To start off this is my first time in Taiwan. I got a job with a reputable school, who got me an ARC. However I was not making enough money so I sought another job. This other job got me started working right away and informed me that they were working on my contract and that it was OK for me to work for them as they would be getting me a work permit that would cover the work that I would be doing for them. The contract was continuously delayed and I was informed that they were working on a new one, and assured that it would be OK as the a work permit can cover me retroactively. Not knowing any better I continued to work for them, for a very low salary, as I needed the money.
Last week, 5 days after I signed my contract, they called me to inform me that they would no longer have any classes for me to teach and that they were taking me off the classes they had given me. I said OK and asked for a reason, which they denied me. I have been trying to contact them for the past week about the status of my work permit and have received no response. I told them that I would report them, if only to cover myself legally, if they did not follow through with the terms of my contract. They owe me some pay, but this is not my chief concern.
I have just received word that they will be pressing charges against me. They say this is because one of the students I was teaching did not like the way I taught and left the school and asked for a refund… They also told me that it would not be in my interest to report them, and that it would do me harm than good. As it sounds like they are already going to report me so I want to know what are the ramification of reporting them and saying “They lied to me, I am sorry, they are breaking the law.”
The real reason that they are doing this is because I have ties to another former employee and they are trying to use me against that person. Which they have admitted to in an email that I have from them. That person being a Taiwanese citizen and me being a foreigner.
Please advise!
P.S. I now know how dumb it is to work without a work permit, but I had only been here for about 3 months and really needed the money.
Tell them you will DOUBLE report them because you wore out some shoe leather at their piece of shit establishment. Then you will TRIPLE report them because they stole some poo you left in one of their toilets and they didn’t mention they’d be flushing it away without your knowledge. You were just storing it in one of their nice receptacles. OUT stupid them.
I’m pretty sure if you signed a contract with them, which they now renege on, you can report them. They can’t do jack shit to you because a student left because they, “did not like the way you taught.” I’ve got a feeling they probably think you are clueless about Taiwanese law so are playing your bluff as hard as they can. Unless of course you have signed an illegal contract, in which case you aren’t going to report them and they aren’t going to report you.
Someone who knows much more than I do will certainly give you a proper answer soon enough, but basically I wouldn’t go panicking about their stupid attempts to counter your threat. Sadly it is a tactic that can get used in Taiwan.
You should have checked the threads here before agreeing to work for another school. Sounds like they had temporarily had more classes and told you what you needed to hear to get you to agree to teach temporarily (and probably for free, because after they tell you what you’d been doing is illegal and could get you deported, they figure you would just walk away quietly).
First, I believe that my contract is legit. It details all the things that my other legit contract does and was signed and stamped by them. If it turns out that it is illegal, how am I supposed to know?
Second, I started working for them because their only teacher, the owner, was going on vacation and they had no other teachers. In the time since then they have actually quadrupled their business and are furiously looking for new teachers, as they have only one, the owner. I was even asked to quite my other job and take full time employment with them, which I refused. They are simply targeting me because of my relation to the person that they are actually mad at. This is abundantly clear from their actions and by the fact that they stated so in an email that I received from them.
A little background. I got this job through my wife, who was working as their secretary. Later my wife’s sister, my sister in law, was hired by this company to do some quasi-legal advertising for them. After a month she realized that what she was doing was not legit and quit. My wife was subsequently fired, and then after 3 more weeks of me teaching classes with no ill-will towards them I was told that I was also being let go, with no reason as to why. I had no problem with this and only asked that they fulfill the terms of my contract to legitimize my work, the refused to contact me about this and are now threatening to report me.
Unfortunately you worked illegally. You tried to cover your bases and it failed. It’s a pos and it shouldn’t be allowed but the school is within its rights to fire ( or lie) to you unless you’ve worked there for over a year. Sure you can report them but you risk getting yourself into trouble.
I wouldn’t worry about them reporting you it sounds like it’s grandstanding to get you to back away. They should however pay what they owe you but it sounds like because you threatened them they won’t help you now.
Stop digging holes for yourself and just try to get a legit job or keep the one you have.
Keeping it simple: 1. You need a work permit for the job before commencing work unless you had a JFRV on your ARC through your wife with the corresponding open work rights which it seems you did not (???). 2. The school also needed then to obtain that work permit before you commenced working there. 3. No work permit and you worked there and they employed you to do so then both of you can be penalized in theory.
Jumping in here real quick - I am the sister-in-law who quit because I started school (while holding 2 other, better-paying jobs). I told the owner, who is also foreign, that I cannot hold 3 jobs and go to school and would be quitting. He said OK. They are now also witholding a month of my pay as well as everything Dan-Dan has listed out.
I have an email between myself the employer where I ask why I’m not paid, they say I was supposed to go back sometime in March to do more work, I say they would not be seeing me until I get paid, and then they just stopped responding.
I am a Taiwanese citizen, and if the three of us (me, Dan-Dan, and my sister) are actually taken to court, what would be our best bet for winning this? I have already filed a 欠薪 report, which is currently in progress. I feel like my report may be a part of the reason the employer is now threatening to counter-report Dan-Dan since they cannot do anything to me other than withold my pay.
If I am reading this correctly, you simply worked there without a work permit and you have an ARC from another school.
So WTF are they going to tell whoever they plan to report to?
Firstly, you were not caught by the authorities working illegally.
Secondly, by admitting you worked illegally, they themselves are admitting an illegal worker and are then opening themselves up for shit.
Thirdly, you are married to a local. Even without a JFRV, I doubt in the worst case you would get into any trouble. However, do get off your ass and get yourself a JFRV .
They are just posturing. You will not get any cash outta them, so just walk away. That will be the end of it.
Your sister in law as a local, does have a case as she is fully covered by the law.
Not sure if you can name the school though?
If not, you can always start a post asking if anyone has worked at (Name of School) School.
All foreigners need ARC or APRC, whether they are married to a local or not.[/quote]
Sorry. I meant “work permit-based ARC.” People with residency based on marriage get an ARC without the need for a work permit.
Good news after my last email they have decided to go through with what I asked. They will be getting me a work permit, that they will be almost canceling almost as soon as I get it. I contacted the owner directly and the owner was nicer than the business manager I had been dealing with prior. Sounds like no one will be getting anyone in any kind of trouble, at least between the company and myself. Also they are even going to pay me for the hours I worked, which is more than I hoped for. I will also be able to claim the money on my taxes as there will be a work permit to back it up! Thank you all for your advice and if nothing else most of it made me feel better concerning this matter.
He doesn’t. They are going to complete the paperwork for formalities sake and then pay him off more than they should to guarantee his silence. Sanity has prevailed in this situation.
Now go get your open permit to work, you silly billy.
Yet… they have not contacted me AT ALL. I just emailed again to ask how things are going
Either they’re terrified of me (seeing as how they haven’t contacted me directly at all, yet seem to be talking smack behind my back) or are just hoping I’ll go away. Is it against the TOS to name the school? I most definitely don’t recommend it…
[quote=“Sparklewolfie”]Yet… they have not contacted me AT ALL. I just emailed again to ask how things are going
Either they’re terrified of me (seeing as how they haven’t contacted me directly at all, yet seem to be talking smack behind my back) or are just hoping I’ll go away. Is it against the TOS to name the school? I most definitely don’t recommend it… [/quote]
You’ve filed a report. Not much they can do to keep you quiet I would guess. They can get DanDan out of the picture easily so they have. He could possibly have wiped the floor with them at the CLA (possibly, not probably or even certainly) so it’s best to wipe him out of the equation.
You understand, nothing I write here is based on anything other than my thoughts. Do not give them any weight regarding the truth, they are just my ideas.
Oh and very nice command of the English language by the way.
[quote=“superking”][quote=“Sparklewolfie”]Yet… they have not contacted me AT ALL. I just emailed again to ask how things are going
Either they’re terrified of me (seeing as how they haven’t contacted me directly at all, yet seem to be talking smack behind my back) or are just hoping I’ll go away. Is it against the TOS to name the school? I most definitely don’t recommend it… [/quote]
You’ve filed a report. Not much they can do to keep you quiet I would guess. They can get DanDan out of the picture easily so they have. He could possibly have wiped the floor with them at the CLA (possibly, not probably or even certainly) so it’s best to wipe him out of the equation.
You understand, nothing I write here is based on anything other than my thoughts. Do not give them any weight regarding the truth, they are just my ideas.
Oh and very nice command of the English language by the way.[/quote]
I’ve checked for updates online regarding the report I filed, but it is still “in process.” I hope it will be resolved soon :neutral:
I find it terrible that they went after Dan-Dan so hard when apparently they were just mad at me for reasons I don’t understand. It’s probably because they have nothing to use against me, so redirected their frustration.
Your English is fantastic, too.