• News & Updates

Interac’s Approach to COVID-19: April to August Update

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Over the past few months Interac has implemented several measures to support its employees against COVID-19 while also following the guidelines from the Japanese government. (For details , please see the article Interac’s approach to COVID-19). Several months have passed since our previous  announcement. Boards of education (BOE) around the country began to open  schools from May and June, depending on their local situation.

 

Interac took the following actions to support ALTs attending assignments:

36 degrees Celsius on clinical electronic thermometer on white background

Thermometers distributed to all employees

Under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s (MEXT) guidelines, all BOEs are requiring school staff (including Japanese teachers and ALTs) to report their health condition on a daily basis. Interac distributed digital thermometers to all employees living throughout Japan. This includes more than 3,000 employees. The company ismonitoring the health of each individual to ensure both their safety as well as the students and staff  at their schools.

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Full salaries paid from April to August

In March, despite the school closures, the company made the decision to pay full salaries to all employees for the month. In some areas, school shutdowns continued until June. On top, Interac continued to pay full salaries from April to August. Also, Interac’s flat-rate salary system allowed all instructors to feel at ease knowing that they would receive the same salary each month. The system applies even for the holiday seasons..

overhead view of people sitting around a table using different devices

Internal emergency information website created

Interac created an internal emergency website shortly after the COVID-19 situation began. It gives instructors easy access to information the company sends out. o. The site allows all instructors to submit their daily health assessment (mentioned above). It also several kinds of information as below:

    • COVID-19 related
    • Branch specific
    • Area related
    • Details on emergency procedures such as fire of police related
    • Measures to take in case of natural disasters

The situation remains fluid as the world responds to the ongoing pandemic. Interac will continue to follow the Japanese government’s instructions and support our instructors through these difficult times. Through these actions we aim to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, those at the schools, and within the local community.

For more information about living and working in Japan as an Interac ALT, please see our FAQ here.