My contract has not started. The first working day was to be Aug 31. I told them I would not proceed July 31. The contact was signed around mid June. The contract said I just need to give them one months notice if I want to quit and wait till they found a new teacher but the contract had not started yet and I gave them a month notice. They said they are getting a lawyer and going to make me responsible for “this”. What are your thoughts. All your comments are appreciated.
Where do you live?
You need to go to your local labour affairs office.
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Why? What would that office do?
That’s their job. To handle labour rights. If these buxiban bosses wanna intimidate their workers then your local labour affairs centre will give you the best advice or means to defend yourself.
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Can you give me some of their numbers in different cities. Based on your response are you saying they don’t have a case ?
I’m not saying anything. But you probably wont want to divulge details. They’re in the county/special city halls across Taiwan.
And if your username is your real name, i’d suggest changing it
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The buxiban is most likely just bluffing. But just in case they aren’t… you should know your rights. These people will help you.
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What a load of shit. You gave them the professional courtesy of a months time. That’s more then they would probably give you when they lay you off to save a few bucks.
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Telling us or PMming me or one of us your city/county would certainly help in letting you know the address/phone number of your local labour affairs centre.
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Thanks but the city wouldn’t matter the advice would be the same right any office would do
City does matter. Those who work in New Taipei NEED to go to the New Taipei’s City Hall.
Taipei won’t see New Taipei workers.
I’m telling you this because I personally fought a buxiban. I’ve also had to fight.
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Please please please get a professional to help you.
Don’t rely on random stuff you read online. (Even if it came from a really smart sounding person on this forum)
Why?
You have nothing to lose by getting help. But you could potentially lose a lot if you go off on your own. The buxiban probably knows Taiwan’s laws a lot better than you do. What if they try to use some obscure regulation against you? If you picked up a candy wrapper off the side of the road, they could potentially turn you in for providing a service without a work permit. Unlikely… but if they have a vendetta against you, you will lose big time by just walking away. You need help.
Also, if you don’t get the government involved, this buxiban will continue harassing other foreigners. Do the next guy a favor and shut this school down in their tracks.
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It’s also FREE help. They know what to do.
Labour affairs centre is the local workers’ rights commission. They also enforce the law like the Labour Standards Act.
When dealing with your employer…
RECORD EVERYTHING!
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Can you recommend any one
I just PMed you some info.
Yes. 
However, the people you talk to at the labor department may think it’s not their job to enforce the law because… it’s not their job but the job of another section of the same department.
So for example, if you go to the 4th(?) floor at Taipei City Hall, you will find people who are happy to answer your basic questions and give you a form to fill out if you want the department to arrange mediation between you and your employer, plus on Wednesday and Friday afternoons (last time I checked) you can sign up for a free short consultation with a lawyer. But to request actual enforcement, you need to go to a separate office way across town (now in Wanhua if I’m not mistaken), and some people at the first office might not even realize the second office exists (or might get it confused with the third office, which only handles blue collar issues…).
Also, record everything but get as much as possible in writing, because (1) some judges just can’t be bothered to listen to recordings, (2) there may be disputes about transcription in addition to translation, and (3) some people think all surreptitious voice recordings are illegal period, which they aren’t (as discussed in other threads), but they still might, you know, have their feelings hurt.
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The second part is what they would base their case on. At one level, it seems unreasonable because it places no restriction on the amount of time they can spend twiddling their thumbs. At another level, it doesn’t matter because there’s no automatic right to terminate a contract at will.
Even so, I think either they’re bluffing or they’re imagining they can get more money out of this than they realistically can. There’s (presumably) the breach penalty in the contract, which won’t be much (or will be reduced by the court), and there’s the cost of recruiting a teacher, if they can prove they actually spent all that money and spent it reasonably, and there’s the cost of lost business but again only to the extent they can prove it, minus whatever they spend on their lawyer (even if they win – the losing party only pays the court fee, not the winning party’s lawyer’s fee). It’s a random buxiban job, so they don’t need a bespoke executive talent search service. 
Any random fool can advertise online. They can even advertise here!
But of course, ask a lawyer. 
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Why are you giving your own post the solution check? The buxiban is blowing smoke up your ass and you’re falling for it. Relax.
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