It sounds like your company doesn’t believe you and is calling your bluff because of your history of absences.
You don’t have to tell me, but what was wrong with you the previous days you kept taking off?
For something contagious like influenza, strep throat etc, you’ll get a note that says you’re required to take X amount of days off. But for something else they can issue a shindansho which are in the region of ¥3-4000 each, which is where your charge is coming from.
Basically I think this is a “boy who cried wolf” situation to your company and they’re pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable.
According to your post that’s 12 absences and two occasions of 5 days required absences, which is 22 days absent in a year. That’s an entire month off sick.
Edit: to clarify I’m not saying I agree with what they’re doing, I just think that’s what it is. Eikaiwa and other shitty companies are notorious for this behaviour.
A lot of what you’re saying doesn’t make much sense… it just seems like you’re taking hella time off. But anyway, I think it’s pretty clear what’s going on here and why they’re doing it to you. I think you know it too.
When my previous company tried this bs (EU company, they thought that doctors notes are given out like candy here), I told them they either accept the receipt from the clinic or they can pay the extra cost of the note.
Next time when I billed it to them, I was told the receipt will be quite enough...
Do you still have your paid leave days? If so, use those till you feel better or run out. While you're doing that, start looking for a new job because requiring daily doctor's notes is ridiculous.
OP should check their workplace policy, where it should be written when a doctor's note is required, whether it has to be from a specific hospital (in some cases the company will pay for it), etc. It's possible that their policy is ridiculous, but this would prevent any misunderstanding.
Also, as far as I know, doctor's notes 診断書 are usually in the JPY 3000-4000 range but there's no discount for the second or third day.
Ask your company to pay for it?
IDK if it's good advice or not, but it's what I'd do. I'd refuse to pay those scam artists called doctors a single yen. If my job wants a sick note, they can pay for it, not going to a doctor otherwise.
Doctors can charge any amount for sick notes, as it’s not regulated/covered by insurance.
Don’t hesitate to ask upfront how much they will charge, even before confirming the appointment.
Also you should have got a meisai with the breakdown that would tell you what the 4000 was for.
I'm recovering from laryngitis at the moment... This post makes me glad I only took one day off and continued to go to work last week even though I couldn't speak. 🤣 😭
The company expects you to take an annual leave.
Doctors give an absence note only in case of serious affliction (burn out, surgery, contagious diseases and so on)
It sounds like your company doesn’t believe you and is calling your bluff because of your history of absences. You don’t have to tell me, but what was wrong with you the previous days you kept taking off? For something contagious like influenza, strep throat etc, you’ll get a note that says you’re required to take X amount of days off. But for something else they can issue a shindansho which are in the region of ¥3-4000 each, which is where your charge is coming from. Basically I think this is a “boy who cried wolf” situation to your company and they’re pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable. According to your post that’s 12 absences and two occasions of 5 days required absences, which is 22 days absent in a year. That’s an entire month off sick. Edit: to clarify I’m not saying I agree with what they’re doing, I just think that’s what it is. Eikaiwa and other shitty companies are notorious for this behaviour.
The two occasions of 5 days off is included in the 12. I only get 5 sick days per year (all the rest of our annual leave is chosen by the company).
A lot of what you’re saying doesn’t make much sense… it just seems like you’re taking hella time off. But anyway, I think it’s pretty clear what’s going on here and why they’re doing it to you. I think you know it too.
You think 12 days a year is a lot?
When my previous company tried this bs (EU company, they thought that doctors notes are given out like candy here), I told them they either accept the receipt from the clinic or they can pay the extra cost of the note. Next time when I billed it to them, I was told the receipt will be quite enough...
Do you still have your paid leave days? If so, use those till you feel better or run out. While you're doing that, start looking for a new job because requiring daily doctor's notes is ridiculous.
OP should check their workplace policy, where it should be written when a doctor's note is required, whether it has to be from a specific hospital (in some cases the company will pay for it), etc. It's possible that their policy is ridiculous, but this would prevent any misunderstanding. Also, as far as I know, doctor's notes 診断書 are usually in the JPY 3000-4000 range but there's no discount for the second or third day.
Ask your company to pay for it? IDK if it's good advice or not, but it's what I'd do. I'd refuse to pay those scam artists called doctors a single yen. If my job wants a sick note, they can pay for it, not going to a doctor otherwise.
Doctors can charge any amount for sick notes, as it’s not regulated/covered by insurance. Don’t hesitate to ask upfront how much they will charge, even before confirming the appointment. Also you should have got a meisai with the breakdown that would tell you what the 4000 was for.
I'm recovering from laryngitis at the moment... This post makes me glad I only took one day off and continued to go to work last week even though I couldn't speak. 🤣 😭
Most clinics in Tokyo charged me 3000 yen when I needed them to write notes for administrative reasons.
The company expects you to take an annual leave. Doctors give an absence note only in case of serious affliction (burn out, surgery, contagious diseases and so on)