Job Discussion Forums

SUZUKI · Joined: 25 May 2006 Posts: 32

Where I teach, classes are held from Saturday to Tuesday. If a public holiday falls during these four days, there are no classes but the time "lost" must be made up on Wednesday, a day on which we do not normally teach and on which we're not obliged to be at work. For making up classes in this way, there's no extra pay.

According to my way of seeing this, we are thus not being granted public holidays. Any country in the world, as far as I know, has public holidays, and workers are not expected to make up, I think, time thus "lost". Yes, a language course is stated to be "50 hours" or 90 hours", or whatever, but it's taken for granted, I believe, that if Independence Day or The Day of the Revolution or whatever Day falls during that period, then the workers benefit from a holiday (or are paid over and above their normal income, if required to work extra time to cover that holiday).

Also, though of course one is not obliged to go in if sick, classes missed for this reason must be made up by either working Wednesday(s) or extending the Saturday to Tuesday classes by, say, half an hour each day, which can mean two three-hour classes 'back-to-back', each with a prayer break but with no break between classes.

Management and support are good, and a four-day teaching week is better than a five-day week. I'd just be interested to hear the views of others on the above situation.

eslbear · Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Posts: 93

Of course you are obliged to be at work if your employer wants or needs you to be during the work week - in fact the labor law uses a 6 day, 45 hour work week.

Most of the holidays given by the Ministry will fall on the Wednesday or Thursday for the private sector so it is not usual to lose one of those teaching days. Still, if you lose a Saturday for example and you have to make it up on Wednesday, there is no extra compensation unless you had to work on the holiday itself.

I don't see your point - you were given a holiday then you had to teach on a working day of the week - how is that extra or how have you lost your holiday??

eslbear

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

I never taught anywhere in the Gulf where we had to "make up" for the teaching time lost during holidays or if we were out on a sick day. What does your contract say about it?

What kind of place is this? Some small language school or something? Even in a small private college, they weren't this greedy.

I would check the labor law. Oman is quite progressive... in relative terms, of course. This sounds illegal to me... unless, of course, you are paid hourly and not a salary.

VS
(eslbear... note... they are making him/her work on what is normally NOT a work day to make up for holiday time off...)

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

Reads like ELS to me.

Duffy Laughing

eslbear · Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Posts: 93

I guess we are just on different pages here.....how can teaching on a Wednesday be considered as a non-working day? If it was a Thursday or Friday then I could see some objection but Wednesday is the working week no matter what you are doing or where you work. If it is not normally a teaching day based on the course schedule, that is not relevant to the employees obligation to work. What if exams fall on Wednesday? Office hours, tutoring, meetings......

So, if I am correct, the OP hypothetically gets a holiday on Saturday, sleeps in, goes to the beach and enjoys the time off. Then, being asked to work on the Wednesday somehow negates that holiday and is an inconvenience or "illegal" ? What else happens on the usual Wednesday? Does the contract state a 4 day work week? Sweet deal !

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

eslbear · Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Posts: 93

The sticking point is the OP's assumption that Wednesday is not a working day - I would be very surprised if that was the case. If it is indeed a regular working day, then there is no argument....unless he was sitting in the office on the holiday twiddling his thumbs while the rest of Oman was off...

Then, why would the small college or crappy language school be greedy? Students signed up for X number of hours, why not deliver? It is all moot anyway, as it is probably not likely that students would show up on the Wednesday make up anyway !

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

Many people in Oman have to work on Thursdays too... does that mean that you should happily show up to work on that day because you were sick on Monday? Or because Sunday was the Mawlid and it was an official holiday?

What would be the difference? Any way you look at it... they are being stiffed out of holidays and sick leave...

He should name this employer so that others can avoid organizations who do things like this.

VS

usa_in_gulf · Joined: 10 Aug 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Gulf

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

If it is ELS, as I suspect, then Wednesdays are "catch up day. If you have completed you admin during the week then you have a day off.

However, it has to be borne in mind that when it comes to exams, the teachers are expected to work that day and Thursdays, usually at unsociable hours, (Thursday evening 6-8 pm!!)

As ELS are involved now with AOU and the workload has become heavier, I would not be surprised to see the Wednesday off coming to an end.

Duffy Laughing