Job Discussion Forums

[Vertumnus]

Some of the users here are very good at figuring out quickly which schools are sweatshops for teachers. The rest of us need help figuring it out. If you have any suggestions on how to spot a bad employer, please share it here.

To get things rolling, take it as a clue...
1) If the person who's supposed to hire you keeps on dodging your calls.

2) If the HR person keeps on pushing back the dates when they'll advise you if you've been accepted.

3) When you ask teachers how they feel about working there and they don't seem to want to directly answer you, or they answer with a fake smile and glazed eyes.

4) If everyone looks tired whenever you see them.

5) If what you've been promised is not what the contract says. Don't accept a handshake and a smile as confirmation of the promise - it isn't worth a pile of roach poop. (I had to edit the full name of "roach" to exclude the naughty part.)

6) If the contract is not bi-lingual, or English only, and there is no official stamp (materai) for you to sign across. The Indonesian Dept. of Labour generally can't/won't help if you have an English only contract without a stamp. But that won't stop them from extorting your school!

7) If the contract is for more than one year. These are generally not permissible in Indonesia.

If there is a non-compete clause that restricts you from working at a competing school AFTER you leave them.

9) If there are penalty clauses (such as for leaving before the end of the contract) in the contract where the formula for determining the penalty is not explicitly stated, or the clauses are vague enough that you are confused.

10) If they expect you to work Saturdays and Sundays at their discretion.

11) If there is no statement about overtime that is acceptable to you.

12) If they don't offer you housing (especially at national plus and international schools), insurance, transportation and other common benefits.

13) If the bonus is a performance bonus, or if it doesn't clearly state WHEN you will receive it.

14) If the school offers you a one-way or round-trip ticket home, make sure the contract says THEY will pay for it up front, instead of making you buy it and they pay you back (this is a common trick since many teachers don't have enough saved up to buy it themselves).

15) Ask on Dave's ESL Cafe or another website - but do it well in advance because it may take a while for people to answer you.



If you want to contribute, please do. If you're just going to screw up this thread like my first attempt, please don't. I want to help those who need it, not put up with the endless diatribes of those few users who have nothing useful to say and distract from the point of the posting. I won't put up with off-topic posts, ok?

[-3E-]

Very interesting.

[Dr_Zoidberg]

The job comes with an apartment, but the prospective employer won't let you see it.

[-3E-]

if coffee isn't free....

[ezekiel]

Good on your Vertumnus..keep it up! Ezekiel, Medan

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Please feel free to report any inappropriate, derailing, flaming, trolling or similar posting on this or any thread to the Mod Team by PM or the Report Post feature.

Responsible parties will be sanctioned, as appropriate.

Enjoy.

[beefer]

...i can't find the "report post feature"...do i have to log back out to see it?

'cause when i do find it, there will be no more raggin' on the beef. i've had it up to here ( i am currently holding my flattened hand to my neck area and making a single, saw-like motion) with the name calling and such on this forum...we all have to take in unto ourselves to conform to what it is that we agreed to when we signed up to use this forum. lets stop taking advantage of this privledge we use daily ( most of us).

[beefer]

ok, someone is gonna have to help me 'cause i still can't find that feature here. i don't have my contacts in today so things are a bit blurry for me but i should still be able to see it..........anyone???