Entries this day: Downdate Insurance_for_unemployed

Downdate

1:51pm JST Tuesday 28 April 2009 (day 14279)

Considering writing a Rob Update, but calling in a Downdate, cause that's how I feel at times. Worried about paying my rent on 14 May, and trying to get work seems fruitless. IT jobs seems to want bilingual or Japanese natives, English teachin' jobs wants English-teachin' visa (there's different visas for each genre of job Engineering for IT, etc, and Specialist in Humanities for teaching English, etc) and the visa guys want proof of employment before giving me a new visa.

sigh. And I'm hungry.

Insurance for unemployed

3:21pm JST Tuesday 28 April 2009 (day 14279)

Hmmm.

I have a sneaking suspicion that when I came to the ward office asking for 仕事が無い保険、 they are not thinking I'm asking for unemployment insurance. I've literally translated it as no-job-insurance, but I think they're asking about self-employed insurance or something.

Just called Ami and she's talking with the woman for a long time as I'm writing the above, and then I talked to Ami again, and she goes, "do you want health insurance?"

Um. No. I had hoped Ami would be able to sort out this answer given that I had just been talking to her about my desire to get unemployment, but apparently she too thought I just wanted to pop by the ward office to get health insurance, given that I can't really afford my rent for next month.

3:30pm JST

Turns out, for the record, if one is seeking unemployment insurance in Japan, one should call Hello Work at 044-777-8609. That's the first step, apparently.

I'm still hungry. Headed home to get some food, while Ami calls Hello Work.

3:51pm JST Tuesday 28 April 2009 (day 14279)

Aight. It turns out my company has to pay towards unemployment insurance in order for me to be eligible for unemployment insurance, and it expires one year after termination of employment.

3:52pm JST

whew.

Fortunately, my resume says I worked at Aclass until June 2008, which I'm sure is within a month of accurate, so I should be good.

Now just gotta reach those guys. If they didn't pay unemployment, I think some lawyers would be appropriate.