Hi there:
I wonder if anyone can offer advice on the following situation. I recently was hired on as a teacher at a kindergarten. The conditions and treatment are not what I expected, or what I was told. I would like to leave this horrid school ASAP. I signed a 6 mo. contract, and if I break it, what can my employer do to get revenge? I understand that the employer can withhold pay, but what can they do legally?
I hold a marriage ARC and pay no taxes with this school. The school in question seems pretty dodgy, I’m not sure if they are even a legal kindergarten. I know they don’t have a buxiban license for their evening classes. and it appears they don’t have any Ministy of Education or Ministry of Health certification that I have seen in other kindies.
As I understand it, it is still illegal for foreigners to teach at kindergartens. If this is still true, then is not the contract null and void to start with?
Please advise on any problems that I may encounter if I break this contract.
Doesn’t sound like the contract is worth much of anything since you’re not paying taxes. If there’s a way that you can get all the money they owe you, do that and bounce (boogie, ghost, outtie, leave, etc.)
So you knowingly took an illegal job when it suited you, and now you are concerned about the legal rammifications of you leaving that job?!
I am not trying to be judgemental, and I agree that it should be your right to change your mind at anytime and leave a job. But I read your post as suggesting that as the school is dodgy you should have no responsibility to the school. Did you not know before you took the job that it was illegal for you to do so? If the school is dodgy for employing you illegally, then are you not equally as dodgy for accepting work that you knew was illegal?
These are rhetorical questions and I am just letting off a bit of steam so feel free to ignore my post. It just irks me that while people seem happy enough to accept these illegal positions and enjoy the money that comes from them, when the teacher wants out then there is finger pointing in the direction of the school and how wrong they are to employ illegally. If you don’t like the idea of schools employing illegally then don’t accept illegal employment.
Oh, and remember that it is the governments ridiculous regulations that prohibit us teaching in kindergartens, so lets not be too hard on the schools.
From what I have gathered over the last few weeks with my own research, the only recourse a school has if you break the contract is to file a civil suit against you for breach of contract. Probably too expensive for them to go that route. And if they withold pay, there is legal action you can take to get the money out of them, provided of course your nose is clean as far as work permit/taxes/etc goes.
Thanks for all input. I wouldn’t give a damn if i was a single 20 something or other. However, am closing in on 40 with 2 kids to raise, I still have to think about future employment potential in this country.
Thanks again,
Cheers,
