Holidays? What holidays?

Today morning I waited for 20min for the bus in a very cold wind and snow. First I thought that the bus dropped out of the schedule. But knowing what country I am in it would be highly unlikely. "Come on", I though, "I am in Japan, it is almost impossible!"

Soon I found out that it was because buses are running on holiday schedule today. Somehow no one told me that Monday is a holiday and I did not find out myself. The campus is completely empty and I am the only person in my building. Even the over-eager, super "hard-working" Engineering Postdoc is not here. This must be some pretty important holiday! If I knew it is a holiday I could stay at home or go to Osaka... Such a wasted opportunity!

I would appreciate some clear information from my boss about what on holidays I can take from my job.

When I first communicated by email with him before deciding whether to take this job or not he wrote "there are no holidays in your contract" (meaning no annual leave I guess). After I got my contract translated it turned out he is partially true. The holidays are not directly stated in my contract, the article on that subject states that the working hours and holidays are "described in a separate document" (which I did not receive). So I do not know what my employer’s rules are on that.

What I know is that the Japanese employment law, the Labor Standards Act, gives a right to ten days annual paid leave per year to every employee who have been employed continuously for 6 months. Yet my boss seems to think differently. Or he believes so mistakenly.

I was also unsure which days during New Year period are statutory national holidays. I didn’t know which days I should be at work, and on which I could take time off. So I asked. First I asked our group secretary. She told me she does not know and that I need to ask the professor. Later I asked the Captain. He told me that the officials have extended holidays for two weeks, but about me I have to ask the Big Old Professor. So I asked the Big Old Professor. He told me that the officials have extended holidays for two weeks, but this does not apply to postdocs. He did not answer my question. No one did!

I have read that in the Japanese Universities there is still Koza system of absolute power of professors. It is still like during feudalism in here in some ways. So I only have so many rights as the professor grants me. And he does not want me to take any time off, but since he is very westernized he knew I would not accept this, so he simply said nothing. Maybe he tests my commitment to the job - if I am properly committed I will take no holiday and make up the time "lost" on my December European travel.

When the Big Old Professor was in our office I have asked the Talented Postgrad and the Engineering Postdoc about their plans. This was on 30th Dec when we were the only people from our group to work - the students had started their holidays already. They both told me they are not coming to work on the next day, on 31st Dec. I asked them when they are coming back. The Postdoc said he is coming back on Monday 5th Jan.

The professor who listened to this conversation said nothing. Since he did not protest I assumed that this meant it must be O.K. to take five days off. So I did. On one hand this seems like a wasted time, but firstly it would be unhealthy to work without rest (and I desperately needed rest and sleep after my December travels) and secondly I do not like to work in empty buildings. I find it spooky.

I went back to the office one day early, on Sunday 4th Jan. To my surprise the Engineering Postdoc was there, working his ass off. No wonder when I asked him for some help he was irritated - he must have been either jealous for me taking so much time off, or feel superior to me for not taking so much rest as me. From the Captain I later heard that the Postdoc was working from the second January, if not throughout the whole holiday period!

I wonder why he told me that he is coming back to work on the fifth? I really do not understand this guy. Maybe he feels worried about his job and afraid of the competition (i.e. of me)? Maybe there are unwritten rules of the Japanese workplace competition of who works the most hours? Or maybe he has simply nothing else to do - he is single, has no family in this region - so devoting all of his time to science is better than doing nothing or playing Pachinko.