Job Discussion Forums

delal · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 251 Location: N Turkey

Does anyone know whether contracts actually mean anything if there's no work permit attached?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:28 pm Post subject:

Been out of Turkey for a while, but back when I was there, contracts, usually English language, were totally worthless. Work permit or not. However, in most countries, including Turkey I think, there is at least an official labour code which stipulates statutory rights. Whether that is effective in practice is another matter. If it's an option, contact a solicitor for solid facts...

delal · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 251 Location: N Turkey

Thank you

atoklas · Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 24

turkısh courts, however sluggısh they may be, almost always fınd ın favor of the employee rather than the employer ın labor dısputes...

that havıng been saıd, wıthout a work permıt, you cannot take anyone to court, and there's no sense ın threatenıng to.

so yes, wıthout the work permıt, a contract ıs worthless. however, many employers wıll tell you thıs openly. they'll explaın that the 'contract' ıs just a pıece of paper that stıpulates job requırements. ıt's a gentlemen's agreement. when you accept a job lıke thıs, you don't sıgn anythıng but rather just shake hands. from my experıence, most turkısh employers honor these 'contracts' AS LONG AS THEY'RE SATISFIED WITH THE JOB YOU'RE DOING. (perhaps other posters have had bad experıences and wıll dısagree... ı havent worked for The Crıme or any of the other notorıously bad language mılls...) If not, all bets are off. On the flıpsıde, you can quıt at any tıme, and your employer can't do much about ıt...

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:34 am Post subject:

Your employer is still breaking immigration law by employing you without a permit, and presumably not paying tax and insurance either. I wouldn't recommend taking anyone to court, but the threat of reporting them to the immigration authorities may (or may not) be effective. If nothing else, it will cost the employer another bribe... Still, it is a desperate move of very last resort.

lechatnoir · Joined: 08 Dec 2010 Posts: 20

I found an offer. As an inexperienced teacher, could you give me feedback on this:

No Contract
No Work Permit
Pay 10.00 TL per hour
Part-Time

Only reason I would even consider taking this up would be because of the dearth of jobs at this time of year. If anyone has a better suggestion, please let me know!

Would I be bound by this institution in any way if I was to abruptly resign if I get a better job? I am totally ignorant as I'm quite new to all this.

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

coffeespoonman · Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 512 Location: At my computer...

That is seriously the WORST job offer I have ever seen in this country. Even if you had NO experience at all, no Bachelor's degree, weren't a native speaker of English and had failed the TOEFL 4 times running, I would NOT take that job.

Unless you have a Turkish passport; then it's not bad...

(No offense to Turkish English teachers. It's just that they're shockingly underpaid.)

billy orr · Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 229

10TL per hour is what Turkish ELT students get paid (not in istanbul) for teaching before they have even qualified.

lechatnoir · Joined: 08 Dec 2010 Posts: 20

I feel like I'm having the hardest time with administration in language programs. They do not give enough detail about ANYTHING. I asked one particular institution whether just conversation teacher were paid 10 TL or main courses as well. I received the reply that "Because you are a foreigner, it's 10 TL".

I have a masters and a TEFL. There is surely no way that I can work with this institution during my time in Turkey. However, it seems that they have an influx of teachers at that particular institution, which is very surprising.

I feel like it's better to try to apply for university positions. I would feel better having a job that guarantees at least a contract, work permit and a decent pay check. However, at this time of year, would they even consider me for a position?