Job Discussion Forums

[gulam2]

I had a real bad experience with EF.
The cancelled my contract because of ill health (their view)

(I have not missed one class in 10 years and am never ill)

The centre manager arrived at my apartment at 10.30pm on a wet and cold night (I am sick \ sao they say) and tossed me and my belongings out onto the street (a sick old man)
If I had not phoned my embassy I would not have got the money they owed me as it was I omly got some of it.
They 6 people physically threatened me - I was scared.
There was no DOS there at the time.
They told the other teacher you will work 1 -9pm 7 days the mornings will be your days off!!!!!
Yes EF take the higher moral ground if you like but I KNOW YOU.

[brsmith15]

Would you care to tell us which EF?

[Noelle]

Gulam2:

They threw you out over that?

I also left an EF contract, but I went out on my own due to health issues and my school owner was really helpful. She also said any employer who mistreated a teacher over health related issues was a disgrace to the "profession" (I'm guessing she meant franchise owners).

Are you going to say which school you worked for?

[englishgibson]

Gulam, I was a Director of Studies at EF Huizhou. I had worked for that particular EF center for one year as the DOS, before the employer resigned my second year Contract with a 10% raise. Four and a half months into my second-year Contract, the employer decided to fire me due to allegedly "under-performing" (long story-I was too honest for that employer). She (the employer) gave me one month notice, but when I notified my academic staff members PROFESSIONALLY that I was leaving soon, my employer decided to fire me immediately shortening that one month (to 24 hours). Too bad that I lived in the school's apartement, because I had to move out immediately. Had I not had (and I still have) a Chinese girlfriend, I would have had troubles getting arround and figuring out what to do. Even though everything was fine in the apartement as well as in my (DOS) school's office, my employer decided to check everything with a list what was supposed to be there to make me feel as bad as she could. When I was carrying my two huge suitcases out of the apartement, I was asked; "ARE YOU LEAVING HUIZHOU"?
By the way, I had plenty of my own supplementary material that I worked on a way before I came to EF Huizhou. The EF Huizhou's employer decided to confiscate and keep all my own supplementary academic material.
Further more, I have not been allowed to join any EF center in China ever since due to the Chinese employers excellent "keeping in touch" techniques.
A previous foreign teacher of that farce EF center had experienced some intimidating tactics, when he was fired for calling his Director of Studies (my predecessor) "A DYKE". Mind you he was experienced and educated as well as liked by his students.
So, you are not the only one. Now, would you be so kind to let the forum know on what EF farce center was that ? Would you be so kind to let us know more of the details with regards to your case there? You know that if you are ill for a lengthy period of time (I think more than a month), your employer reserves the right to terminate your Contract.
Cheers and beers

[gulam2]

I was not ill.
But they said I had failed the medical which I had not.
(I later got a copy from Ningbo which I can post anyone interested.
Actually I had complained about not being given a western matress as per
the contract.
The centre Manager was going to take NO COMPLAINTS.
It was Yuyao in Zhejiang.
It was I must say a dreadful experience.
If I was new to China it would have been a nightmare.
There was a poor newbie from England there they said to him
you will work 7 days a week 1pm-9pm we will count mornings as your days off !!!!! Poor guy fresh to China. I hope he is OK.

[Keath]

HUIZHOU EF is possible one of the more dangerous EF Franchises where you can work. One of our teachers fathers passed away and despite the prompt replacement of the teacher, before the teacher left they tried to bilk the poor guy for money even though the new teacher was both better qualified and introduced without a fee.

Stay away from EF Huizhou.

[englishgibson]

Keath, when I was Director of Studies in farce EF Huizhou, the CM/owner Lucy Li asked me to request 40,000 RMB from a teacher who wished to leave on a 48 hours notice. Even though it was a short notice (and I had to pick up all her classes), that teacher had fairly valid reasons to leave. The employer (Luci Li) opened up her EF clone Enjoy English (not EF) in Huyian (part of Huizhou) she let her "bully" husband run it and manipulated me into transfering a few at that time current EF teachers there. One of that transferred teachers was the boyfriend of that unfortunate female teacher who wished to quit on such short notice. Anyway, to make my story short that female teacher "ran", I lost whatever respect I had in the teachers' office (I got the employer to lower that 40,000 to 30,000 RMB still rediculous) and later I got fired for being honest and for asking only what I had in my Contract.
Because I have contacted the farce EF Head Office before the "EF clone" opened and let them know that it was going to open, and because I have contacted them after my dismissal and got little attention from them I do not believe in them anymore. Worse than that, I believe that the EF Head Office is as helpless as the get. All the farce EF Head Office in Shanghai cares about is their "royalty fees" and their dominance (EF English First) in the Chinese market. The employer-employee relationships or working environment in the EF centers in China is deffinitely of no importance to them. As large as the franchise is, they do not even have a departement who to file an employee complaint. They sure have their farce recruiting department (that many EF centers avoid).
DO NOT JOIN ANY EF ENGLISH FIRST IN CHINA.
Cheers and beers

[wonderd]

I hadn't gone this far back in the thread. Now I see what you were talking about in another forum.

My big question, and maybe it's a stupid one. How can a company be as big as this one with the reputation it has. I have seen dozens of posts all over the net.

Also, does anyone know what to do when you have this sort of problem? There are laws here. What can you do?

These are the exact reasons I'm happy where I am with my school and company. I see things like this and think I could have been this unlucky.

[Noelle]

Hi wondered

I have heard and read some shocking things about EF in China... shocking to me I guess because I am sometimes naive enough to think that just because I had a good experience in my school, all of the schools must be reputable. But really, I guess a school can only be as good as its owner and/or director.

I also feel very grateful that I was not this unlucky. I actually got a job offer from an EF school in Quito, Ecuador after my experience with them in China and I have some amazing references on that school. I've also known some other teachers working for them around China who seem pretty contented... for the most part. I also had a really cool part time job at Zhejiang Uni which I liked too but much preferred the structure and student/teacher ratio at EF.

I don't think the whole organization is bad either. If they were, I really don't think they would be as large and successful and continuing to grow as they are in China and around the world.

[englishgibson]

Noelle, the whole organization is not bad. I think that their academic product is quite competitive and that�s one of the reasons that they�ve grown in the World. Another reason is that the EF English First marketing strategies and marketing itself is as aggressive and organized as it can be and I am speaking of the Head Offices around the World (not the individual EF centers/especially in China). In China, if you are a Chinese (especially retired military officer or a well-known g*n*s*e*) with good connections and loads of cash, you might be approached by the EF English First franchise sales staff. THERE IS NO NEED TO HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS! Does that explain your WHY �as large and successful and continuing to grow� in spite of their fairly bad name in China (especially with their foreign teachers)?

Noelle�s point of �THE SCHOOL CAN ONLY BE AS GOOD AS ITS OWNER/DIRECTOR IS� is right on. Although the EF English First owners ought to be under the franchisers� rules and standards as well as obligated to follow the EF English First methodology, they sometimes do not. There is a level of commitment required from the owners, though unfortunately the owners� commitment is often focused on their profits mostly (it�s business, isn�t it?). As I have mentioned in another forum that if I were one of the EF owners in China, I�d do the same thing and follow my own rules and standards. The EF English First asks for a horrendous initial investment and promises the EF owners the return of their investment within THREE YEARS. Good luck getting it back in some Chinese cities within that period of time! EF owners often are left alone to struggle with little support from the EF Head Office in Shanghai too. The EF�s Head Office Academic Operations Manager in Shanghai does not want to get up from his office chair anymore and check the EF standards are followed. The Head Office standard annual visits of the EF centers around China have been cancelled from 2004. You figure it out why?

My point is that THE SCHOOL CANNOT ONLY BE AS GOOD AS ITS OWNER/DIRECTOR IS, BUT ALSO AS GOOD AS THE FRANCHISER�S HEAD OFFICE STAFF IS. This is a franchised organization, Noelle, but I guess you know that.
Yes Noelle, it looks like you have been lucky and I wish you that luck extends further.

Wonderd, I guess that might have answered your questions below.

[Darius]

Sounds like EF Zhuhai - there's a terrible school if ever there was one.

Avoid EF at all costs.

[Noelle]

EnglishG

You're really not going to let this thing go, are you?

[tw]

Well if anyone is interested, I came across quite a few job ads posted by EF Qingdao today. I can tell you one thing about the school and that its location is in the most beautiful part of Qingdao. But I don't know about its management other than what one of its former teachers has said on Dave's.

[Norman Bethune]

[englishgibson]