Think we are kidding about EF Indonesia?

[RESPECT]

Recently a teacher within' the English First system was fired. Sad it is but firings happen and cannot be blamed on a school. Performance, interaction with students, retention ratios, etc. There are a lot of tangents one could account directly to a teacher being fired.

BUT............

Without a 30 day notice? Without reimbursing the contractual 50% of airline tickets even though they have had 6 months to do this? It is in their contract with franchise owners. They MUST reimburse 50% of the airline up to $1000-1500usd depending on contract signed(CONTRACTS VARY from 1,000 to 1500usd).

Why would a school neglect to reimburse this advertised and contract signed amount and refuse to do it forth rightly? Are they not regulating the actions of their own franchise owners? or are they afraid to do so because they don't want to lose their royalty payments?

One would have to call EF Tamara in Jakarta to get an answer and I doubt a casual phone call would get this answer for you.

BUT.... It gets worse.......

This fired employee's salary was also changed without consulting the employee or providing the employee with representation.

INTERESTING.....HMMMM....

Sign a contract, Pay for tickets to fly, travel 1,000's of mile from home, provide a service that is financially beneficial to the employer regardless of your existence and THEY CAN JUST CHANGE THE CONTRACT AT A WHIM....?

What the heck is wrong with these people?

Well....I have an answer for you. The US Embassy is more than willing to provide information in regards to English/ESL/TEFL/TESL teachers looking to be employed in Indonesia. They have stacks of complaints about schools and have issued a notice/warning for all American ESL teachers. I believe this notice would apply to all future teachers in Indonesia and other countries.

BUT...the story continues.................

The US Embassy legal department did, in fact, contact key employees of this English First branch and SUDDENLY EF reversed their "WE GIVE YOU NO NOTICE" firing procedure. Peculiar, don't you think?

AND........

This FIRED employee worked, CONTRACTED, for 6 months without a LEGAL work permit or KITAS visa that was promised, on arrival, to the employee.


LOOK, Believe whatever you want but if this happens at one EF Indonesia school one must ask, "What is happening at the rest of the EF Indonesia schools?"

EF Jambi teachers suddenly refused to teach classes until management cleaned up their act. Other EF teachers are dying to get new jobs and leave EF Indonesia schools on payday.

Director of Studies rarely sign 2nd year contracts. (SEE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED TO BE A DoS at EF).

Many teachers are just sitting out their one year contracts because OUR CULTURE teaches us to do what we say we are going to do.

EF Indonesia profits from selling OUR CULTURE. How long will you teachers allow them to do this and, on the same hand, let them sell us Native Speakers out as cheap employment and replaceable "WHITE SKINNED" commodoties?

We hope not for any longer.

[GhostRider]

EF Swara Group in Jakarta, Indonesia is the worst company I have ever worked at. Not only do they try to make a profit business wise but also off their own employees. They will try to change your contract without any representation from a legal advisor. Whatever you do please dont work for this company. It will only cause you to live a life of hell for the next year.

[Teaching Supply]

I have heard horror stories about these from people in China, in particular at the Nanning branch. I wonder if Peter Winn knows about all of this?

[exported_kiwi]

Yeah. Might pay for a general boycott of EF by all teachers un til they clean up their act. The key here is to check blacklists before signing and flying to your destinations. There are many blacklists out there and if you don't check them out, some of the blame can, and would be, your own!

[studynz2008]

Thank you to all of your advices. I am still getting in touch to some of my friends who are currently working abroad. But I have one distant cousin who experienced the same thing (she came from China and got discriminated that's why she wasn't able to finished her contract).

[Arak]

Hi to all....

I've just joined and am posting in the hope that others won't make the same mistake I did.

The group,PT. SUKSES BELAJAR NUSANTARA - which owns EF Pamulang,Pesangrahan and both EF schools in Batam, is a group to stay clear of.

EF's not improving re quality, despite their recent make-over n new books. Look elsewhere - plenty of other options ! All the best, I'm heading home....