Job Discussion Forums

[Master Shake]

My DoS just lit it spill at lunch that we are going to have to clock in and out of work starting tomorrow. This is in response to a couple teachers who habitually show up 'late' for work.

I teach 21 hours a week but we are all 'contractually required' to be on campus for 40 hours a week.

Is this normal? Do all of you have to be at work 8 hours a day??

I have never heard of this 'chain-teachers-to-their-desks-8-hours-a-day-and-hope-they-do-a-better-job' approach anywhere but Thailand...

Seems damn un-professional on the part of my school.

[WhatsGrammar?]

Sounds perfectly normal.

My old school had a fingerprint scanner for clocking in and out. I was contracted to work a 40 hour week the same so it seems reasonable that they require your presence.

[roguegrafix]

Until about a year or so ago, the teachers at Rajabhat Kanchanaburi had to sign in every day before 8.30am -- including during their summer holidays. These days, they only have to sign in once a week during holidays.

[laconic]

[Master Shake]

It looks like timeclocks are pretty common across Thailand. And our system will be a fingerprint scan as well.

Big Brother has definitely come to Thailand.

But I have never heard of fingerprint scanning or the '40 hour work week' being required in schools in other countries, even other SE Asian countries.

Is fingerprint scanning a Thai thing??

I long for the days when I was teaching in a language school in Poland. In Poland I was required to be in the school for exactly how long it took me to plan and teach a quality lesson, plus a few paid office hours every week when students could come in and ask questions.

This '40 hour work week' crap is for the birds.

[gusto102]

This seems to be a common complaint among foreign teachers here in Thailand. I can't help but wonder why you wouldn't expect this. You are paid as a full time employee so it can only be assumed that you would have to work, or at least, stick around full time hours, ie, 8 hours a day.

The same is expected from the Thai teachers and you are paid 3-4 times more than they are. I can't imagine any job back home where you are paid full time and only spend 20 hours at work. I often wonder why teachers always expect this in Thailand?

Look at it like this. Can you think of any other job back home where you work just 3-4 hours a day and spend the rest chillin' in the office?

[ontoit]

You do have to admit to the moral validity of the policy. If you agree to the wage, you have an obligation to be there doing whatever it is you're being paid to do.

The only thing that should cut you any slack is a publication rate that showed you were using your time productively.

[parrothead]

[Master Shake]

[scottie1113]

Master Shake, come back to Poland. It's only gotten better.

[Master Shake]

Hey Scott,

Truth be told, I'm thinking about a Fall '09 return to Poland.

Drop me an email.