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15POSTS

11 years ago

Hello all.

I would like to share with you something that has happened to me in Sofia.

I have been working for Maximum English Language School in Sofia with my partner as native english speaking teachers. This month we decided we were unhappy in Bulgaria so informed the school we will be moving back to the UK. We provided them with notice and evidence of money issues etc that have caused this decision.
The school them became volatile and have refused to pay us for the month of January even though we worked it all. Now they are ignoring our emails and such.

This school is highly unprofessional and I would not recommend working there.
Thanks to them we are returning to the uk with no money and I will not be able to afford the medication I need at the moment or afford the deposit needed for a flat for a while. We have worked a month for nothing! And it has caused us excessive stress and worry for the past 2 weeks.

So of anyone intends on applying for the 2 new native english speaking vacancies at Maximum BG I would advise against it!

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Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

11 years ago

In fairness.
Did you have a 12 month contract, and did you break it?
The school may well have absorbed costs to employ you, and you leaving might well have cost them.
Perhaps they were just recovering some of their losses.

1 member reacted to this post

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

11 years ago

/forum/viewtopic.p 鈥� 65#2251234

10 November 2014 03:21:57

Hello my name is Kelsey Dinn and I have just moved to Sofia with my partner on the 8th November 2014. I am looking for a job and a apartment in Sofia. I am currently staying at the Crystal Palace Hotel. Any help/advice on getting started would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

/forum/profile.php 鈥� mp;lang=en

I was previously a senior care worker with qualifications in health and social care and animal care. I have experience in many different job roles from waitressing to shop assistant to nursing.

What do we have?
A waitress, attempting to work as an English teacher, employed sometime after the middle of November, not completing a full month in January, but moaning about the language school being unprofessional.

Yep.

beahor Active member

95POSTS

11 years ago

Quite frankly Fred, you are missing the point.
If I give notice and work until that final day I expect to get paid for it.
I fail to see what qualification, career history or how long you worked there
has got to do with it.
There maybe an issue of was there a contracted period聽 but I don't assume anything
and as it was not stated.
So just stay with the facts quoted.

2 members reacted to this post

stepool1970 Serial expat

355POSTS

11 years ago

Hi I just want to say that reading your posts you originally where re-locating from UK to BG and looking for any job that would benifit english spoken work, the fact you managed to get a school is quite impressive that certainly would not have been the case if the roles were reversed.
I see that you were hoping to meet a wider UK network to socialise with, did you manage to find new friends or has this also been a factor in your decision to return to the UK?
All I can really say is at least you had a go and tried to make a go of it, hopefully you can learn something from this and chalk it down as a hard life lesson, it certainly will not happen again to you both.
Chin up, be proud you came out and tried, do not let it put you off future ventures I had a crash and burn experiance whilst trying to live and work in Cyprus, I hope you can work through it and both come out stronger.
Best wishes Steve.

stroller66 Active member

26POSTS

11 years ago

I work for a reputable language school on a one year contract. If I break the contract by leaving early I forfeit the last months wages. I think it's common policy amongst language schools in order to cover themselves from staff leaving in the middle of a school term.

At least you gave it a go over here and you'll also have teaching hours experience to put on your CV should you decide to go elsewhere. It's not much consolation I know.

1 member reacted to this post

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

11 years ago

beahor wrote:
Quite frankly Fred, you are missing the point.
If I give notice and work until that final day I expect to get paid for it.
I fail to see what qualification, career history or how long you worked there
has got to do with it.
There maybe an issue of was there a contracted period聽 but I don't assume anything
and as it was not stated.
So just stay with the facts quoted.

I did.
She was employed there less than two months, not finishing the second month.
Sort of leaves her position more than a bit weak.
You must also consider the employer, and the fix she might well jave left them in.

beahor Active member

95POSTS

11 years ago

Seems you don't know Bulgaria too well.
I have聽 no beef with schools, language or other as I am an engineer myself.
But a dear friend of mine, a new Zealander came聽 to Sofia back in 2009 to work at a reputed
language school as English teacher, and after a year decided to flag some serious聽 mishaps and loose standards at
his school to management. He was promptly fired and he never saw his final pay neither.
So, he joined another school and when he decided to leave a year later, being a straight fellow he is, gave plenty of notice and guess what, the final salary cheque is in the post ever since.
They know full well that the legal system is slow, cumbersome and most people will not bother suing as it is not worth it.
I could use much stronger words but will refrain.
And I do have more then a cursory insight into this, my partner being a Dr.jur

1 member reacted to this post