Which English Teacher Dispatch Company in Japan comes out at the bottom? Interac, Heart, GABA or Joytalk?

_× Recommend ×CEO Approval Business Outlook
Pros
They are a below average to average dispatch company. It's a difficult dynamic within
a difficult system.
The Japanese staff is very friendly and, generally, try to be helpful.
A lot of power lays at the hands of the schools and Boards of Education.
Cons

1. Management is a nightmare. It's a top down problem. The people at the top have
   gotten lazy and don't really do much beyond delegate to underlings. The middle
   management has no real power so they are essentially useless. But that does not
   prevent them from going on a power trip.
2. Don't believe ANYTHING they tell you. They will tell you during the interview that
   you will make X amount, then when you arrive in Japan inform you that some
   "contract issues" came up and cut your salary before you've even started. They will
   wait until the last week or two of school to let you know that they are moving
   you/cutting your salary/not renewing your contract, by which point it is far too late to
   find another job. In short, they are deceptive. There are some silver tongued Devils
   that can spin very well, but it's worth less than a grain of salt.
3. As previously stated, the "training" is far from useful. They are militant about
   attendance, but you will be hard pressed to get anything of value out of it.
4. Their contracts and business practices are incredibly shady. A couple employees
   reported them to the labor bureau for wage theft among other things. Be prepared to
   sign a weighty contract with a significant amount of empty threats and borderline
   illegal penalties/work requirements.
5. As stated above the Boards of Education and the schools have a lot of power,
   unfortunately, a byproduct of that is that the teacher (and the company) have almost
   none. In short, if you have any problems/issues, they will be blamed on the teacher.
   The company will not have your back. You will be expected to amend your behavior,
   whether you know what it is that you did or not. And you will not be permitted to
   bring it up with anyone.
6. Others have mentioned the pay and benefits situation. It's all true. The pay is not a
   living wage. You will not save money unless you are debt free. You will live paycheck
   to paycheck. You are better off getting out of the company apartments as quickly as
   possible. Find your own place. No pension. No health insurance.
7. This isn't really a criticism of the company. The areas where the bulk of their
   contracts are held are largely economically depressed regions. It is not uncommon for
   the teacher to be the only foreigner in an area. This isn't a problem generally, but if
   you are coming from abroad with no contacts in the area it can be quite isolating.
8. The schools and Boards of Education do not know how bad your salary and
   workinging oditions ath th are swaintre camber but thexi hoard she theresan breaor
   the professional ladder. The company will just tell you to do what you're told._

This is about Joytalk