Job Discussion Forums

sukoma · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Longmont, CO

I have a couple of questions about work visas in Russia for English teachers...

If I quit my job at a school due to a dispute in pay and left without notice, does that mean I burned a bridge in regards to future employment in Russia? I have no intention of returning to Russian anytime soon, nor to the school where I once worked, but if I wanted to come back and work at a different school in a different city in the future, will this hurt my chances of getting a work visa?

Also, what is the situation right now with work visas? I know while I was there, the rules seemed to change every time I checked into it. I also was constantly getting contradictory information, but apparently that's the norm in Russia.

I plan to work elsewhere for a couple of years, but I would like to go back. I was just starting to feel like I was getting into the groove of things and really enjoyed everything about working and living in Russia...except that they messed with my pay. I'd like to wait and see how this whole economic crisis thing goes over the next couple of years before trying again.

Any information would be greatly appreciated...thanks for reading.

canucktechie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 343 Location: Moscow

sukoma · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Longmont, CO

Thank you...that was helpful. I'm not coming back for a couple of years, but I plan to. I didn't figure they had much leverage and they probably didn't even bother to cancel my visa since I was already gone when they got word. I hated having to do it that way, but other teachers at the same school got it hard from them for giving notice and being civilized about leaving (like finishing their contracts and giving notice). I hear the school had to close down anyways, so good thing I left when I did or I'd be high and dry.

Valid and useful visa information is hard to come by in that part of the world.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

I can understand your wanting to leave an employment over pay, but is leaving without notice justifiable? As well as ethical considerations, you are also ensuring that they won't want to give you a reference (or a good one, anyway) should your new employer want one.

sukoma · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Longmont, CO

Fortunately, the DOS left 2 months before I did, so there's my reference. He still lives in the same city as well, so my contact is in Russia. I'm not going back to Russia right now and by the time I do consider going back, I'll have a few years under my belt with another institution, so I'm covered on that.

I understand the ethics involved with skipping out...I've never done this at any job and it wasn't an easy decision to make. However, when you're sent an email with a new contract full of holes that allow them to do whatever they want, but I have to follow it to the letter AND a 20% pay cut with a letter explaining that if I don't sign it I'm fired, what choice did I have. In addition to that, they broke into my apartment several times...another teacher tipped me off to that, so I set up a trap to verify this (although nothing was stolen). They were sending the Russian teachers into my classes to "brush up" when in fact they were spying on me. Should I go on?

Also, the teacher who left when his contract expired was shorted almost 80% of his pay for reasons they invented. Another teacher who quit because of a family emergency was shorted on pay as well (though not as much).

The school I worked at was run by gangsters...and I'm not exaggerating. I met the owner...he knows as much about education as the manager at a Burger King. He's out to make a buck. As bad as I was treated, the Russian teachers had it worse (often not payed at all).

Yes, I felt bad for my students and friends. I would still be there and was willing to put up with the head games and spying, but the pay cut would have meant that I would have had to live in my savings over the summer. Now they are closed for the summer, so I would have made nothing.

I'm not the first person to have done this in Russia I'm sure I won't be the last. Check out English Teacher X...this site was the best preparation for going to work in Russia as an English teacher. I laughed hard when reading it before going to Russia and once I was there, I thought "My god this guy is dead on."

I'm sure not every person who goes there experiences what I have, but it does happen there. Read some of the other posts. Other than the pay cut, I really rather enjoyed it...I knew they were spying and as long as nothing was stolen, I wasn't even really that mad about the break ins. English Teacher X prepared me well...

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Ok, I think you're exonerated in the ethics department! The employer sounds awful and yes, if they act like they have, then I don't blame you for not risking working a month and then not getting paid.

Having said that, the reason why I queried giving notice was indeed the point about not being the first nor the last to quit on the fly. While in your case it is thoroughly understandable, the rather widespread practice - I suspect, not always in cases as clear as this one - is one which doesn't exactly contribute to better conditions.