I live and work in Japan. I'm currently on my end-of-year vacation. I go back to work on January 10. My employer expects me to phone in two business days before going back to work to prove I'm in the country (which I am) despite me still being on my contractually guaranteed vacation. Considering January 9 is a national holiday in Japan, they want me to phone in on January 6, a full four days before my first day back at work. I don't care if all I'm doing on January 6 is sitting at home in my underwear watching netflix, I'm not phoning in. I'm still on vacation, bitch. It's none of your busines where I am until 8:30 a.m. on January 10.