Salary Decrease for unforseeable future

[PhuketTeacher]

Hello all, 

 

I'm creating an account on here to gather some much needed experience and knowledge from expat community. Due to this dreaded C word (covid19), it has of course affected everyone around the world. I am a teacher in Phuket for a government school and working under a university who are in charge of the contracts. We are 2 weeks into our latest salary and they have told as going forward we will only be getting half our salaries. All teachers in the project have 12 month contract and were always to be paid April regardless, but for May and June we can understand as we may notbe returning until July 1st. 

 

So with that said, are there any other government workers, teachers etc who have been given the same situation. Is there any advice on what can be done to tackle this, espically for April salary as we had short notice and told only recently to 'spend wisely'.

 

Thanks in advance 

R

[Dominion]

I'm in a very similar situation. Were expecting cuts in our salary for the month of June. Can't see what can be done about this. I know teachers working in other schools and they don't know if they will receive any pay at all.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.   Continue with inflammatory, off-topic nonsense and you will receive a suspension.  

 

[sensei]

I have just renewed my 1-year contract at the start of this year. I would be surprised if the school doesn't honor my contract that extends up to 2021. 

If you have a contract with the school, then they should not give you a pay cut.

Just in case they do, I guess labor laws would be on my side for the meantime. Renewing the contract next year would be an entirely different story.

[mike123ca]

If you have an existing contract, then how is the school legally justifying a pay cut?

[Big Guns]

Under labour law an employer can't reduce an employee's salary without their consent. Effectively it's breach of contract. Unfortunately the only way to resolve it would be in court. You would win and you could be reinstated if you lost your job but the employment relationship would've been damaged. I wouldn't want to work under those circumstances.

[jumbo]

8 minutes ago, Big Guns said:

Under labour law an employer can't reduce an employee's salary without their consent. Effectively it's breach of contract. Unfortunately the only way to resolve it would be in court. You would win and you could be reinstated if you lost your job but the employment relationship would've been damaged. I wouldn't want to work under those circumstances.

You all must read the suspension law; https://brslawyers.com/news/coronavirus-covid-19-update-for-employers-in-thailand/

 

They can and they are doing it as we speak...up to 75% of wages, anything lower you can discuss with your SS agent 

[timewilltell]

4 hours ago, Big Guns said:

Under labour law an employer can't reduce an employee's salary without their consent. Effectively it's breach of contract. Unfortunately the only way to resolve it would be in court. You would win and you could be reinstated if you lost your job but the employment relationship would've been damaged. I wouldn't want to work under those circumstances.

Yeah - and then you would lose your job on some other ground and get deported. Courts don;t work well for foreigners here for a multitude of reasons. Thailand is no place to work or invest really because you are only one complain away from being a victim.

[TheFishman1]

Find another profession TIT

[PaoloR]

The majority of Thais and many Foreigners, are currently on zero income.

Why should teachers be exempt? Under the suspension law they can reduce your salary. Up to you to negotiate how much. If you hold out for full salary I don't think you will have a job for very long - and good luck in court!

A smart option would have been to volunteer a minimal pay cut (to show you care) before they impose a draconian one on you.

 

We are all suffering - man up! 

[JGV]

There are no workers rights here - trade unions is an unknown word so basically you will get or not get what the bosses feel they want to get

Suggest you consider online work  by building up a database of potential students

[natway09]

Again, I feel sorry for you but my wife & I have had no income from the day we closed our business on18th March  (I understand but tough).

Paid full salaries in for April & now we just wait until things return to some sort of normalcy

(It will not be the same for at least 8 months I believe).

Have to say though if I was a teacher I do not think Thailand would be a financial money spinner

In particular if under 30 with no savings behind me

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I received my last teaching salary in February, that's when we had our finals. We then had some post-final activities which were canceled. I then had summer school teaching lined up, which was also canceled. Now I'm going to a new school, possibly to do online teaching, who last told me "you should be teaching in May". Knock on wood.

 

I signed up for Cambly, an online teaching site, who's been slammed with tons of guys like me and thus aren't approving new applicants. Been scraping by with savings, the other Visa I've gotta worry about besides the one in my passport, and my wife without hesitation sold the 2 baht necklace I had got her. Now that's a keeper. ❤️

[recom273]

15 minutes ago, PaoloR said:

The majority of Thais and many Foreigners, are currently on zero income.

Why should teachers be exempt? Under the suspension law they can reduce your salary. Up to you to negotiate how much. If you hold out for full salary I don't think you will have a job for very long - and good luck in court!

A smart option would have been to volunteer a minimal pay cut (to show you care) before they impose a draconian one on you.

 

We are all suffering - man up! 

I think it’s a pretty tough time, but it’s a bit harsh to tell someone to “man up” - Presumably the teachers that are on direct contracts all completed their final exams and handed in the results, they didn’t jump on a plane back to their homelands at the first signs of an issue.

 

We are are all finding life a little inconvenient, but we aren’t all living on 32K. I was pretty good at saving my money, but would really struggle to save enough for 3 months at short notice. I feel for the guys here, they don’t deserve this.

 

In past experience, the schools will add insult to injury when the schools go back by asking the guys to work an extra class per day and then Saturday to make up lessons for a kid.

 

I hope this will really make westerners think long and hard before taking jobs in Thai schools.

[drguid]

I got offered a job at a Bangkok high school starting at the end of the month. Now I'm locked down in the UK and the agency that I'm supposed to be working through have stopped giving covid updates. What irritates me is that they're still advertising for teachers on that well known job board.

 

Even if all the lockdowns ended tomorrow I doubt I could go as the hurdle of getting an affordable flight, the required documents and covid health insurance would be insurmountable.

 

I've resigned myself to the fact that the world has gone mad and I'm just focusing on getting my Call of Duty kill ratio up.

[stubuzz]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

In past experience, the schools will add insult to injury when the schools go back by asking the guys to work an extra class per day and then Saturday to make up lessons for a kid.

 

I was told schools will start in July.

Then there will be no break after the first semester and only a 2 week break before the new academic year starts in 2021.

[recom273]

That’s great! I don’t want to doubt anyone.

 

We don’t know if we can compare what’s happening here against what is happening in a China, but the kids there have been off since January, that’s 4 months and counting. Some kids were supposed to be going back this week, but the teachers I know over there are on standby and it didn’t happen, others “may” be going back at the end of May, others in June, Kids in Hong Kong aren’t going back until January. Is this virus follow the same schedule as Donald Trumps virus?

 

When I was working in government schools there were very few guys that could last 30 days without tapping me up for a loan. Some teachers will be in need of some assistance by July, it would be great if that could come from their agencies or schools rather than bail outs from home.

 

So, you won’t get a holiday this year? You can have an enforced break now at 50% pay and then you can work through the next holiday. Sounds like a great deal! Respect to those can work in these conditions.

[Scott]

For some reason, I find a big difference between simply not working and a holiday.  

[newatthis]

3 hours ago, stubuzz said:

 

I was told schools will start in July.

Then there will be no break after the first semester and only a 2 week break before the new academic year starts in 2021.

If this is the case, then there shouldn’t be pay cuts now unless they guarantee to pay for the extra hours this coming school year.

[ChouDoufu]

2 hours ago, recom273 said:

That’s great! I don’t want to doubt anyone.

 

We don’t know if we can compare what’s happening here against what is happening in a China, but the kids there have been off since January, that’s 4 months and counting. Some kids were supposed to be going back this week, but the teachers I know over there are on standby and it didn’t happen, others “may” be going back at the end of May, others in June, Kids in Hong Kong aren’t going back until January. Is this virus follow the same schedule as Donald Trumps virus?

 

When I was working in government schools there were very few guys that could last 30 days without tapping me up for a loan. Some teachers will be in need of some assistance by July, it would be great if that could come from their agencies or schools rather than bail outs from home.

 

So, you won’t get a holiday this year? You can have an enforced break now at 50% pay and then you can work through the next holiday. Sounds like a great deal! Respect to those can work in these conditions.

schools in china are opening depending on the situation in each province.  guizhou started end of last month. 

 

here in hainan, middle and high schools started on tuesday (day after tomb sweeping festival).  mostly local students so no special requirements.  no word on when the universities will open.  once announced, they have 18 days to prepare, students (1/3 from mainland) return for 14-day quarantine, then classes begin.  probably won't happen as the semester will end late june.  until then, online classes.

 

expect all schools to open normally in the fall, unless there's a second wave after the factories reopen.

[recom273]

6 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

schools in china are opening depending on the situation in each province.  guizhou started end of last month. 

 

here in hainan, middle and high schools started on tuesday (day after tomb sweeping festival).  mostly local students so no special requirements.  no word on when the universities will open.  once announced, they have 18 days to prepare, students (1/3 from mainland) return for 14-day quarantine, then classes begin.  probably won't happen as the semester will end late june.  until then, online classes.

 

expect all schools to open normally in the fall, unless there's a second wave after the factories reopen.

Exactly.
 

All the teachers I know, in Guizhou and Wuxi were supposed to start with some the higher years of middle school after tomb sweeping, they were in school and preparing for a week prior and then stood down until further notice, but this is all by-the-by. The mainland is still a long way from returning.

 

For the Thai education ministry to say, we will start in July is ridiculous, like another poster said, if it’s just a month or two, just pay it and make the teachers work at the weekends and evenings like we did during the political unrest / floods.

[jumbo]

15 hours ago, JGV said:

There are no workers rights here - trade unions is an unknown word so basically you will get or not get what the bosses feel they want to get

Suggest you consider online work  by building up a database of potential students

Trade unions have a presence, every company larger then I believe 200 man is obligated to have one

[jumbo]

15 hours ago, PaoloR said:

The majority of Thais and many Foreigners, are currently on zero income

SHow me a link please, and if you cannot, of which I am fairly certain, it is because it is simply not true as the majority of the Thai work and therefore have SS support as announced by the government and are supported by the suspension law which guarantees them 75% of income

Many foreigners here don't work, I would say the majority, hence no change

[robblok]

10 hours ago, Scott said:

For some reason, I find a big difference between simply not working and a holiday.  

Sure but why would companies only suffer and not shared suffering between company (school) and teacher. Seems only logical to me. I am lucky that im not affected. But being a business owner myself i always find it strange how one sided people look at things. If a company suffers why should employees also not take some cut in situations like this.

[Scott]

10 minutes ago, robblok said:

Sure but why would companies only suffer and not shared suffering between company (school) and teacher. Seems only logical to me. I am lucky that im not affected. But being a business owner myself i always find it strange how one sided people look at things. If a company suffers why should employees also not take some cut in situations like this.

I suspect there is enough suffering to go around.   My point was simply that not working is not a holiday.  

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, Scott said:

I suspect there is enough suffering to go around.   My point was simply that not working is not a holiday.  

How so ? If i dont have to work i see it as a free day a holliday. But because i have my own company not working means no money for me. I get that its not a holiday in the sense of going somewhere and relaxing. But your free and can relax. A day off for me is indeed not the same as going on a holliday but its a free day. 

[cyril sneer]

13 hours ago, stubuzz said:

 

I was told schools will start in July.

Then there will be no break after the first semester and only a 2 week break before the new academic year starts in 2021.

was that from an email or news story?

 

I think a lot of schools/agencies need to be careful over this..

 

whatever <deleted> that's thrown at you with reduced salaries and holidays, there will be another school/agency offering a better package as they can't fill the numbers, hence lose money/contracts

 

you'll start to see it in May when schools ask for teachers to come in and register to prove they are still presently/newly employed and ready to work

[donnacha]

On 4/9/2020 at 11:05 AM, PhuketTeacher said:

they have told as going forward we will only be getting half our salaries

Just remember: Teaching is a vocation. You're not in it for the money.

 

[FritsSikkink]

17 hours ago, JGV said:

There are no workers rights here - trade unions is an unknown word so basically you will get or not get what the bosses feel they want to get

Suggest you consider online work  by building up a database of potential students

Utter nonsense, read the labor law, workers have a lot of protection.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Sure but why would companies only suffer and not shared suffering between company (school) and teacher. Seems only logical to me. I am lucky that im not affected. But being a business owner myself i always find it strange how one sided people look at things. If a company suffers why should employees also not take some cut in situations like this.

As a business owner you can make a fortune or go bust, that is entrepreneurship. As an employee people seek security. You want to have it both ways. Look at Richard Branson with Virgin, he has his company in a tax heaven, doesn't pay any tax in the UK. He stops paying his employees and asks the UK for billions to bail him out. He doesn't want to sell his 60 million pound private island.

Edited April 11, 2020 by FritsSikkink