Job Discussion Forums

[dowjones]

After months of chasing my salary, I have finally called it quits at "The Park Language Group Ltd." Just wanted to warn all those teachers looking for jobs in Hong Kong, this company is definitely NOT a good one. Salary is always late (if you get it at all), he steals the MPF contributions made (of which he has already been convicted of, but with a slap on the wrist) and steals your last month salary. Case after case has gone through the legal system and are still on-going(at least 4 previous teachers that I know of). Bankruptcy is one the way for this company. So, for all those teachers I see still interviewing with this company-don't do it! No matter how much you need the money-there isn't any here.

[ChrisRose]

Since noone has replied, allow me to say "a kind word of advice is golden'.

On behalf of the group, thank you for taking the time to post.

P.S. I knew Jane Park many years ago. Knew her when she was establishing Park Group. Very ambitous to say the least.

[budgie]

Yeah Park did this to few others back in 2003/4. I can name six teachers just from that period who either never got their salary or MPF or had to fight tootha and nail for it using legal threats and the MPF authority's backing.

The problems really started because of SARS and a lack of backup money, but the earliest known case of a summer teacher leaving after a 6 week contract without getting paid was Aug 2002. Guess they were just dodgy from the start.

Just so you know Dowjones, people are watching from the sidelines and rooting for you, friend:

Saturday, January 13, 2007
Language teacher 'owed HK$20,000'

WILL CLEM

An Australian language teacher claims she is owed close to HK$20,000 in unpaid wages by a tutorial centre with a history of wages and Mandatory Provident Fund violations.

Jenny Lynd, who spent eight years as a native English-speaking teacher in local schools, said she was employed by Park Language Group for four weeks between late July and late August last year.

"I was looking for some summer work before returning to Australia," Ms Lynd said. "I had previously commissioned Park Language Group to provide Saturday morning classes at the school where I was a NET, so I approached it."

She said she was owed about HK$20,000. "I haven't received a cent," Ms Lynd said. "I have lots of e-mails, though."

She said the company's owner, Stuart Barrett, had "repeatedly promised" the money would be deposited in her account the following day. "Of course it never would be," she said.

"I discovered afterwards from several other teachers that I am not the first to experience this."

Ms Lynd, who holds a master's degree in applied linguistics, said she felt not being paid was an insult to her professionalism. "I feel as though I have given this school face it didn't deserve," she said.

Park Language Group was last month served with a court order by the small claims tribunal to pay just short of HK$80,000 in unpaid MPF contributions. It is the latest in a series of confrontations with the MPF Authority dating back to May, 2004.

A spokesman for the authority said the school had not yet complied with the judgment but the authority was monitoring the situation and would take further action to ensure the money was paid.

"The MPFA is in the process of filing claims to civil courts to recover default MPF contributions from the company," he said.

The centre has been fined more than HK$70,000 over the past three years on 39 counts of failing to make MPF contributions and one count of failing to enrol an employee in an MPF scheme.

In March last year, Park Language Group was also fined HK$10,000 for not paying wages on time and ordered to pay the outstanding HK$14,400.

Rachael Williamson, a former teacher for the centre, said she had been forced to go through the courts to get just under HK$30,000 in unpaid wages and MPF contributions she had been owed by the school after leaving in mid-2004.

"I was awarded the wages after about six months but the MPF took nearly a year," she said.

"I was fortunate that I am not totally dependant on the money."

Mr Barrett told Education Post the business had been experiencing "internal problems" but that the situation was improving.

"We had to pay off an ex-partner," he said. "It is very difficult to catch up once you start getting behind with payments.

"We have been having trouble but we are trying to get people paid. No matter how late we are, everyone always gets paid in the end."

Mr Barrett said the MPF judgments were "old news" and that all the arrears had been cleared, except for the December court order.

"The problem with getting fined is you have to pay the fine first, then you have no money left to pay the wages," he said.

However, he gave his assurance that Ms Lynd would get her money.

"We are legally obliged to pay her," he said. "But she disappeared. I haven't heard from her since she went back to Australia. She doesn't answer her e-mails."

Ms Lynd, however, disputed that. "He most certainly has heard from me," she said. "I have sent him lots of e-mails."


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