Job Discussion Forums

[TEAM_PAPUA]

When is an offer not an offer? - when it's from Westgate!

I was recently offered a teaching position by Westgate, this was confirmed via email & also in writing when they sent me the contract & handbook to sign & return (return the contract and proof of receipt of the handbook). Within the package I received there was a letter saying that I had been offered the position and that I should return the signed documents and further documents would be then sent with regard to the visa etc. I then received an email telling me that all their 'offers' had been accepted & all positions were now filled - so they covered themselves but inconvenienced me an awful lot in the process.

Prior to this I completed the exhaustive application process and was informed at an earlier date that i had been unsuccessful (3 months ago), then I received 3 emails & 2 telephone calls over 2 days asking me if I was still interested in a later position, so I went ahead and - as you can see from what i've written above - all my time and efforts were wasted. Don't these people realise how stressful applying for and researching new jobs, companies & countries can be? And how many people are indirectly affected.

Please don't pull this apart & quote it to death, it's just a warning to anyone else considering applying to Westgate.

[denise]

That really sucks. Shame on them. I hope you find something better--a company that won't jerk you around.

I turned Westgate down last year when I was looking for jobs, and I have never regretted it.

d

[ntropy]

Reminds me of two years ago when I had two months between a job that had finished and before the next one I had arranged. I was thinking of heading to Japan in the interim since it had been years since I'd been there. I contacted Westgate to find out details about a short-term contract. It wasn't what I was looking for, specifically the little scam they have about having to live in their own apartments. I politely told them that. I then received several very rude demanding e-mails demanding to know why I had "broken my contract" and vague threats.

To repeat, I simply asked for details and then politely told them I wasn't interested. At no point did I sign or promise anything or even intimate that I might.

[joncharles]

And Westgate still has their ads running on several ESL job sites...... I went through the process too. I sent my cv and they responded saying I was the type of person they were looking for (paraphrased) and sent me the long long long application form.. I sent it in, only to get a response saying.. Thank you for your application, however, all our positions have been filled at this time... blah blah blah... I guess thier idea is to keep people on a leash in case some of their "hires" don't show, they can then reach into their bag and pull out another....

[BenJ]

ntropy - you dont have to live in their apartments, but it would be very difficult to sort accommodation out for yourself for such a short time.

team papua - as much as I find what they did to you annoying (same thing happened to my partner and really stuffed a lot of our original plans up), I see the same thing happening all the time from teachers. One teacher I know applied for and was accepted into 5 different jobs and strung them all along until he decided on the one he wanted. He didn't bother to tell the others he wasn't interested until they were chasing him up wondering where he was.

[TEAM_PAPUA]

Yes Ben I completely agree with you that teachers do cover themselves and that schools should be aware of this. However, in this case it was the second time that I'd gone through the process. First time I was unsuccessful then the sencond time they almost begged me to go over there. I received the information sent to my school here in China, discussed it with my boss, signed the necessary documents & returned them. The most insulting thing was that up until this final email I was receiving emails on a regular basis from one person in HR, I then received the final email from the 'department'.

Just be warned that you may be wasting your time.

BTW the above comments are all appreciated, many thanks.

[BenJ]

yep, I see your point - Westgate is nothing else, if not a usually very professional but cold company. I'd want to strike out at them too in your position.

[denise]

I'm no legal expert, but, just out of curiosity...

Doesn't a company, after offering you a position and sending you a contract, have to wait until they get an answer from you before offering the position to someone else?

Yes, I know that teachers sometimes keep schools waiting until the last minute only to turn them down for a better offer, but there's no law saying that we have to accept a position that we are offered.

If my hazy legal knowledge is correct (and I am very willing to forget this whole thing if it isn't), then companies (Westgate, in this case) are breaking the law by withdrawing offers, whereas teachers are merely being unprofessional/inconsiderate by not telling schools upfront that they've found something else.

d

[bearcat]

You are correct but this sort of thing is difficult to apply to the English teaching/service industry in Japan. Some companies here "double book" on purpose out of the experience of people not showing up for the job and the company being left holding the bag. Granted its not a good policy to do but its a create of the business model here these companies use.

Not all companies do this, but I would assume this occurs alot with westgate because they are also one of the few companies that hires folks on less than one year gigs. They must have a huge turnover due to these mini gigs. Please note I am not trying to defend their practices... just offer an explanation of why the pulled that dirty stunt.

[Mike L.]

I've said it before: Westgate are part of the trash end of dispatching companies here in Japan.

They use three month contracts to deny their teachers the security and legal protections of a proper one year contract.

The housing is clearly part of a little scam they are running.

I've seen a few people on this forum state that they are a professional company but few of those people seem to have had very much teaching experience here in japan.

[BenJ]

I've stated it because in my experience, they go by the letter of what they state in their contracts. What you are talking about is something else.

[Mike L.]

BenJ wrote:

[TEAM_PAPUA]

Exact wording so there's no confusion

"Thank you for your recent application for the Westgate University Program. I am pleased to officially welcome you to the Fall 2004 term as an instructor for the contract period of September 21, 2004 - December 17, 2004"

[Iwantmyrightsnow]

Withdrawing a contract after it has been offered - scummy! Keep it in mind when dealing with Westgate. They are not a particulary stellar organisation. The way they operate is set to destroy the whole industry if it isn't stopped. Let's get a few more Aussies her for 3, 6 months and give them minimum conditins. Great for quality and great for teacher's security...Yeah right......

I know one person who signed a contract with a company only to have them withdraw it before starting. He wasn't so bothered but decided to fight it anyway out of principle. It is at the point where the company has been court ordered to negotiate a settlement but they have refused. It will move into small claims court soon. A long process but hopefully the company will learn they can't mess people around.

Sometimes these things aren'T worth the trouble but if someone didn't fight it we would all be worse off.

[Mike L.]

Good luck with the fight!!

Drive a stesk through their hearts!!