Topic: Schools Holding Original Degrees

[Mods-Rockers]

Great points Hero and well put!

[samvimes]

Just because we are in another country does not mean that there is no rule of law; The rule of law requires both citizens and governments to be subject to known and standing laws. In the application of law there must be equality before the law. Laws should not be made in respect to particular people or institutions. Thailand also has the rule of law it's just that some schools think they are above the law/exempt/or too powerful and they can do whatever they like.

Deducting salary and holding it back to force (coerce) someone to fulfill their contract is against the law.

There are provisions that can be made legally within the contract to ensure that a contract is more likely to be fulfilled i.e. an annual bonus at the end of the contract which is dependent on contract completion (this is legal and keeping back salary is illegal)

Schools even though they employ on yearly contracts still have to pay severance pay and follow the labour law unless it can be proved that the worker is employed in a temporary position (most teachers are not employed in temporary positions)

A good lawyer could tear some of these schools apart given half the chance as they clearly breach contract and labor law and it makes you wonder whether they have actually bothered to take any legal advice from a professional.

Too many people are so desperate to stay and work that they will overlook the basic protections and rights that they are entitled to enjoy.

If you work without a contract you are putting yourself in a position where you can be taken advantage of.

[maichai]

Too many people are so desperate to stay and work that they will overlook the basic protections and rights that they are entitled to enjoy.

And by doing so they often put those who will not put up with such nonsense in the position of having to fight the battles that need fighting in educating owners and managers as to what is acceptable and what is not.

The "desperate" crew is at the heart of low wages and many other problems that exist in the world of TEFL and I have seen too many examples over the years in too many countries to believe I have it all wrong.

[Thai Me Up]

Why should it be any different here than back home.  If folks want to quit their jobs at no notice and disappear without telling anyone then that is their right to do so.  The job of management is to ask themselves why this happens.  Either the employment they offer ain't all that great for the employees or they are employing the wrong people.

I agree with this 100%, but Thais do not reflect and ask "why this happens?" when confronted either with loss of staff or looking at the results of a motorbike crash. It also seems to be a standing tradition to lie to foreign teachers and disregard verbal and written agreements.  Unfortunately, American employers do the same thing, so I believe it's up to every individual employee to draw his/her own line in the sand.  If the school refuses to provide non-imm B support, then I'd haul a** outta there.  If the school asks me to cover 5-10 classes/year as a period sub, I'll do it.  Not every issue is worthy of starting WWIII, but some issues are indeed deal breakers.

Certainly, if the school wants to hold your diploma, there is a way to finesse your way out of this.  "I keep my diploma in a beautiful frame in my room, please give it back," or stand there with a crowbar and say, "So sorry, which file cabinet do I start with?"