|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:10 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| Why not keep the thread alive just for entertainment value? |
My employer is a miserable, controlling, manipulating, hobbit who espouses love and respect but displays none of those traits - discuss... |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
zipper
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Posts: 237
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hmm. Let me guess. Hypocrite?  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Haha, yamahuh, you totally have the stereotype down...
Throw in a "We go to church every Sunday."
When an employer says that, it sends chills running down my spine.
I have absolutely nothing against Christians. I was raised in a Christian household and used to be a Christian, and although I don't have much faith, I at least admire those who do.
However, laoban who claim to be Christian -- they make me sick. It's like they claim to be Christian just to get themselves a grace period before you realize what scumbags they are.
And schools that are officially Christian-themed (like this one that I interviewed at called Elim, in which they asked me in the interview extensive questions about my drinking habits, my smoking habits (I'm a non-smoker), my churchgoing habits, etc.) -- they scare the crap out of me.
Be very wary of "Christians" -- real Christians are great, but people who pretend to be Christian for the business benefits are the absolute gunk on the bottom of my shoe. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| zipper wrote: |
| Hmm. Let me guess. Hypocrite? |
Don't even get me started...
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zipper
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Posts: 237
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| No sense of humor? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
There's not enough room for me to even begin explaining.
For instance - she has found replacement teachers for me and my wife for when our contract is up in July. I spoke to her in February (5 months ahead of our contract end) about staying on for an extra month and she said it would be 'no problem'. Little did I know at the time that she was already looking for our replacements based on hearsay from another branch (where my wife works) that we weren't going to extend or sign for another year.
I had another meeting with her last week where she said that extending for a month might not be possible any more as the two teachers she had hired to replace us 'might not want to change the tickets they'd booked'.
"What teachers?" I asked
"I thought you didn't want to extend because someone at the other school said you didn't want to" she says. So, what was I talking to her about last month? She completely ignored what I said and chose to believe the rumour mill instead of just approaching me and asking me straight up if our plans had changed.
She said she'd ask the newbies if they could change their tickets but I doubt she did. Then she sent me an e-mail on Friday saying that the prices for flights were so expensive to fly in June that she didn't think the teachers would want to pay the extra expense and that she 'wished she'd known earlier that we wanted to stay on for a while" (!!??)
Well, hang on - I approached her 5 months ahead of time to discuss it, but instead of listening to me or even approaching me to ask about the situation, she decided to act on the rumours and was already looking for our replacements when I first met with her. When I met with her the second time she obviously knew that the the new teachers had booked their tickets already but kept up the pretense that we might be able to 'work something out'.
And all this for two employees who have been there for 9 months, have more than 85% approval ratings from our students (don't get me going on THAT one!), have never been late, never missed a day and have never taken sick leave.
Yeah we're horrible employees, I fully understand why she'd not have the decency to actually ask us if we wanted to stay before finding our replacements.
That's just one of many incidences I could rant about but now I must go and sit in the Lotus position and think of crashing waves to restore my inner tranquility....
Ommmmm...
Last edited by yamahuh on Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 7:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Well, hang on - I approached her 5 months ahead of time to discuss it, but instead of listening to me or even approaching me to ask about the situation, she decided to act on the rumours and was already looking for our replacements when I first met with her. When I met with her the second time she obviously knew that the the new teachers had booked their tickets already but kept up the pretense that we might be able to 'work something out'. |
Your mistake was telling her five months in advance. Many English language schools in Taiwan cannot work through things five months in advance. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zipper
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
Posts: 237
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| yamahuh wrote: |
There's not enough room for me to even begin explaining what a condescending, hypocritical witch this woman is.
For instance - she has found replacement teachers for me and my wife for when our contract is up in July. I spoke to her in February (5 months ahead of our contract end) about staying on for an extra month and she said it would be 'no problem'. Little did I know at the time that she was already looking for our replacements based on hearsay from another branch (where my wife works) that we weren't going to extend or sign for another year.
I had another meeting with her last week where she said that extending for a month might not be possible any more as the two teachers she had hired to replace us 'might not want to change the tickets they'd booked'.
"What teachers?" I asked
"I thought you didn't want to extend because someone at the other school said you didn't want to" she says. So, what was I talking to her about last month? She completely ignored what I said and chose to believe the rumour mill instead of just approaching me and asking me straight up if our plans had changed.
She said she'd ask the newbies if they could change their tickets but I doubt she did. Then she sent me an e-mail on Friday saying that the prices for flights were so expensive to fly in June that she didn't think the teachers would want to pay the extra expense and that she 'wished she'd known earlier that we wanted to stay on for a while" (!!??)
Well, hang on - I approached her 5 months ahead of time to discuss it, but instead of listening to me or even approaching me to ask about the situation, she decided to act on the rumours and was already looking for our replacements when I first met with her. When I met with her the second time she obviously knew that the the new teachers had booked their tickets already but kept up the pretense that we might be able to 'work something out'.
And all this for two employees who have been there for 9 months, have more than 85% approval ratings from our students (don't get me going on THAT one!), have never been late, never missed a day and have never taken sick leave.
Yeah we're horrible employees, I fully understand why she'd not have the decency to actually ask us if we wanted to stay before finding our replacements.
That's just one of many incidences I could rant about but now I must go and sit in the Lotus position and think of crashing waves to restore my inner tranquility....
Ommmmm... |
I am sorry to hear about this Mate. There is one thing that frustrates me about the present global economy, and that it turns snakes into crocodiles. She sounds like a real back stabber. It doesn�t shock me, though, because I have a feeling that it might be my turn as well.
She should be a decent human being and hired the new teachers for July or August; especially after she had already agreed. Passing the buck around is a kin to her exploiting the �third person� approach. Man, I know that Asians place putting premium on going through the third person instead of the direct approach, but this is ridiculous.
If I were you, I�d keep double talking to her and search for something else as well, because just maybe those teachers won�t come. It is still very early, and those new teachers may get a better offer elsewhere; for instance a paid flight deal to Korea. You never know.
I just have one more thing to add, and I am not saying this to be a dick, but it is more or less aimed at myself as well, that it is so important and helpful to get any agreement no matter how less important it is in writing.
And as JZer pointed out, and I will keep this in mind now, it is probably not a good idea to inform a Taiwanese boss five months ahead of what you plan to do; unless they approach you first. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| JZer wrote: |
Your mistake was telling her five months in advance. Many English language schools in Taiwan cannot work through things five months in advance. |
So I would have been better off waiting until closer to the end of our contract when she would have definitely found replacements for us?
Usually, letting an employer know - well in advance - of your intentions negates this kind of b*s, not leaving it to the last minute. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
creztor
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 476
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
| yamahuh, definitely a bummer. I honestly believe that "surviving" in Taiwan means you just need to screw everyone else and look after yourself (of course within reason, I am not talking about leaving without telling people etc). That kind of thinking would get you nowhere back home, but if you try to do the right thing here people just take advantage of you and employers honestly, on the majority, don't seem to care. I was told one week before my contract expired that they didn't want me to resign, so I do know how you feel. Majority of schools here do not seem to take your effort, track record or anything into consideration. Welcome to Taiwan |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
Too right.
At home, with work ethics such as we've demonstrated so far, there'd be no question that we'd be offered the chance to sign on for another year or to extend. Here? Doesn't count for a goddamn thing.
She's probably looking at hiring these two newbies for $45K a month (for 3 months probation) and then paying them less than the $68K we're making.
Last edited by yamahuh on Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| yamahuh wrote: |
| JZer wrote: |
Your mistake was telling her five months in advance. Many English language schools in Taiwan cannot work through things five months in advance. |
So I would have been better off waiting until closer to the end of our contract when she would have definitely found replacements for us?
Usually, letting an employer know - well in advance - of your intentions negates this kind of b*s, not leaving it to the last minute. |
Usually, like in western countries?
I am sure more reputable businesses in Taiwan do not work like this but I believe that many language schools in Asia work like this. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
| creztor wrote: |
| yamahuh, definitely a bummer. I honestly believe that "surviving" in Taiwan means you just need to screw everyone else and look after yourself (of course within reason, I am not talking about leaving without telling people etc). That kind of thinking would get you nowhere back home, but if you try to do the right thing here people just take advantage of you and employers honestly, on the majority, don't seem to care. I was told one week before my contract expired that they didn't want me to resign, so I do know how you feel. Majority of schools here do not seem to take your effort, track record or anything into consideration. Welcome to Taiwan |
What do you expect when you get a job without the employer actually called your previous employers?
One friend of mine told the school he was living and then cut his hours down to six a week during the final two months that he was at the buxiban. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
| yamahuh wrote: |
There's not enough room for me to even begin explaining what a condescending, hypocritical witch this woman is.
For instance - she has found replacement teachers for me and my wife for when our contract is up in July. I spoke to her in February (5 months ahead of our contract end) about staying on for an extra month and she said it would be 'no problem'. Little did I know at the time that she was already looking for our replacements based on hearsay from another branch (where my wife works) that we weren't going to extend or sign for another year.
I had another meeting with her last week where she said that extending for a month might not be possible any more as the two teachers she had hired to replace us 'might not want to change the tickets they'd booked'.
"What teachers?" I asked
"I thought you didn't want to extend because someone at the other school said you didn't want to" she says. So, what was I talking to her about last month? She completely ignored what I said and chose to believe the rumour mill instead of just approaching me and asking me straight up if our plans had changed.
She said she'd ask the newbies if they could change their tickets but I doubt she did. Then she sent me an e-mail on Friday saying that the prices for flights were so expensive to fly in June that she didn't think the teachers would want to pay the extra expense and that she 'wished she'd known earlier that we wanted to stay on for a while" (!!??)
Well, hang on - I approached her 5 months ahead of time to discuss it, but instead of listening to me or even approaching me to ask about the situation, she decided to act on the rumours and was already looking for our replacements when I first met with her. When I met with her the second time she obviously knew that the the new teachers had booked their tickets already but kept up the pretense that we might be able to 'work something out'.
And all this for two employees who have been there for 9 months, have more than 85% approval ratings from our students (don't get me going on THAT one!), have never been late, never missed a day and have never taken sick leave.
Yeah we're horrible employees, I fully understand why she'd not have the decency to actually ask us if we wanted to stay before finding our replacements.
That's just one of many incidences I could rant about but now I must go and sit in the Lotus position and think of crashing waves to restore my inner tranquility....
Ommmmm... |
Yamahuh, that really sucks. We're just having all the luck lately, aren't we?
I do tend to agree with creztor who said that the only way to survive in Taiwan is to "screw everyone else."
Our problem is that we just play by the rules too much. You can't win when everyone else is cheating and you're playing by the rules. You gave five months' notice, and I gave two. We both gave way too much, allowing the laoban to find a way to screw us.
I think that from the get-go, you have to assume that your employer is a snake, a crocodile, or a scumbag. No matter how nice she is, no matter what wonderful things she does for you in the first month, you should constantly have a backup plan on what to do if she screws you. NO MATTER WHAT.
My laoban has so far showed no signs of becoming a witch, and it's been over four weeks at the new school, but I'm not going to let my guard down. I've been screwed by Hess and screwed by my last school, as well, so there's definitely a pattern here.
I think it's important to:
1. NEVER admit to or let on about any extracurricular work, even if your boss seems like your best buddy and even if it explicitly says in your contract that extracurricular work is allowed. She could use this to blackmail you later.
2. Always have a few job interviews lined up, even if your current job is going great. It can't hurt, and if your boss suddenly decides to pink slip you, you'll be happy that you had three interviews lined up over the next two weeks. Since Taiwan only gives you seven days to switch jobs, it is wise to have an interview lined up BEFORE you get fired.
3. Give as little notice as possible when quitting, because A) most laoban would never give you the notice stated in the contract, so why give it to them, and B) because it gives her less time to figure out how to screw you.
4. Always live on a tight budget no matter how well you think you're doing financially. I could very well take home 40,000 NTD after taxes for the month of March -- but my budget is 15,000 NTD for this month. The reason for this is that I can basically *assume* that I will either get canned, or that the situation will become unbearable, and I'll need that extra 25,000 to get me through the depression.
5. Never talk about anything besides light fluff with your co-workers and boss. The slightest accidental slip, particularly in regard to your character, the law, etc. could be turned against you at a not-too-much-later time.
6. Remember that no matter how nice your co-workers are, no matter how cool your boss is, they are NOT your friends. They are your enemies, and you're currently in a ceasefire.
7. Try to get double-sponsored. If you can have a kindy in the mornings and a buxiban in the afternoons, each giving you a work permit, do it. Switching evening or morning jobs is much easier if you have another school to hold your ARC for you.
Anything else to add? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| JZer wrote: |
| creztor wrote: |
| yamahuh, definitely a bummer. I honestly believe that "surviving" in Taiwan means you just need to screw everyone else and look after yourself (of course within reason, I am not talking about leaving without telling people etc). That kind of thinking would get you nowhere back home, but if you try to do the right thing here people just take advantage of you and employers honestly, on the majority, don't seem to care. I was told one week before my contract expired that they didn't want me to resign, so I do know how you feel. Majority of schools here do not seem to take your effort, track record or anything into consideration. Welcome to Taiwan |
What do you expect when you get a job without the employer actually called your previous employers?
One friend of mine told the school he was living and then cut his hours down to six a week during the final two months that he was at the buxiban. |
Was that friend me? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
