅうきゅうか
/会社            に      有給休暇           が              ありません。/
/company    at      paid holidays  (subj.)    　 are not/
/There are no paid holidays at my company/

かぜ　　　　　　　 やすむ　　        にっきゅう　　　　　　　     ひかれてしまいます
/風邪  で　　　　 休む　        と、 日給　　　　　　　   が　    引かれてしまいます。/
/cold  due to  holiday    if   daily wages 　(subj.) deduct　(passive-critical)/
/If I take a day off due to a cold, the company will deduct my wages for the day./

.              しゃかい ほけん　　　　　 　 はいって　　　　　　　　　  こと
/そして、   社会保険                    に 入っていなかった         事
/Also       social insurance       not enrolled in            (nominalizer)
/Also, someone blew the whistle on my company for not enrolling the employees in the social insurance system/

.             ないぶこくはつ
を           内部告発され、/
(object) blew the whistle on (passive)/

しゃかいほけんちょう                         しどう
/社会保険庁                        より      指導され、
/social insurance agency  by       was instructed (causative)
/When my company was instructed by the social insurance agency to do so

しかた　　        しゃいん
仕方なく          社員のボーナス            を            ３０％     カットし、
no choice      employee’s bonus   (object)   30%    cut
the company had no choice but to cut 30%  from the employees bonus

ほけん　　                                  かにゅう
保険                                  に   加入しました。/
social insurance system  in   participated /
in order to participate in the social insurance system./

かぞくてあて　                        かいきんてあて
/家族手当                 や        皆勤手当
/family allowance   and      perfect attendance allowance
/The perfect attendance allowance and the family allowance are different depending on the person./

. 　     ひと        ちがい
も      人によって違い、/
also different depending on the person/

やめたひと　                  たいしょくきん　　                はらわれていない
/辞めた人              に   退職金                は           払われていない  のに、
/people who quit      severance pay  as for    is not paid      although
/Although  severance pay is not paid to people who quit,

ごじつ   やくいん　                 たいきん　                     ひきだしている　しだい
後日     役員           が         大金                     を     引き出している次第です。/
later   exeutives  (subj.)  a lot of money   (obj.)  draw out/
executives will take large amounts of money for themselves./

.                 おひるやすみ　            まいにちでんわばん
/お              昼休み           は、      日電話番                                です。/
/(honorific) lunch time   as for   everyday answer the phone   is/
/Everyday during lunch break I have to answer the phone./

ざんぎょうだい　                 もらえません
/残業代             は          貰えません。/
/overtime pay     as for    do not receive/
/I do not get overtime pay./

. 　　　  かいしゃ　                 やめる　　  ほうほう
/こんな会社           は、        辞めるしか方法はない       のでしょうか？/
/such company   as for    the only way is to quit  (question)/
/Is my only choice to quit such a company?/

Japanese Language points

引かれてしまいます - 　”てしまう” in this case implies that the speaker is criticical of the company  for deducting his wages.  Some of the meaning is lost in the English translation.

次第です - “次第” is often translated as “depending” but in this case it emphasizes what the speaker wrote.  It is somewhat similar to the term         “わけ.”  So there is no direct translation into English.

お昼休みは、毎日電話番です -  “番” means “one’s turn.” Literally translated it means, “Everyday during lunch break it is my turn to answer the phone.”   My translation is, “Everyday during lunch break I have to answer the phone.”