Job Discussion Forums

[TONII]

I come from Austria and worked many years as teacher in China. Last year I had the most terrible working experience with this Helen Consulting Agency in Hangzhou. The key point is that they couldn�t manage for me a working visa for one year teaching contract and also insurance. After finished my working this semester in end januarry., they informed me that they are not happy with my teaching and suddenly terminated the contract with me. Is this normal and legal here? Does somebody have the same trouble like me with Helen Consulting?

[sharonariel]

that you use the search function? Helen Chen has been discussed on here more than once.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Schools normally cannot legally hire teachers from non-English countries to teach English, so the fact that they couldn't get you a one-year proper working visa with your Austrian passport does not surprise.

[lee_barttwater]

Since when is Australia a non-English country?

[daCabbie]

ha-haa

It's always fun to start the day with a good laugh.

Thanks. I thought Argentina was an English speaking country?

[TexasHighway]

You need to adjust your bifocals there Lee. The OP is from Austria, not Australia!

[samhouston]

That's a lovely accent you have. New Jersey?

[mat chen]

China is getting like Korea. I worked in Korea for six years and heard numerous horor stories where teachers were fired just before finishing a contract. You got to do your homework here. Don't trust recruiters or agents to do it for you. They get paid for your work after a month. It is like getting your wallet picked. Most people don't go to the police because they are embarrassed. Most people don't post on Dave's for the same reason.

[Halapo]

The only thing I will say in defense of this company was they picked me up from the airport, let me stay in a company apartment for 3 days, then put me on a bus to my school in the next province over.

After that they were just a pain in my ass. Lucky my school was great. When somebody from Helen's would call to ask, they just said I was doing well, everything was good and that Helen's needed to send my paycheck faster. The school even gave me a all that in writing, so at the end of the year (this is 3 years ago) they couldn't stick me with that "we are not satisfied crap" and had to pay up my bonus and airfare. They did not ask me to work for them again, nor would I.

[teachfortoday]

There are several other threads about Helen Recruiting in Hangzhou, including mine.

Getting paid or reimbursed was a constant struggle. It seemed as though there was a new problem every week. The people I would call would be polite and promise results, but then everything would either be delayed or ignored.

[TONII]

I never stop to fight for my right and now I get the help from a lawyer. If anyone has the same troubles with school or agency like me, please send to my [email protected]. My lawyer will also help by charging 20% of the total compensation for the case.

[mat chen]

Today I drew a map on the black board of China and Japan. I pointed out that most people in Japan live on the coast and most people in China live on the inside. Now this explains the thinking too. Chinese have a long history of blaiming outsiders for problems internally.
So in this country we get paid after the friend of the recruiter ,after the FAO, and then the recruiter (and who knows who else).
Smell the coffee?

[Banner41]

[mat chen]

Beijing Nanjing, Chungdu. Xian, The capitals have always been located on the inside. It is only in the last few hundred years that CHina's coastal cities have imerged. Same as Korea. Have you noticed how few borrowed words there are in CHinese. THe Japanese language is peppered with English words. Table necktie, Pork chopo, nighter. I have been in over 50 countries in my life and Japan has treated me the best.

[Laurence]