Job Discussion Forums

[mandivided]

I recently spent two disasterous months working for IH Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine and I was wondering if anyone would know if it would be possible to bring legal action against IH - given that Ukraine is an extremely corrupt country without a fair, fully-functioning legal system?

Basically, myself and several other teachers were/are currently be mistreated by the Director (Segei Nesterenko), who for example failed to provide us with contracts, work visas etc., which runs contrary to IH policy.

Perhaps it's purley a matter of jurisdiction, but I feel that IH Worldwide is/should be responsible with regard to the behaviour of their affiliates abroad - as is implied in their literature.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

[canucktechie]

IH is just a franchise. IH themselves are not responsible for the actions of the IH schools, which are all independent businesses (or a few non-profits).

You can certainly complain to IH, but I have a gut feeling that they are only interested in academic standards and labour relations are purely a local matter.

I would certainly like to hear more about this, being a former (and possible future) IH school employee (not at your school though). PM me if you like.

[PeterBar]

Some time ago several British Council teachers in various countries gained a positive judgement in a UK court which held that the parent body was responsible for whatever happened in subsidiaries.

May not be relevent, but may be of interest

[maruss]

From my experience of them,I think they will not be interested!!I can still remember several years ago when I visited them in London and asked if they had any feed-back from teachers they had recruited for jobs in Moscow and elsewhere that they replied that they don't and also don't encourage it either!!
As I have tried to explain countless times on this site, such firms are very big and generally too impersonal to care about individuals so unless you are lucky to find a sympathetic D.O.S. etc. when you have problems, you will inevitably either have to put-up or shut -up until you find another job, which is what most people end up doing!
Russia and Ukraine etc. are no different to anywhere else and with the law of supply and demand which means that they can continue to find recruits for these deceptively advertised jobs, they will continue to do it!Bearing in mind that the majority of westerners who come to live and work in such countries do it for a short-time to gain experience etc. they don't really need to have many long term staff who will obviously demand better terms and conditions,although in my mind, this is a false economy because it earns them a bad reputation, as you can read from the many postings on this site, especially about he 'big three!!'

[mandivided]

Thanks everyone for the input, which has been helpful. [/i]

[bejarano]

Yes you can sue them. If you had your interview in the UK
then they are responsible for what happens to you out there,
they have an office and headquarters in London. I would go
after them like a rabid pitbull

IH will try and fob you off but you will be a fool if you
take any of that on board. They are fully responsible
for what happened to you out there.

[scot47]

Just remember that the Courts of Law, like the Ritz Hotel, are open to both Rich and Poor.