Hello-
I am writing this to all who might consider working in Taichung, there are several schools that are good, however several that are not. I am working at the Joy English School located at 308 Chung San Rd, Sec 1, Wur Hsiang 414. This school is envolved with several legal scams, firstly they make you sign two contracts one which states the money you actually make, and the other they file with the government, it shows that you make 50% less, so that they get a tax break they file the second contract but not the actual contract. Also, they hold documents including Passports (a felony in the USA, South Africa and Canada, to withhold passports, as they are property of the country not the bearer), College or University Diplomas and or ARC cards to leverage teachers, into working for less money on scheduled days off, and to keep the teacher from leaving or seeking legal action against the school. They also, request teachers to work a 7 day work week and even though you sign a contract with contracted hours they make you punch in and out and count the hours, and actually pay less if your hours are under that of the contract. I strongly recomend as the school is involved in illegal activities that any persons who see an ad for this school steer clear and save yourself a severe headache of a situation which I am currently up to my neck in.
They can NOT keep your passport. Demand it back, or call CLA…and …uhm look for a new job, because chances are they will can your ass.
Joy is also a chain school, and this sounds like a franchised dickhead boss. You might try calling up the head office and telling them what’s going on.
BTW, what the HELL were you thinking allowing them to keep your passport???
jds
Yeah, its a federal offence to give your passport away.
[quote=“willtell”]Also, they hold documents including Passports (a felony in the USA, South Africa and Canada,[/quote]It’s illegal here too.
Its also illegal for you go out without your ARC. You can get fined heavily if a cop asks to see it and you don’t have it on you. Just report the school to the CLA. If they’re being as blatant as that, they’ll get busted for sure.
You may consider playing the “stupid foreigner” at the FAP and ask a few innocently placed questions…along with the request that they contact your employer about this oddity…
Have the number everso handy …dial the school office/ bosses number while at the FAP, and hand the phone over stating that “communication” problems are reduced this way…
Of course…everything will be DENIED [ as a communication problem on your part]…but…you should see some action…
AIT(if you’re from the US) would be interested in where your passport is. they can get it back. don’t know how they do it, but they can.
you need to go to the Foriegn Affairs Police. you also need to sue them in the bureau of labor. you also need to embarass them by calling the news.
This sounds like common practice here.
The “one employee two contracts” deal is very common. So far, almost all my employers have done this. Most end up taking less tax money out of your check. The sneaky ones still take the whole 20% of your total salary, but only pay the government 20% of the lower reported income. If they take less and report less they aren’t screwing you, they’re just cheating on taxes on your behalf.
The schools that hold your passport/ARC usually do so when they give you a loan.
Schools also will give you less hours than the contract states and pay you according to hours worked, not according to the contract. 99% of schools here think of the contract only as protecting them. The hours in the contract are hours they can require you to work— not hours that they have to give you.
You can refuse to work 7 days.
Unfortunately, this is not atypical. It is not a good situation, and you should try to find a better one, but you can expect worse from some other places.
[quote=“R. Daneel Olivaw”]This sounds like common practice here.
The schools that hold your passport/ARC usually do so when they give you a loan.
[/quote]
I had a Joy school do this when I first arrived in Taiwan six years ago. The previous teacher had just up and left before completing his contract.
[color=red]- slightly off-topic- [/color] I phoned another Joy school in Taichung recently about part-time work and they told me over the phone that they wouldn’t employ me because I’m presently on an extended visitors’s visa and they have to follow government regulations and I thought working at two schools on one ARC was illegal but it turns out the CLA rules were changed on May 2nd 2006