Job Discussion Forums

[Nosilla]

Hi!
I am seeking advice and ny opinions on EF Depok. I have been offered a position starting in April, I am currently in London and it will be my first post teaching. I understand that EF have a variable reputation but the recruiter from the Depok school seemed very nice and has answered most of my questions and I have been given an email of a teacher so I have been able to ask even more questions and receive answers from the teacher's perspective. However, if anyone has worked for EF Depok and could comment on what it is like that would be fab.

Also I am not sure if i am asking all the right questions in terms of non-completion of contract? I saw on a previous posting that someone was required to pay $400 to pay their way out of their contract. Was that to cover Visa costs? Also regarding taxation, the salaries are always quoted net, is it standard to receive a payslip with a tax advice or do you receive confirmation at the end of your contract confirming your taxes and how much you have paid - via the school?

Any help appreciated! thanks

[eddie honda]

1. almost all contacts have clauses about payments for breaking contracts - this is to cover employers expenses and up-front payment of 12 months 'foreign worker tax' - $1200

2. tax payment/non-payment varies from workplace to workplace - however my guess would be that the answer to all your questions is 'no' - is it worth worrying about? probably not...

3. depok is not very good - you might want to do some research on the city before committing to spending a year there

[extradross]

With regards to payment of taxes just ask the current teacher if he/she has a 'NPWP' with taxation number provided by the school.....EF's are notorious for not paying taxes-and you are liable for fine/deportation if the employer doesn't pay!

[Flicka]

Extradross: What is NPWP? I know that to leave the country for a holiday, I had to validate a little I think it was silver card the size of a credit card, is that NPWP or is NPWP something further? Sorry, I'm already at an EF so just wondering what my status with all this is!!

OP: Don't know much about Depok other than it's DofS is the same woman who runs EF Taman Mini and there are quite a few native teachers there. But then, anywhere has quite a few compared to here, where there is just me and one other (who is currently convalescing from Typhoid). I haven't heard anything about that woman. (A friend of mine, local teacher, works at Taman Mini and has been sent to Depok to cover a class before) About contracts, just question everything. Mines had me paying back everything if I was forced to leave by natural disaster or political unrest, but I objected and that clause was removed. But if I broke the contract early out of my own free will and desire, then I'd have to pay all sorts, that's the way of EF. Cos they know their staff are likely to want to leave early once they realise what EF is all about. But a reasonable EF (they do exist, mine isn't bad at all, I'm happy here) is as good a stepping stone to better things as any...

[Flicka]

Sorry, that should read anything BAD about that woman, I'm told she is a good boss as bosses go. Local lady. But I don't know who else works at Depok also running things.

[travelNteach]

the NPWP is your taxpayer id card. it is yellow and the size of a credit/atm card. prior to jan 1, u have to have it checked at a little booth. if u didnt have one, u had to pay 2.5 million rupiah exit tax (fiscal). as of now, u no longer need to NPWP card to leave the country nor do u need to pay an exit tax. u simply pay the normal airport tax (150.,000rp for international flights) when u get your boarding pass.

@Noailla: if u read the contract, it should say that ef is responsible for taxes and your salary is net. if it doesnt dont sign it. depok is a small satellite city to the south of jkt. people that like it call it a college town, people that dont generally refer to it as a cesspool. taxis to jkt would be too expensive on an EF salary. there are buses and trains, some ok some pretty dodgy with a nice view of the road thru the floorboard. indonesia is definately an experience.

i have heard both good and bad about depok but u can be rest assured that they only gave u the email address of a content teacher. only 1??? lol

if u have the mentality u are going to learn alot cause u have zero experience teaching and living abroad is in adventure in itself, they u have the right altitude. u can survive anything for 1 year. or if u truly dont like it, dont stay and be miserable..... leave. make sure u always have an emerengcy fund to buy a ticket home or another school to do to.
read up as much as u can on culture shock............ it really kicks in after a month or 2 and if u dont recongnize the symptons u can stay mired in it for years. i know a guy that have been here 10 years (married) and still hasnt found anything positive about indonesia, the people, the food or the culture except for the cheap price for beer. its up to u what u make of it.

[extradross]

With the abolition of the Fiskal tax the need to have the NPWP-tax number/card has to some extent gone but any decent employer should still register you for tax and provide you with it. Point being that many EF's simply don't. You can register yourself-but then what happens at the end of the tax year when you have to submit the tax form? I've had two teaching jobs since I departed from EF over 5 years ago-and both my current and previous employer have provided me with taxation papers to complete the forms at the end of the tax year and the 'multiple entry' visa-that allows me to come and go freely during my employment contract. Both of these employers show trust and respect for their employees....I've never heard of anyone, currently or in the past, employed by EF getting either of these! To put it simply-they don't pay tax and they don't trust their expat employees...for any employee thinking of going home/overseas on vacation during their year-be prepared to leave a considerable portion of your salary with EF as a 'retainer'!

[Flicka]

My EF let me go on holiday for Christmas with no retainer or anything. And I had to take the little gold card with me to be validated at the airport. I had to pay for a re-entry permit though, so i guess i only have a single entry work permit, rather than a multiple one. (I assume single entry is cheaper!)

What forms am I supposed to fill out when, regards tax?

[southchick]

Flicka, did your contract include the language about the deposit if you left the country, but your employer just didn't require that?

Also, if you don't mind my asking, how long did it take your employer to get KITAS and work permit for you?

It is so helpful to have a current EF employee posting! Thanks.

[Flicka]

Hiya,

No there was nothing that set out to make holidays difficult in the contract. The only thing made difficult was leaving permanently.

The KITAS took a while to come through, I started in June and it came through in October, was being processed for that long and I had to get my business visa renewed after the two months it was valid for elapsed and the renewals were each for one month cos they thought the visa would be ready. Then in Ocober I went to Singapore to get the real McKoy. But my housemate's visa took substantially less time: he arrived in beginning September but went to fetch his a week or two after me. So his initial business visa didn't have to be extended. God knows how it worked out that way round--I'm the one with all the (right) quals while he had none. Maybe it was the amount of grease, so to speak, or just luck of the draw, who knows...

[Georgeisnthere]

Hi,

Like any school or private language center, there are pros and cons. I would say that the pros are as follows: A nice group of fellow teachers, and on the whole a good bunch of students.
Then of course we have the cons - and this is just a matter of opinion - working 33 (thirty three) Saturdays in a year isn't to everyone's liking. Being made to work on a Sunday during the recruitment drive season, potentially means that you could be working 13 straight days without a day off is something to bear in mind as well.
I have to agree with a previous poster when she/he said that Depok isn't the greatest city in Java. There isn't really too much to do there, but then if you prefer that kind of place, it may not be a negative point.
OP I wish you all the best. Indonesia is a lovely country, and it's somewhere I would certainly recommend you to visit.

[jhemmila]

Sure, Depok isn't the greatest city, but it's reasonably close to Kemang, and Meta is a great person to work for. I used to go to Serpong on the weekends to run with the hash house harriers.

[rayman]

A good mountain biking track has also just been built at Univerisity of Indonesia (UI) which is just down the road from EF Depok. About the only nearby escape to nature.

[KopiKopi]

I taught at EF and International schools and I prefer EF. When I worked at EF I worked from 3 - 8, five days a week. I taught 4 hours max/day. Not a great salary, but short time and good time block.

I am looking to work in Depok, but can't find any schools hiring there.