Job Discussion Forums

[Roy Briggs]

Hi, can anyone give me advice on working for Mexican employeers? So far, my experience has not been good (although I love teaching in Mexico and my current supervisor is a gringo who is great to work for). My experiences have included a Mexican "directora" who screams at her teachers in front of the students, other teachers and parents. The Mexican teachers later told me she is a racist who hates to work with Americans and only does so because she advertises foreign teachers.

Another owner doesn't seem to care if teachers are paid on time. His accountant loves to make the teachers make several return trips to the school to get their checks. (That's how I learned "ahorita" does not mean right now.)

I know the culture is different and I need to be more patient, but where is that fine line in this culture between patience and being mistreated as an employee?

Also, I have heard the American Consulate will intervene if the abuse if flagrant. Any advice?
Thanks!

[Guy Courchesne]

[ls650]

I can't say my employer is discriminatory: the school treats us furinners as badly as the local teachers! He he... just joking... sort of...

Actually I have had reasonably good luck with my schools. They've treated the teachers well, as long as the teachers hold up their end of the contract.

There are bad schools and there are good schools. The great thing about this field of work is that there's plenty of work out there, so if you're not happy with one school, there are plenty of others to move to.

[Samantha]

Exacto.... The Consular agents for both US and Canada are not here in Mexico to assist foreigners who get themselves into bad business arrangements of any sort. That's what the local authorities are for if you have a case. Your Consular agent will visit you in jail to make sure your human rights aren't being violated and to notify your relatives, but they have no pull whatsoever to spring you from the jail (for example) or pull any strings of ANY sort for you. They will notify your relatives if you are in a serious accident and can't place the call yourself. If you get run over by a bus they will help make arrangements for your ultimate journey home. Stuff like that.

All the schools I have worked in treated me exactly like they did the local Mexican teachers. I was usually a minority, often the only foreign teacher. I felt that the late paycheck now and again affected them and their families far more than it did me. One time we had a school day cancelled because a serious hurricane was bearing down on us. The school decided that they wouldn't chance lives and especially the lives of their books. We gathered up all the books and materials, as the children cheered loudly....yahooo....a day off. It was a Friday so a nice long weekend at least (we didn't work Saturdays at this school) So when the call came a month later on a Friday, that we had to work the Saturday to make up the lost day (?!?!?) I simply said....."I can't do it because I work in another school on Saturdays and no way they can find a sub for me on this short notice". Simple. I guess you learn to accept life in Mexico after a bit and don't try to reason why the school would feel that the teachers should give up a weekend day to make up for a day THEY cancelled. I never gave it a second thought, since some things just are.

Life it too short to complain constantly about life and work and the ways of Mexico. We aren't in Kansas any more, Dorothy....and the lovely work perks up north such as paid sick days, personal days, etc...just don't happen here as a rule. Mexican teachers often times consider us, their foreign co-workers, whiners and whimps....I don't think it is a discrimination thing at all. I have known some seriously flakey foreign teachers who come and go. Not sure what they were expecting when they landed in Mexico, but they obviously didn't get it. Gone are the days of assuming that because we speak English, we are here to do the country a big fat favor. It won't wash. Mexican teachers sometimes feel we are demanding, inflexible, and big cry babies on the reality scale as far as some of these issues go. Check out the maternity leave Mexican women receive versus what the teachers up north receive, for just one example.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

I've worked at the same school (state university) for 10 years. During the time I've been there, the size of the EFL department has fluctuated between 15 and 20 teachers. The number of foreign teachers in the department has fluctuated between 2 and 3. There are a lot of bosses/administrators up and down the chain of command, all of them Mexican. A few of them have been xenophobic, no way around it. It's just something a person has to learn to deal with.

[PlayadelSoul]

I am under the impresion that Mexican employment law gives an employee more recourse to address problems than is available in the States. I have never needed to test that theory, as I have been blessed with wonderful bosses, and responsible owners. This may be because I have been with the same company (in 3 different locations) for 7 years. There is a culture of family (I know it sounds corny) that seems to run through the entire organization, from top to bottom.

I have heard nightmarish stories from other schools, where the company mission seems to be to make as much money as possible, as soon as possible, and screw the rest. Some schools don't understand that happy teachers produce happy students, who study for longer periods of time. They don't see the big picture, and end up missing out on more of what they cherish most ($$).

[Roy Briggs]

Thanks for your insights