Does my school owe me 50,000 baht???

[puukao]

Good news, I'm happy.  Other good news, I'm finally leaving at the end of this month after a few years of teaching.  I'm not worried about the 50,000 baht......BUT I am curious.

 

update:  school didn't give me new contract, so still on old contract good until May at 40,000 per month.  

didn't work in October, as we both agreed I would wait and see if they can replace me for the new term, November.  Stayed on work permit.

Meetings in October, they said they needed me but was absolutely fine if I didn't come back.  I said i would help but absolutely for only one month at the absolute maximum

They said only 30,000 baht in November, but it's an easier schedule.  I didn't fight this.....probably too tired.  

 

easy math....no pay in October, 40,000.  my contract doesn't say anything about not getting paid in october.   10,000 less in november, but my contract says 40,000 not 30,000.

 

i'm NOT going to court over this, i don't care.  but i do care about my rights are and maybe my contract gives me more power than i think it does....

 

if i tell the labor department i wasn't paid in Oct and only 30,000 for November....  can they get me the 50,000 with one phone call?  i'm guessing no....

 

does the labor department even call them?  or only fine them and then advice me to get a lawyer?

 

 

 

 

[Loaded]

Labor office will call them and tell them to pay.

 

However, the school may then cancel your non-imm B visa extension and work permit immediately as revenge without telling you. At best, you'll be fined for overstay when you leave the country; at worst, you'll be deported for not having a valid visa.

 

I would get off the non-imm extension and work permit and then go to Labor.

[puukao]

Ok, thanks....

 

If I decide to complain (unlikely now), I would complain, cancel my work permit, go to immigration and leave the country THE SAME DAY....

 

I thought if I cancelled my permit first and came back on a tourist visa, I would have much less power with the labor department.

 

So i can complain AFTER???   Interesting...

 

right now i'm at 0%..... but this school has a way of rocking the boat.  lol

 

we'll see what happens in a few weeks....if they, once again, ask me to do more work or add more stress.....it quickly goes to 50%

[ozmeldo]

If they want you to stay and you can suffer thru the limited hours you might want to stay until years end. Leaving in October looks unstable.

 

There are no good jobs now. Take a break and get ready for early Jan. If that doesn't work out, Mar-May is obviously hiring season.

 

Good luck

[puukao]

I understand.....I plan on taking a year off.  55555.  

 

????

 

That might also look unstable.  

 

oh, well.

 

 

[BurgerGung]

OP, I respect your choices and wish you a brighter future.

 

That said, I am disgusted with your attitude and the terrible disservice you are doing to the TEFL World. Yes, there are those who need to have contracts being honored. Who need money they have worked for. 

 

On an expat forum, one Ámerican bragged about " handing out 20,000 Dong banknotes" to any and all Vietnamese he encounters. Feeling all superior, he is causing problems for other foreigners...

 

Both, the unlawful reduction of the salary by 10,000 THB and the non-payment of a salary for the "holiday month" (which will include days you worked for, be honest) are a casus belli. A reason to go to war.

 

Word will get around. Other directors will take note and play the very same games. (Another example: A government school delaying the hiring by a month. Voila, who pockets the "saved" salary)?!? The same school ended the contracts "in February". Cui bono, who benefits?!? WHY is this happening?

---

 

Be a trailblazer. Do something for fellow chalkies. It will not take much of your time. All you need will be a translator and you go down to the Administrative court, pay 2% of the amount you claim and sign the lawsuit. Or do it by mail, buying some money order for the court at the post office.

 

Donate the 50,000 THB, if you like. But don't line the pockets of corrupt school officials who will become greedier and more ruthless in future.

 

Rant over.

[Andrew108]

You didn't work in October right? Do you think they should pay you? Were you owed any holiday pay? 

 

[Scott]

You say your contract was not renewed.   Was your contract still valid at the time of the October break?   Had you received a written termination notice or signed anything indicating you would be leaving and indicating a date?  

 

If you did not have a contract, then I don't think you have a lot of grounds to appeal, should you decide to do so.   If the contract was still in effect, then the school is engaging in some dubious and probably legally questionable activities.  

 

[LukKrueng]

On 11/3/2018 at 8:21 AM, puukao said:

update:  school didn't give me new contract, so still on old contract good until May at 40,000 per month.  

didn't work in October, as we both agreed I would wait and see if they can replace me for the new term, November.  Stayed on work permit.

Meetings in October, they said they needed me but was absolutely fine if I didn't come back.  I said i would help but absolutely for only one month at the absolute maximum

They said only 30,000 baht in November, but it's an easier schedule.

seems to me they owe you nothing. Your contract ended in May, but you verbally agreed to keep on working month by month - for which you got paid for. In October you had an agreement with the school not to work, so no pay due. The school asked you to stay for November @ 30k pay and you agreed. So they owe you nothing and there is nothing to fight for

[BurgerGung]

On 11/3/2018 at 6:44 PM, ozmeldo said:

If they want you to stay and you can suffer thru the limited hours you might want to stay until years end. Leaving in October looks unstable.

 

There are no good jobs now. Take a break and get ready for early Jan. If that doesn't work out, Mar-May is obviously hiring season.

 

Good luck

And what is the basis of this wisdom?

 

A few weeks following the start of the 2nd term should be a great time to land another job! Ajarn.com reports much higher levels of job ads than in previous years...

[ozmeldo]

20 hours ago, BurgerGung said:

And what is the basis of this wisdom?

 

A few weeks following the start of the 2nd term should be a great time to land another job! Ajarn.com reports much higher levels of job ads than in previous years...

Seven years teaching in Asia, In Thailand, two agencies, four GOOD schools, four waivers and a full teaching license. A proper salary.

 

Contrary to your genius thinking, this is one of the worst times of the year to look for work.

 

Who cares about lots of jobs? Who the <deleted> wants 30k Mcjob? If it's not paying 50++ it's not worth my time. You?

 

Further, Ajarn has perhaps posted two decent jobs in the last two months. I've not seen a decent job posted in weeks. It's been imo a really horrible past few months.

 

But you are correct, tons of shitty 30-35k jobs. Phil shouldn't evennpost these. I bet the salaries would go up.

 

If he leaves, he will be in a world of hurt and expense unwinding his visa (wp). Have you ever been through this? Of course not.

 

Every prospective employer will see he has cut and run. There is only a certain type of individual I would personally hire in this situation. That is someone that I've sized up in less than ten minutes as a great teacher.

 

In my opinion, there are only three reasons to leave mid term.

 

1 getting ripped off

2 being forced to work with people you know are consuming drugs or alcohol on premises or before work OR creepers

3 school has placed you in a corner of some sort or denied assisting you with wp, visa, full license

 

Up2U

 

[puukao]

On 11/5/2018 at 6:31 AM, Scott said:

You say your contract was not renewed.   Was your contract still valid at the time of the October break?   Had you received a written termination notice or signed anything indicating you would be leaving and indicating a date?  

 

If you did not have a contract, then I don't think you have a lot of grounds to appeal, should you decide to do so.   If the contract was still in effect, then the school is engaging in some dubious and probably legally questionable activities.  

 

will try to make it clearer.  My contract ends in 2019.  40k a month.  We verbally agreed that I would leave at the end of September, but that I would make sure they had teachers to replace me before I moved to another city.  I met with them in October, they still needed a teacher.  So I said, "OK, I'll help out for only one more month."" They were happy, but said only 30,000.  I said OK.  Now they have a replacement teacher, so next week is my last week.

 

nothing signed, everything verbal.  never paid for October.  November 30,000 and not 40,000.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[Scott]

If you had a valid contract, then the pay schedule should have been in force, which means they should not reduce your pay.   

 

The situation is clouded by the various verbal agreements being made.   This really makes it a he said/she said type of situation.   Technically, it should still fall back on the contract and any other written agreements such as the personnel and policies of the school.

 

 

[puukao]

it's a private school, everything changes all the time.  i see schedules changed daily, some teachers having to work 27 hours a week...and saturday, and sometimes nights, it's crazy......

 

was the school paid by the government in October because I was on the payroll?  i don't know how it works...if they didn't make any money off me, then i'm not too bothered.  

 

as far as the 10,000 less for this month..... they did give me 14,000 baht last year as some weird bonus.  which is why i'm not upset, just curious.......i still feel as though i come out OK....  and i am not working as much this month as the last 4 months.  

 

However, I still would like to know my rights.......

 

if the government gave them 40,000 for October and they gave me nothing.....well.....i might be more curious.  I understand my contract is solid, and you know what's the "right thing to do" and what's not.  In THIS particular case, i know the right thing to do is not worry.  

 

battles and wars.....this isn't even a battle.  I got paid the most of any foreigner ever at this school (25-years) and the 14,500 baht bonus that, i'm pretty sure, is very, very rare.  plus more....but anyhow...

 

 

[My Thai Life]

1 hour ago, puukao said:

it's a private school, everything changes all the time.  i see schedules changed daily, some teachers having to work 27 hours a week...and saturday, and sometimes nights, it's crazy......

 

Private tutorial schools teach out of hours. That means evenings and weekends. 

 

Some schools submit their timetables to MoE/Immigration when they apply for work permits. Some don't. It's illustratrive, not contractual. Think of it as being a bus driver; timetables change.

 

Private schools rarely get funding from gov't for teachers, though it's possible.