Job Discussion Forums

JacobTM · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 73 Location: New York

So a number of teachers, myself included, have recently had IH checks bounce consecutive days. A check bounced on Thursday, and today I was told it'd be OK by this afternoon. I went to the bank and nope, no money in the IH accoutn. After the banks had closed I was told that it'd be good to go tomorrow.

The main attraction of IH was always, to me, it's reliability. After eliminating all but 2 full-time positions and now bouncing their checks and BSing teachers about when they'll be paid, the only thing they have over any old institute is the name.

G22 · Joined: 25 Oct 2010 Posts: 89

IH has never been trustworthy. I'm sure one of the IH spokespeople on here will be in this thread any time now to try to dismiss what you said and tell everyone what a great place IH is. IH should be avoided at all costs people. Thank you sharing this info Jacob.

JonnyBravo · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 80 Location: Bogota, Colombia

Yikes that is not good news at all for prospective teachers since IH was the guaranteed work visa for teachers with a CELTA.

windowlicker · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 183 Location: Bogot�, Colombia

Never had this problem with IH when I was there (almost two years ago), but I can believe it. Yeah, I often defend IH on here but I don't find this particularly surprising.

Give us another update in a few days. I would be surprised if they don't pay up soon. It's frustrating and there's no excuse for it, but saying a company pays late and that it doesn't pay at all (or don't pay what you are owed) are very different things.

spanglish · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that

I'm sorry to hear that. I never had trouble getting paid when I worked there, but I always took my time cashing check and checking that my pay had been deposited.

This is a blow to their reputation. With some minor tweaking IH could be a great place to work.

G22 · Joined: 25 Oct 2010 Posts: 89

IH has a lot of problems this development is only the latest. They have problems with the way they run their CELTA program and with the way they operate with regular clients and their own employees. I've worked for several other companies that don't pay as well and don't offer work visas, but they never failed to pay on time. All the perks of IH are worthless if the company can't pay on time or at all. Everyone should avoid IH at all costs.

windowlicker · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 183 Location: Bogot�, Colombia

Traveller84 · Joined: 17 Apr 2008 Posts: 15

I work at IH and I was paid on time (direct debit into my bank account). Some of my friends' cheques bounced but the problem was resolved in a few days. It did suck for some people though especially a friend of mine who had to wait a day extra before leaving! Not sure what the problem is/was.

It IS a good place to work. They PAID FOR and ORGANIZED my work visa, cedula, bank account and health insurance and soon they are going to pay for me to do the TEA Aviation Examination so I can assess pilot and air traffic controller. As long as you work there for more than 6 months there is absolutely NO COST for all of this.

The pay is some of the best I've seen in Bogota (if you have some experience) obviously discounting the universities, and is organized depending on your experience. For example I have over 1 years experience and I'm paid 31,000 an hour after tax (34,000 before) and do all 2 hour classes. So that means 61,000 net for each class. I teach 16 hours a week only mornings and midday and have Mondays and Thursdays completely off to do privates or pick up some classes at another institute. Which gets me just under 2,000,000. I earn more with privates and other institutes. Also they have a late cancel policy so if the student cancels with less than 24 hours notice you still get paid. This has happened countless times where a student has canceled the night before and then I didn't have to go to class and still got paid!

I live in Chapinero and my classes are no more than 30/45 mins away by bus or transmileno in the zona industrial and near the airport (can be a bitch coming back from there any time after 8:30am...)

Anyway that's my experience. Although the cheque thing did suck for some people, I really enjoy working there.

superteacherIHbogota · Joined: 17 Aug 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Bogota

I was told that one of the reasons that cheques bounce is because teachers don't cash them in time and when they do there is no money in the account....a cash flow problem because 2 of the biggest clients haven't paid their bills for several months.
Everybody who has a bank account gets paid on time except for a few of us who didn't attach all the paperwork correctly. That is a condition for IH to be paid....like duh!!!! Because some of us didn't get the paperwork done....then IH didn't get paid. If we don't keep our part of the bargain, what do you expect? I was told that because some of us handed in paperwork late, attendance sheets etc, then IH on some occasions never got paid...ever! Finally, after lots of warnings, we were told that if we didn't hand in the stuff by the deadline, there was a risk that we might not get paid for the hours. Is that fair?

Nowhere is perfect. The hourly rates are very good in comparison. As for the point about the number of fulltime teachers....that was because the contracts were changing to our benefit. They offered all fulltimers the option to convert or stay on the old conditions....no strings. Now that that is over.....hourly paid teachers are being offered the new contracts. Our teachers' reps did a great job negotiating the new deal with management. How many other places have teachers' reps? At least we are listened to and some things change.

I still think it is a good place to work. There will always be lots to moan about. For any CELTA candidate it is a great place to start. I got my first job after a CELTA with IH and have no regrets.

JacobTM · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 73 Location: New York

For what it's worth, a paycheck I was supposed to get that Thursday was paid to me on the following Saturday.

I was told several times, ''The money is in the account, I just checked, there should be no problem'', As were several other teachers who had the same problem. It should've been there Thursday at 10. Then later. Then later. Then the banks closed. Tomorrow it would definitely be there. Later. Later. Banks closed.

I don't know what the root cause of it was, but there is no way to justify not paying your workers because someone did some paperwork wrong.

G22 · Joined: 25 Oct 2010 Posts: 89

G22 · Joined: 25 Oct 2010 Posts: 89

spanglish · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that

IH is a pretty decent place for a first job in Colombia. True, they were fairly disorganized while I was there and you got the feeling that they didn't really have the teachers' best interest in mind. I also despised taking buses for hours around the city.

They do, however pay you an okay salary, get you a work visa (which is very rare among employers) and most importantly you learn the ins and outs of ESL curriculum, teaching and business clients. It's also not a bad place to make friends with co-workers. I was never paid late. Colombia, unfortunately, isn't a particularly easy place to be an employee. This is the developing world and most employers are incredibly exploitative and just plain horrible to their employees. Even some of the most expensive, most prestigious educational institutions employee mickey mouse educational methods. International House at least holds up to a relatively high professional level.

I know they have a DOS right now and he seems to be a decent and well-qualified chap.

spanglish · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that

G22, are you at Wall Street?

G22 · Joined: 25 Oct 2010 Posts: 89

No I'm currently working at a colegio. I did work at Wall Street, they don't offer a work visa, nor is the pay the best, however I got 30 hours every week, worked afternoons and the school is easy to get to. 20 minutes from candelaria. The biggest thing though is they ALWAYS PAID ON TIME. Sorry but there is no excuse for a company bouncing checks and not paying on time.