She contacted the labor department’s dispute resolution section. They probably thought that there was already a dispute and investigated (which they are required by law to do). Of course they should have been more careful in finding out what the real situation is.
If HC is unhappy with how she was treated by the labor department, she should file a complaint with the Control Yuan. I think their interpretation of the law and her contract was wrong and they also were negligent in contacting the school and getting her fired. [Thinking out loud] I wonder if there are grounds for a national compensation action (guópéi)?
I’m mentioning this mainly because I don’t want people to think that HC has exhausted all avenues yet. I doubt that this is worth pursuing for HC though.
I;m mentioning this not because I think HC has the time, energy, or resources to deal with this now (she needs to focus on getting a job and getting back on track), but to let people know that there are further steps that could be taken.
tbh - hc has to do everything better than the law since she now has a school gunning for her and an unfriendly ex-family. Maybe some subbing if she keeps it on the quiet but I’m not sure she should risk it. Of course there is the money situation which could be difficult right now.
Housecat, seriously shitty situation. Keep posting here. Lots of people care about you and are willing to help. You’ll make it through.
For what it’s worth, my gut sense is that you can find a way to make things work here. If a university or full-time school job doesn’t work out, you could do worse than to just get a job at a chain school for 20-30 hours a week and supplement with editing, writing, or some private students. Stabilize things for a while, keep networking, get into a job you really want. It’s so much cheaper to live in KS or even Taipei County than it is anywhere in the States, and with a kid, you need medical insurance cheap.
I’m in favor of sticking it out for a while. I think things will get better soon. There will be some breakthroughs. One thing to consider is a move up to Taipei, where you should be able to find more and better options, and there are no creepy Catholic school administrators trying to take down a mommy and her kid. What a sick, sick group of people. Karma’s gonna get 'em, and karma’s gonna take care of you. Jia you.
From what I have heard, and what I’ve read on that site that reviews international schools–yes. Plus, the pay is way lower than you could make elsewhere. You’ve been warned. Enter at your own risk. But I wish you the best of luck!
This is just me, but were I applying for the Taipei job and decided against it (as I would decide against it), I’d let them know why. “I was seriously considering employment with your organization until I learned the way your organization failed to comply with Taiwan’s labor law. I take my obligations very seriously, and I want to work for an organization that takes the same honest attitude. [Optional] I’m afraid I prefer to teach in a Christian atmosphere.”
Yes, it couldn’t hurt. But to be fair, not everyone has the constitution to speak with a nun and imply that her indiscretions, and those that are hers by association, are public knowledge. :liar:
I realise this is a really old thread so I hope nobody minds me reviving it, but I’m curious has anyone actually worked for the Taipei one to know what it’s like compared to the one in Kaohsiung? I mean first-hand information, thanks
One of my good friends works there in the elementary school. He says it’s a lot of hard work (like any proper teaching job), some parents are demanding, especially Indian parents. However, his overall impression is that the school is competently run and the salary and benefits are decent as well. The Taipei location is also a former US DODEA school, although I am sure by now very little of that legacy remains.
More of a lurker than a poster, so you’ll just have to choose whether or not to believe that the information below comes from a first-hand source.
I am surprised to hear that any teacher at DIS might describe the salary and benefits as ‘decent.’ A fully qualified teacher won’t get paid that much more than an EFL teacher at a half-decent buxiban, with zero benefits that you might expect from a proper international school (e.g. no flight allowance, housing allowance etc). The holidays are good, I guess.
I literally laughed out loud at the thought of anyone describing DIS as ‘competently run.’ All decisions are made by nuns who never enter the classrooms and seemingly care only about the amount in fees that they can squeeze out of the parents. I suppose it’s kind of a benefit that it doesn’t matter how good/abject a teacher you are, you’ll be allowed to continue working there as long as you keep your head down, sing at one of the frequent Masses, and suck up to the Principal. Come to think of it, maybe those teachers get paid more, you’d never know as there is no actual pay scale…
[/quote]
