Working for a Thai company that asks for a "guarantor" to "secure" your position

[Tomtomtom69]

Hi,

I've recently started working for a local company that as part of the application process requested I find a guarantor to secure my position. Apparently it's a requirement for all employees that are somehow involved in the handling of money, even though I haven't touched a single Baht yet.

I was a bit taken aback at this requirement. First of all, how do they expect people to just go around and ask their relatives, friends etc. to act as guarantors in order to secure their positions, not knowing what the company might be able to do in the event that such employee decides to do something illegal, or makes an unintentional mistake and all of a sudden the company starts knocking on the doors of the guarantor so to speak to pay up for the mistakes of such employee. While I would generally be very willing to help a good friend out, in this sort of case I share the reluctance of most people in not wanting to help a friend who is being forced by a company to do something like this, not knowing what the company is capable of doing, or is allowed to do according to the law.

The company went on to say that a bank guarantee would be required in the event of not being able to find a guarantor. However, this is even less likely as there's no way I can be in debt to a company, even if that guarantee is returned upon my leaving the company. Besides that, I wouldn't be able to afford to do so as I have no money available to do so and neither any means nor desire to borrow money for such a purpose - in short the answer is a big fat NO.

However, the company is pushing more for the friend/relative etc. guarantor than the personal bank guarantee. Even so, it's not been easy finding someone as all the people I've asked either don't meet the company's requirements in terms of salary etc. or are reluctant to help out (as I would be if I were asked to do this).

I have never heard of such a requirement back home or in any other developed country.

Could someone shed some light on this issue? I have heard stories of people on web boards claiming that only companies with a reputation for working their employees very hard and an unscrupulous reputation in the way they do business to make such requirements.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Yes this guarantor system is used by some companies. I know of several instances where the friend who guaranteed then had to pay the company even though it was the employee that stole. Both were single moms who could not afford it, in both instances they had to pay 5,000 a month until the bill was cleared. They were only doing their friend a favor, obviously they are no longer friends with the person they guaranteed.

Companies want to protect their assets so they can demand anything they want. It is up to you to decide if you feel comfortable working for them under these conditions.

[sunbeltlegal][/sunbeltlegal]