Job Discussion Forums

ThaneKerner · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 139

Why the negative press over Bahwan Cybertek in Oman? Word on the Middle East street is they're not bad. They pay on time and take care of your medical, your work permit, and residency card. They even give upfront loans if you need them.

Be warned, though, they will not give you a contract up front before you go to a place like Oman or the UAE. You need to be smart enough to ask them before going there how one gets out of a contract if he doesn't wish to finish. You'll be told you'll have a 3-month probation period, during which time you can give a 7-day notice and get out. After the 3 months, though, you'll need to give 3 months' notice or pay 3 months' salary. And one other thing...Do a runner from Bahwan and they'll spread the word on you. You'll be more or less blacklisted and your name and pic will appear in newspapers if you don't settle up properly.

This is reasonable if you know all this UP FRONT.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

First off, it is pretty standard in the Gulf to not get the final contract until after you arrive. And as I said in the other thread, the normal notice requirement in tertiary education in the Gulf is 6 months or one semester. Naturally they do not want people taking off in the middle of a semester... common sense.

If you abscond, naturally you will be unable to get another job in Oman. The Ministry recruiters may very well communicate with each other, but the major problem is that you have a labor card... and no one else can hire you until they are able to cancel it (and they must have it to hand in). Until they can cancel it, you are assigned to them.

Are they putting teacher pictures in the newspaper now if they abscond? That is rather new... but not surprising for a company like Bahwan, who was mostly in retail before they added education recruiting.

VS

Neil McBeath · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 277 Location: Saudi Arabia

I know of ONE instance where an absconding teacher's photo appeared in the local press.

That happened back in 2007, and by all accounts, it was a public service. THe person concerned had been a complete nightmare to everybody who came in contact with him.

PattyFlipper · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 572

Agreed. I regularly scan the local press and have never seen a teacher listed as absconding - or ANY Westerner, come to that.

alter ego · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 209

No interviews, no contracts or guarantees of which campus you'll teach at, zero or no answers to your questions, just sign this offer letter and fly on over, high turnover, numerous posts here about crappy work conditions and environments, plus a 3-month notice requirement...and all of this is reasonable?

And why would leaving a crappy job working for scoundrels who think its fine doing business in this way just because its the normal or standard way of doing things, businessmen who use and abuse and show so much disrespect for the foreign teachers they recruit and represent, be called absconding?

That's kooky stuff, man. That's black and white, holier than thou thinking at its finest. Leaving any job in which you were desperate enough to take or tricked into taking, even when it's your own fault for taking the job in the first place, is NOT absconding. It's calling surviving for the sake of self preservation.

Talk about common sense! My advice to any FT with my qualifications and experiences (you can find my posts in the China forum if you care to know) is not to take any job in the Middle East with a recruiter the likes of Bahwan Cybertek. Unless, of course, you're either desperate of stupid.

doner · Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 179

It is typically Asians who get their photos in the paper.

johnslat · Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:46 pm Post subject:

Dear alter ego,

Regarding "absconding," unfortunately it matters not how you, I or any other reasonable person might label the act; all that matters is how the authorities there label it.

Regards,
John

ThaneKerner · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 139

So true guys. Take Bahwan CyberTek.

This is an outfit that will 'recruit' teachers based on a CV and a photo. They don't bother to check references. They don't bother to give teachers actual interviews. They will, of course, give those teachers 'loans' when they arrive of several hundred Omani Rials. Omani labor law says Bahwan CAN withhold up to 15% of a teacher's salary to repay these loans. However, BC chooses to withhold perhaps half that. It therefore takes nearly 6 months for a teacher to repay his loan. If he chooses to take flight before he has repaid his loan, he is labled an absconder by BC, an outfit that chose not to interview the teacher nor check his references.

Arabian Hawk · Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 79 Location: Mystical Kingdom

Bahwan Cybertek pays its EFL teachers an excellent salary package with great benefits in Oman. It is one of the best TEFL outlets to work for in this wonderful and very hospitable country! Laughing

ThaneKerner · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 139

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

CECN's reputation has also gone down dramatically in the last year or two. Some serious issues with misleading people... seems these recruiters never change.

VS

With Malice Toward None · Joined: 20 Oct 2009 Posts: 250

Thane,
I think TATI is the name you can't recall. They're somewhere in Madinat Sultan Qaboos. Apart from these three there aren't any worth mentioning. I am sure all these guys carve a chunk out of teachers' salaries and keep it for themselves anyway. My friend reports they take about 250pm.

Regards.
WMTN

ThaneKerner · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 139

Actually, the other big one is called GlobeNet. I don't know much about these guys. I don't know if they'll give you a contract before you leave your home country, nor do I know what their notification requirements are. I believe you have to give a month. That's it.

ThaneKerner · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 139

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA