Resignation Process
Okay, so you’ve decided you don’t want to continue on with Interac for another year?
The timing depends on the branch, but way back in November 2015 I received a survey in my inbox asking if I intended to stay with Interac for another year. This survey was not binding and was purely to gauge numbers. In the middle of January, I received the official survey. It asks whether you want to re-contract, and then questions if you would like to move cities and/or branch (if so, where), whether anything such as your passport or driving licence would be expiring soon, and give you space to leave any comments or requests.
I initially signed up for another year but then was offered a good temp job from my former employer (which fitted in perfectly with my plans to go back University to get a PGCE) so I sent an email to my MC explaining my intentions of leaving and reasons why (though you can just state outright that you want to leave; you don’t need to explain yourself). He phoned me up to double-check I was okay (as he knows I love it out here; he was a little shocked) but after that told me I would receive a leaving pack within a few days.
It took a week to receive the leaving pack, which contained:
An end of employment form, with very simple questions such as whether you have a car, and what date you want to move out of your Leopalace (up to 3 days after your last day of employment).
A final salary payment form. You can choose whether to have your final 2 salaries paid into your Japanese or overseas bank account (though anything going overseas will be taxed).
A takeover form. Basically just fill in information about your schools, students and teachers to better inform your successor about their new placement.
A notification form for immigration, to inform them that you are changing/leaving your job. This needs to be mailed to Tokyo within 2 weeks of you leaving your schools.
After you email the first form back to Interac they will set up your car collection, gas and water inspection, and Leopalace inspection for you on the day you move out. Please be aware that Leopalace will charge you a ¥30,000 cleaning fee, even if you go out and hire your own cleaners beforehand. I’m pretty sure this is taken out of your final paycheck.
You’re not allowed to tell your schools that you are resigning (I’ve heard it’s led to bad relationships in the past). Apparently the BOE will inform them sometime in March. I still don’t know if my schools have been informed yet or not; no one has said anything to me.
And that’s that! The next big hurdle: fitting everything into my suitcases!