Job Discussion Forums

[curtmonster]

To whom this may concern,

I know this may be a little too late for any teachers looking for work for the upcoming 2013/2014 school year, as you may have already signed a contract with Bell, but I spent the last year working at the Bell school in Bydgoszcz and they still owe me money.

For the first couple months they paid us (the teachers) within the 14 days as stated on the 'contract'. However, as the year went on, we would always have to ask when we were getting paid. Every month there was always an excuse (we have to wait for all the teachers at the school to sign their workloads, the forms were lost in the mail, the person who is in charge of payments is on vacation, etc.).

I have been more than patient with them and have tried to take legal actions against the school, but because of the type of 'contract' they had me sign the authorities cannot investigate the school.

I have been calling Ludmiła/Ludka (the director of Bell Schools) since July to see when I am going to get paid for June, as they still owe me my last months salary. I had initially been promised pay next week...it then changed to next week looks better...then she told me that they are waiting for companies to pay them. I had read this in another thread and felt it was my duty to get the word out that they are still having what was called 'cash flow problems' in the other forum post.

Over the last year they have been late by over 100 days, and counting, according to their 'contract'. This goes for all of the natives that were hired at Bell Bydgoszcz last year.

Regards,
A pissed off teacher

[Master Shake]

Thanks for the update, curtmonster. I'm sorry to hear this trend is continuing and that you are a victim. Believe it or not, ELS Bell used to be a great school to work for.

Please share your experience on other Poland teaching forums (e.g. Polish forums) so others will be warned.

To summarize the situation as detailed on the 'friendly advice' and other Bell school threads, these late payment problems:

-have occurred in most, if not all, branches of ELS Bell in Poland
-have been going on for over two years now in some schools
-involve teachers getting paid up to 1 year after completion of the teaching (if they're paid at all)

Bell Warsaw has recently changed location again (for at least the 4th time in 5 years) in search of lower rent.

What's truly amazing is that the school here in Warsaw continues to remain open despite declining student numbers over the last 5 years and, obviously crippling, "cash flow" problems. It's almost as if not paying their teachers has become part of Bell's business model...

[delphian-domine]

Feel free to PM me details and I can put some pressure on for you.

The contract is not an issue - in fact, if they've put you on umowa o dzielo, then you can very easily squeeze them by the balls.

[curtmonster]

[quote="Master Shake"]
[b]Please share your experience on other Poland teaching forums (e.g. Polish forums) so others will be warned.[/b]

To summarize the situation as detailed on the 'friendly advice' and other Bell school threads, these late payment problems:

-have occurred in most, if not all, branches of ELS Bell in Poland
-have been going on for over two years now in some schools
-involve teachers getting paid up to [b]1 year[/b] after completion of the teaching (if they're paid at all)

[b]Bell Warsaw has recently changed location again (for at least the 4th time in 5 years) in search of lower rent.[/b]
[/quote]

Bell Bydgoszcz has a new location this year too. My wife wrote up some information in Polish on the local newspaper website/forums in hopes to spread the word in the city. Any specific 'Polish forums' you thinking about?

[Master Shake]

[gardenbotanical1]

Sorry to hear that yet another teacher has been burned by ESL Bell!

You are right that this has become a common occurrence.

Please let us know here if your problem has been resolved?

[curtmonster]

I have finally been paid...only 3 months late ...They still haven't paid one of the teachers from last year though...I ended up contacting EAQUALS (http://www.eaquals.org/) and they contacted Ludka about the issue. I'm not sure if this helped but it didn't hurt...

[gardenbotanical1]

That is good news, Curtmonster!

Strangely enough, i was going to suggest contacting EAQUALS and soliciting their support. While ELS Bell is no longer accredited by EAQUALS, apart from the Warsaw branch, Ludka, one of the owners of ELS Bell and its director, is very much a part of the organisation, as you can see here http://www.eaquals.org/about/people/lkotarska/

She is heavily involved in an organisation that is supposed to uphold a set of ethical values and teaching standards, yet time and again, over a period of several years now, teachers working for ELS Bell have either not been paid or paid very late.

It is high time that EAQUALS took note of the business practice of one of its senior representatives: pass risk on the teachers and then make teachers take the fall if clients don't square their bills.

EAQUALS, if it it takes its mission seriously, and wants to be taken seriously in Poland, is only doing itself damage by its continued association with somebody who runs their schools and treats their manpower with such a lack of integrity.

I just wish teachers would do rudimentary background searches on schools. It would save so much hassle and also deny such operators the services of competent professionals.

I hope your colleague is paid soon.

[curtmonster]

gardenbotanical1,

I hope that he gets paid soon too! I was put in a tough situation and really had no choice but to accept their offer for employment last year. I knew their history and was happy during the first several months as they paid on time, but as time went on they showed their true quality. Every month there was a new excuse. I am tempted to continue spreading the word around the city but not sure if I would get in legal trouble if I did.

-Curtmonster

[gardenbotanical1]

Hi Curtmonster,

Can you elaborate a little? Have you been threatened by ELS Bell?

What did EAQUALS have to say about your situation? As Bell Bydgoszcz is no longer accredited (perhaps it never was, not sure) I guess they can't really do much. But still, given the organization's ties to ELS Bell, they must be feeling uncomfortable.

Anyway, keep us posted re: your mate! Perhaps he/she should also contact EAQUALS.

[Chris78]

the more i read about stuff like this the more i'm starting to think it was a mistake coming here..I've talked to few teachers already and they're all saying it's their last year in poland..most of them are looking into Asia or the Middle east..

[TiffanyHoran]

[gardenbotanical1]

Tiffany:

I'm afraid that the industry has changed a lot in the past decade.

ELS Bell is a case in point: a business that was once good to work for, made a heluva lot of money for its owners, but now likes to pass risk on to its teachers, leaving them out of pocket if clients don't pay up.

In the case of ELS Bell, the astonishing hyprocrisy is that one of its owners holds a senior position in EAQUALS, or did last i checked http://www.eaquals.org/about/people/lkotarska/

Taking this into consideration, I'd say your unsuccessful interview with ELS Bell was a blessing in disguise.

Chris78:

Yup, most of the colleagues, both native and non-native speakers, i worked with have moved on to China or back to the UK, work at universities. I'm not in regular contact, but haven't heard any moans or groans. Nowadays, to make a go of it in Poland in TESOL, forget tying yourself to one school, you are making yourself too vulnerable, i'd say hedge your bets. Good luck!

[Master Shake]

[dragonpiwo]

Maybe life's too easy where she is. Some people like to feel the pain.