Job Discussion Forums

VoxTrans · Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 1

I am a conscientious teacher and I like children. My last employer watched my classes constantly - especially after she realized it made me uncomfortable, told the kids really nasty things about me which some of them ended up repeating to my face, walked into the classroom in front of me and the kids and criticised my teaching, said something controlling or insulting every time she saw me looking happy, sent me an abusive email, ... the list goes on. When I finally left my job, she wouldn't pay me my NT$30 000. Now, I am not a quitter, and I want to get even. I don't have any proof of my hours, as it would happen. How do I blackmail my pay out of her?

I thought of threatening to tell the F.A.P. that she is operating an English language kindergarten, saying that I know some of them.

Any creative suggestions would be appreciated. Smile

wood · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 202

migo · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 201

Blackmail is illegal where I am and I imagine it's the same in Taiwan. You could always take the issue up with the appropriate authorities - whoever they might be. That's your best option as far as I can tell.

After you get the situation resolved (or if you don't) then submitting the name of the school to a blacklist to warn other potential teachers about it. It's probably not the best idea to this until you know there's nothing else you can accomplish or you've accomplished all you want to.

Obviously I'm not a Lawyer, so take everything I suggest with a grain of salt and if you really want to know your best course of action and what you can do - take your contract to a local lawyer and explain the situation.

Taylor · Joined: 24 Oct 2003 Posts: 384 Location: Texas/Taiwan

Dear VoxTrans,

First of all, let me say I know it must be very discouraging to have gone through all of that. There are other places in Taiwan that will appreciate you much more.

As one poster recently mentioned on this board, you could have Jesus Christ himself, Buddha or Confucius try to teach a class in Taiwan and "the boss" would be dissatisfied. REALLY. I am not trying to be funny, sarcastic, or sacrilegious. That said, I have taught some teacher training courses in Taiwan in which I told the participants they need 3 things: Training, Experience, and Ability to meet the demands of teaching English in Taiwan.

Is there one area you need to improve on?

As for getting the money you worked for, I must ask if you were working legally. If this was not your ARC school, then you probably have no legal recourse whatsoever. Were you the only foreigner working there?

Let's look at the numbers...if she promised you 1,000NT per hour and you worked 30 hours....then you might have know something was too good to be true. Regardless of your location, you should be careful. This lady could have connections with some pretty rough guys, so I'd watch out.

Let us know what you are thinking.

Sincerely,

Taylor
Texas/Taiwan
(Kaohsiung 7+ years)

Wonder · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 109

Waldorf Salad · Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Saigon, Vietnam

Years ago I was in a similar situation. I told my boss that I would be back the next morning to tell all the parents how fucked up that school was unless she would pay me right away. She chose to pay. They hate it when you make a lot of trouble when there are parents around.

wood · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 202

Wonder · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 109

Sorry wood, no elaboration forthcoming. Laughing

The reason for this is specific information regarding me and my employer, which isn't neccessary.

Perhaps my comment seems extreme if you isolate it. However, I was responding to the original poster's situation. I'm sure you read about that situation. I was merely pointing out that his employer had gone too far.

I for one am constantly aware I am a guest in this fine country, and am always at my most humble and accepting regarding relations with my employer. I have a good idea how Asian people deal with western employees, having been in Asia for almost three years now.

There are simply very few circumstances important enough to disturb a classroom (unless a child is hurt or the building is on fire).

If a school administrator puts him or herself above their very means of survival, which in this case is a happy, funtioning classroom, then that school admininstrator is out of line.

On the other hand, I will gladly take my lumps in private, where the only people affected are adults who can deal with the trama. Children should not be put in the line of fire of a boss who has a personal problem with an employee, or even witness such an unreasonable outburst. The children and the teacher are negatively affected by this, and any harmony in the classroom is lost.

Children soon lose respect for the teacher and the administrator (who may indeed be competent, but that doesn't matter anymore). The school will cease to exist if this continues.

As I stated in my previous post, I thought my boss could have handled it more discretely. I did not say she shouldn't have brought it up. Her timing was unforgiveable and after our chat she agreed.

Good enough for you, wood?

wood · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 202

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

Email me,
[email protected]
Good luck
A.

myesl · Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 8:21 pm Post subject:

Revenge in Taiwan is complicated by the fact that a) it is a society almost wholly without the rule of law (or so I've been told by Taiwanese police officers and lawyers), and b) as someone else mentioned on this thread she may very well know some people who'd be happy to beat with you a bat for pennies. It's no joke. So stay very much within the law whatever you do.

Telling the parents ain't a bad idea. Telling the authorities won't likely do much good for you, but may get her busted if she's doing things illegally.

Do be careful in Taiwan. It's a nice place in many ways, but some people are very not Smile

MTurton · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 107

Tell the parents if you must do something. Do not threaten her with the tax people or anything dramatic. Businessmen regularly settle affairs through the mob, and she can create a world of trouble for you. Example: after you leave, she reports that she paid you X in income, while your real income was 1/3X (this happened to me at a translation company that shafted me and some friends). How are you going to prove to the tax people you didn't make X?

Keep a low profile, because you are now moving from the unreal world of bushiban working to the all-too-real world of conflict with the locals.

MTurton

logician · Joined: 15 Jan 2004 Posts: 70

MTurton · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 107

You CAN hire a lawyer. Often schools turn scared if you show up with a lawyer in tow. A friend of mine did so and the school, a university, gave him what he wanted. But not all the time, and your position is piss-poor. Your best bet is to eat the week and a half in September and get what money you can.

Don't be so down on the legal system. It grinds sssslllloooowwwwllllyyyy, like everything else here, but it is generally fair. Just takes forever, is all. The corruption comes in at the top, not among little people like us.

MTurton