The Benefits

Overview of the ALTIA CENTRAL ALT Position

One of the best benefits of being an ALT with ALTIA CENTRAL is that we pay your full salary each month of the year, always on time. We don’t prorate your salary during the extended summer and winter breaks, and we don’t start your salary later in April or end it earlier in March like most (if not all) of our competitors; we pay you continuously through to the end of the contract. Additionally, we offer paid sick days right from the start—a benefit that is becoming increasingly rare with other employers in this industry. During the winter breaks and most of the summer, ALTs are not required to be at school, nor are they expected to work at our head office or teach English in the evenings, as some companies may require. This gives ALTs valuable time to recharge, ensuring they can consistently deliver high-quality classes throughout the year. Sundays, national holidays, and most Saturdays (with only a few exceptions) are also given off, in line with the Board of Education’s yearly schedule and your individual Company Calendar.

ALTs are generally expected to be present at school from the opening to the closing ceremonies each semester, from the beginning of April to late March the following year. The first semester usually ends around July 25th and resumes in late August or the start of September, typically allowing for at least several weeks of summer break while still receiving full pay. During summer break, ALTs are usually not required to be at school, except for a few short events such as speech contest support, teacher training, or English camps. Add another couple of weeks during the winter break and about a week at the end of the school year during spring break, and it all adds up to quite a bit of fully paid downtime, helping ensure a reasonable work-life balance in most of our contracts.

At ALTIA CENTRAL, we offer more than just accommodation assistance for most of our contracts. We will locate, secure, act as guarantor, and cover ALL initial rental deposits (key money) for an ALTIA CENTRAL-sponsored apartment. For many foreigners, especially outside the biggest cities, these tasks can be the most difficult to manage independently, as it is often challenging to find apartments or guarantors on their own. While the situation is improving, securing an apartment can still be expensive, so we believe it’s crucial to provide this support to help our ALTs settle quickly and easily.

Please note that ALTIA CENTRAL-sponsored accommodations are selected at the sole discretion of ALTIA CENTRAL and cannot be chosen or inspected by the ALT prior to moving in. Location is a key factor, and we typically find apartments with convenient access to the ALT’s assigned school(s), while also considering the overall convenience of the neighborhood.

ALTIA CENTRAL typically places new recruits in LeoPalace apartments, which come fully furnished with a table and chairs, fridge, microwave, air conditioner, washing machine, TV, and instantly accessible internet and Wi-Fi. While the apartments are small and compact, they are clean, convenient, and easy to move into and they save a lot of time and extra money by not having to secure your own appliances etc. (which have a hidden double expense of paying to recycle or remove them when you move out.)

Moving costs and utilities are the responsibility of the ALT. After receiving the first month's rent upfront from a new recruit, subsequent months' rent will be deducted directly from the monthly salary and paid to the real estate agent by ALTIA CENTRAL. Although we cover the key money and other deposits upfront, there is a small management fee of 4,500 yen per month. This fee helps us cover the overhead costs of the apartments, as well as expenses such as fire insurance, maintenance, cleaning fees, and more.

ALTIA CENTRAL offers support with commuting to and from schools by either reimbursing public transportation costs, providing a company car, or offering a monthly stipend for using your own vehicle.

For ALTs who commute using public transportation, we subsidize the costs each month and can also assist with purchasing a bicycle for commuting. For positions that require driving, ALTIA CENTRAL can typically provide a company car for travel to and from school.

To qualify for the use of an ALTIA CENTRAL vehicle, the ALT must hold a current and valid driving license in Japan. International licenses (or IDPs) are accepted for the first year after arriving in Japan, but after that, ALTs will need to obtain a Japanese driver’s license to continue driving. While not all positions require the ability to drive, the fact is that most of them do, as many of our contracts are in suburban areas and smaller towns where schools are often located outside of major transport hubs and in residential neighborhoods.

We cover the cost of the car lease and offer a variety of driving plans to suit your needs, including fully paid plans that cover gas, insurance, maintenance, and more. Additionally, our company cars can be used for limited personal use under the Work Plus plan, where the expenses and costs of the car are split between the ALT and the company. While personal use of company cars is rare in Japan, for an ALT, it can be an extremely valuable benefit you may want to consider.

The base salary for an ALT position with ALTIA CENTRAL is typically 240,000 Japanese yen per month. There are a few rare exceptions in locations with fewer working days per year, but this is the standard salary for most full-time positions we offer. As mentioned earlier, your salary is paid in full each month, including in August, even when there may be no school days, and during months like December, January, and March, when there are typically only 2 or 3 weeks of school. This is an increasingly rare benefit in the industry.

ALTIA CENTRAL offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid annual leave that can be used throughout the year as sick days or personal days.

Completion or Make-Up Bonuses are also provided upon the successful completion of your contract, and bonus amounts typically increase over the first few years of employment in many of our contracts. Other minor benefits include a monetary gift for passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test during your employment, reimbursements for school-related events, lunch money during Orientation/Training, and more.

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