BR Language School, Phetchaburi review: Money owed! 4

I worked for this teaching agency for a full academic year: in that time almost all the new teachers who worked for them I met left before the end of the second semester because they were fed up!

I can't think of any school or teaching agency in Thailand who actually deduct money from their employees for a deposit. In fact, many agencies and schools give you a bonus when you complete a year's teaching.

All schools and virtually all agencies give you a flat salary (usually 30k/ month), however this agency pays per teaching hour which means your salary will vary widely each month. For example, my school cancelled many classes regularly for exams, sports events, etc. In July, school was closed for a week, as well as December. Being paid hourly meant I had substantial reductions in my salary.

All Thai schools close for October (school hols). Most agencies, and all schools, will give you a salary for this period. This agency doesn't! In fact, my agency told me to finish school on 16 September until 1 November 2013- meaning 6 weeks of no salary!

And please can someone tell me why this agency never gave me a copy of my contract, even when I asked for it many times?

All I want is to advise potential teachers to apply directly to schools; don't waste your time with any teaching agency.

Schools usually pay you a full salary each and every month for 12 months. They won't deduct your salary for cancelled classes due to exams and other activities (of which there are many!). You'll receive a salary for the October holidays. You won't have any of your salary deducted for so called tax. And on and on...

In my defence regarding the above response:

1) When I signed up with this teaching agency I always believed the deposit would be given back to me after completing one year's teaching (regardless if I continued working for them). Please understand, I know of no other agency/ school in Thailand who deducts money from a teacher as a 'deposit' when you begin working for them. I sincerely, and now it looks naively, believed the deposit would be returned to me after finishing teaching in the first year; that it was the agency's way of ensuring teachers’ complete a full year of teaching for the assigned school(s) and that if you leave before the end of the school semester the agency will retain the deposit (which I would have no problems with). To emphasise, I completed teaching at my assigned schools until the end of the sch. year.

2) I have never been given a copy of my contract. I have asked repeatedly for it, yet they will not give me a copy.

3) When I began working for this agency they told me October (which is a sch. holiday in T'land) would be unpaid, which I accepted. However, I was not told the duration of being out of work during this period would in fact be 6 weeks (starting from 16 September until the first week in November). In fact, I worked at my school for free between 16 Sept until 30 Sept as they needed me (my agency not paying me for those two weeks).

4) As I've said before, this agency deducts a percentage of your salary every month for tax (no other agency does this- they give you your full stated monthly salary!).

5) There are no excuses not to answer the phone, respond to sms' or e-mails. I think it's very unfair when employees can not contact their employer.

To conclude, all I advise is potential teachers are better off applying to schools directly: you'll receive a guaranteed monthly salary (no deductions!); sick days and schools holidays will be paid for; usually the school will pay you 12 months of the year (unlike agencies which usually only pay for 9, at most 10, months of the year); and you won't have any communication issues either.

This may only be 'Thailand' but you can get much better working conditions by avoiding agencies like these and working directly with the schools.