On 20 Jan 2004 23:07:59 -0800, still_the_same_me@hotmail.com (James
Annan) brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:

>No, not a philosophical question about the work/non-work divide...more
>of a practical and legal one.
>
>What responsibility/authority does an employer in Japan have over an
>employee, outside of their time at work? And in particular, does the
>commute to work come under the authority and responsibility of the
>employer? In the UK, it certainly does not, and (with some limited
>exceptions) what the employee does in his own time - including time
>spent commuting - is his personal business.

What exactly is it that caused you to ask the question? I'm guessing
that you must have encountered something about employers barring
employees from engaging in other work. Legally, so long as there is no
conflict of interest (working IT and teaching English on the side, for
example) there is nothing they can do about it so long as it doesn't
affect your job performance. As far as commuting goes, workman's
compensation covers you on your commute, provided you don't take some
sort of detour along the way. Commuting expenses are normally covered,
with the exception of very small companies, which Declan has already
mentioned. Depending on where you live and the
availability/practicality of public transport, the commuting expenses
you receive may or may not actually cover the full costs you incur.





--

Michael Cash

"I am sorry, Mr. Cash, but we are unable to accept your rap sheet in lieu of
a high school transcript."

                                Dr. Howard Sprague
                                Dean of Admissions
                                Mount Pilot College