Job Discussion Forums

[hughesie]

[hughesie]

[Mike_2007]

50$ a month is definitely a bit steep for a washing machine, unless it also dries your clothes, irons them, folds them up and puts them away in the drawers and puts the kettle on for you. Better to let them keep it, buy your own and flog it when you move on.

Are you already in the country or job-hunting from abroad?

[hughesie]

[Grenouille]

[Red and white]

[BELS]

Where's the thanks button. Welldone!

[123go]

I think the real rub with the washing machines is this: BKC bought them outright a while ago for x RUB. After so many months (even years now I hear) the price of the washing machine has been recovered.

However, BKC are still renting out the same washing machines, thus making a profit on them off subsequent teachers.

WTF - just buy washing machines for school flats and account for them as running costs. The school makes a very good profit off native teachers staying in school flats. It's penny pinching and has a negative effect on motivation. I don't see the argument.

[BELS]

BKC or Languagelink!! Get your employees a washing machine. It has been joked about in at least three big forums, but it is a major issue. You must supply students with suitable. Prefrably with individual flats for individuals or a small family, but I'm sure you won't do that , but that's the way it should be, in this present world. The flats should be furnished to Western standards, and should not be shared. Have you read the complaints over the years.

You should take heed and market your company properly. You can raise your fees, believe me, it has been done, and you will be better respected if you do, to enable yourselves to afford proper professional teachers, of whom you can provide a respectable package just like any other expat in Moscow. Otherwise the smaller establishments will take you over, as qulity counts in Moscow, not volume !!!!

Sort yourselves out before it's too late.!!

[BELS]

My wife and I are already doing it, we are small, but we are getting th response. We charge high! Yes! we have about 50% refusals claiming it's too much. But we don't need 100% agreement, because we are small. Weneed to charge high because of red_tape and other individauls powers of obstacles. or example directors where we desire rent classrooms asking for "Renovation contributions" I hope some of you know what I man about this, because I will say no more about this on a public forum, so it's renovation costs to the "Community" plus the goverment rent. hese costs unfortunately cuts out the fees we could have provided for working class kids. And it's a big shame, as when I first started teaching in Moscow, it's red-tape and even the directors of these school who have the power of decision, are preventing me to do this.

To summarise, they are forcing me to raise my fees that only the rich of rublevo shosse can afford. Trying to do everything everything legal, and at the same time provide a community service appears to be impossible. The greed of those who are supposed to be in the profession of helping these kids are exactly the opposite. They simply want extra payments above their current salary, and don't care about their community.

[maruss]

I know I keep on saying it(and no we are not related, or in business together or even in the same country!)but BELS is absolutely right!
You can buy a basic washing machine for about 10.000 roubles that will do the job and it is true that firms like BKC are effectively making money out of their teachers by renting them!
This question of accomodation has been bandied about for as long as I can remember and I fully agree with the viewpoint that nobody should be expected to share their living accomodation,unless of course they are friends and volunteer etc.On the other hand,it is true that appartments in Moscow are astronomically expensive nowadays as rents have risen in line with demand-in fact one expat director of a school said to me in 2006 that he had major problems finding staff because of this problem as teachers were ending up paying over half their salaries in rents and obviously found this very detremental and I gather things have got much worse since then!
But whilst nobody reasonably expects to stay in an 'evroremont' off Tverskaya etc.(unless they are a high level executive on an ex-pat contract!) it doesn't justify putting teachers in sub-standard soviet-era accomodation which is normally shared and usually miles from where they will be working and in some dingy suburb to boot!But then while these firms can find' grist for their mill' they will continue to do it,just as BELS says and sacrifice quality for quantity in a bid to make as much profit as possible!
Bu then again,that's the free market system and pure capitalism at work...Russia is a perfect example of the uglier side of what this means,with corruption,exploitation and graft characterising life there for the vast majority!!No wonder holidays abroad are so popular for those who can afford them and that the rich have invested so heavily elsewhere!

[canucktechie]

[mdk]

Ah Yes ... The BKC--IH contract. I remember it well.

Russians generally love contracts. They are almost as much a part of the national character as ignoring rules. It's one of the things that endears me to the place.

Let's look at this question objectively. If they violate the contract what are you going to do? Are you ready to try sueing them in the local court? I am sure you can find a nice Advocat who will take your case, but what are you going to do for a visa in the meantime after BKC has yours cancelled?

On the other hand if you quit working for them, are they going to sue you? Puleeze!

Work for BKC if you want to, or don't. The thing is to have a good time in Moscow and try to teach some English. If you don't like working for BKC (or vice versa) go find another row to hoe.

NB : telling the students where they can find free english lesson podcasts on the internet instead of paying BKC's fees will probably not win you any accolades from BKC.

[BELS]

[Kootvela]