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stumptowny · Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 310

I work for a private bi-lingual elementary school that has very high tuition and very high salary, tons of vacation�perfect on paper.

Unfortunately, there is no discipline/punishment policy . This makes for some monster students. The kids rule the roost. Don�t disrupt the revenue they bring in, is the take away. I was finally told, after 2 months of struggling with class control, that there are rules but they are not enforced in anyway.

So I am not enforcing rules now, and it�s much less stress for me. Really wish I was told this at hiring� but the damage has been done. Student impressions are set as well as admin�s. If I am not replaced, I will leave because the principal is reneging on the terms I was hired on, now not wanting to pay travel re-imbursement. Shady stuff. Actually he tried to lower my agreed upon hiring salary a while back as well. I did not budge.

Luckily, I just got my visa on May 27th so I am not desperate nor a glutton for punishment. I am staying at a guesthouse so I can move easily as well...

My concerns now are:

1. The company withheld my first month pay. How do I separate and insure that I get this pay? Is it different if I am fired vs. giving notice? Naturally, I want to get all that is owed me before I leave if possible.

I don�t trust the school at this point and I am also not on payroll yet because I was waiting for my visa before they could legally hire. It�s been under the table for my first month pay (cash) and the plan was/is to do a legal, 10-month contract on payroll after my first 2 payments in cash. my 2nd month pay, I just received, was cash (a personal loan from the principal). 1st month pay was withheld. 3rd month pay will be with cash on June 20th... also a personal loan from the principal.

April 20th first pay day, withheld
May 20th second pay day, received cash payment
June 20th third pay day, will receive cash payment (I will leave after getting this pay(

2. How do I portray what happened when my next employer sees that I left so fast? I was planning on being honest and that it was a poor fit. All true. Any other approach? Could I not bring it up at all and just say I had got my visa with other means? Would rather not open a can of worms with a new opportunity.

Thanks so much for your ideas and guidance�

tttyg · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16

Shady, shady, shady.

I am not yet the well-of-knowledge that others are (wait for Glenski's post), but why in the world did they withhold your entire first pay? Also, why are you calling your second and third payments "personal loans" from the principal? What makes it a loan? It is (albeit under-the-table) compensation for work, is it not?

Seems like you are in quite the situation. Could you explain why that first paycheck was withheld entirely and how you were supposed to retrieve it even if you continued working there?

seklarwia · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 10:29 pm Post subject:

Did your payment get witheld or are you being paid in arrears as is often standard practice?

Because of the system of paying in arrears it can be up to 2 months from the day you start working until you first get paid, i.e. if you started in April, then it would be normal for you to receive payment for the April work on the May payday.

stumptowny · Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 310

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

The salary in arrears is standard practice here.

The rest of your post, I cannot directly comment on, except to say that your employer sounds like a very, very bad one. They seem to only be interested in the money, while ignoring the components that go into making the experience they are offering the parents of the students.

How can your "school" expect to offer an education to its students if it doesn't have an enforceable discipline policy?

I'd be surprised if it lasts another year. Get out. Now.