Am I really trapped?

A few months ago, I told my employer that I would stay for another year at her school after my current 1 year contract was up. She went ahead with the process of extending my resident visa and ARC. To do this, she asked me to sign a bogus “contract” that was just for the government to see so they would issue me with a new workers permit. She was also in a great hurry for me to sign this document which didn’t give me very much time to read it properly. The above mentioned contract is quite different to the one that I will have to sign and follow when the time comes.

So, a week and a half before my current contract was up, I told her that I wanted to resign… or better, not sign a new contract at their school. She told me that if I left that I would be punished (which could be keeping my money owed to me or making sure that I can never work in Taiwan again). She said that they would use the bogus contract that I signed against me, and that the government would be on her side and that she would win…

I feel a little unsure of this, and feel that perhaps she is just scaring me into submission. Can she do this?

If you signed the contract without reading it then you have to assume that you will be bound by it’s contents. If the Chinese and English versions are significantly, and intentionally, different then you may be able to get some help from the CLA.

Assuming that there is a clause regarding breach penalties in your contract then you will be bound by this. This penalty would normally be a specified amount, normally around about two weeks salary. Your employer cannot just keep all the money she has owing to you, but she can keep whatever is outlined in your contract.

The blacklisting that would prevent you from working in Taiwan would only apply if you run away without notice.

If you really want to leave, and your boss really wants to play hardball, then I would recommend that you give her written notice of your intention to leave, and state your last date of work in this, which should be thirty days from the day you give her notice. Try to get your employer to sign this resignation, or send a copy to her email and cc a copy to your own email address.

If you try and leave without notice you may be blacklisted.

Sounds like you screwed yourself with the help of your boss. :astonished:
Bu…look before you sign. :loco: As soon as she said sign this bogus contract…you should have started asking yourself why?

Good luck. You can always leave but…if the have a contract…they may have you. On the smae note, perhaps you could pull a 007 move and strick up a conversation about it and get you boss to fess up. But make sure you have a voice recorder on hand to get the dirt. That may give you some leverage.

Good Luck!
Ski

PS Please keep us posted

Has your employer used the contract you signed to renew your work permit etc? If she hasn’t then you may have an out.

She would only be able to blacklist you if you have a current work permit through her. If you don’t, or your work permit is going to expire soon then you might be able to save yourself by calling the CLA directly and explaining your situation to them.