One of the biggest problems facing teachers at BKC-IH Moscow right now is the lack of legal visa support.
In a new blog by a BKC-IH Moscow teacher called BKC-IH Moscow Sucks: BKC-IH Moscow Should Be Disaffiliated With IHWO (International House), the teacher writes about the following problems that teachers face while working at his school in Podolsk, Moscow.
1. Being forced to illegally work in Russia (a dangerous situation) because BKC Moscow does not have the legal right to currently employ foreigners if their visas expire. BKC IH Moscow instructs its teachers to get "business visas," which are being used by BKC teachers to teach English in Russia, which is strictly against the law - business visas cannot be used to teach. Teachers foot the bill for the visa runs to get these visas, compensated only a fraction of what it costs to leave the country and come back with an illegal visa.
2. Lack of proper ADOS support for the teacher's curriculum.
3. Lies told by the teacher's ADOS.
4. Teachers being told by BKC-IH Moscow to lie to Russian police about where they work. (We will post more about this on an upcoming blog post.)
5. A vindictive director who stopped buying water for the office and shut down internet connections at the school for no reason.
6. Lies told to the teacher by Wayne Rimmer, the director of studies at BKC-IH Moscow.
7. Being forced out of his apartment after being illegally dismissed by BKC-IH Moscow a few weeks ago.
8. Contract violations, emails that were not responded to, and a threat from BKC-IH Moscow's Director of Studies about never being able to work for IH again.
Read the full blog here.
We will update this blog later to explain the illegal visa situation that BKC-IH Moscow is currently subjecting its teachers to, the verbal abuse that teachers are subjected to, and the contract violations and other laws that BKC Moscow is currently breaking.
We wish this gentleman the best of luck in his future pursuits and his new blog about the unethical and illegal practices of BKC-International House Moscow.
Showing posts with label BKC Mosocw Contract. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BKC Mosocw Contract. Show all posts
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Deconstructing a BKC-IH Moscow Job Advert
McDonald's is always hiring and so is BKC-IH Moscow. We shall take the opportunity to dissect the Teach English in Moscow job advertisement running on Eslcafe.com.
"BKC – International House is one of the most respected Language Schools in Russia. Being a member of the International House World Organization our School is regularly inspected by the International House representatives to ensure maintenance of educational and welfare standards".
"BKC – International House is one of the most respected Language Schools in Russia. Being a member of the International House World Organization our School is regularly inspected by the International House representatives to ensure maintenance of educational and welfare standards".
- BKC-International House Moscow is not a respected language school. One needs only to look at blogs by both teachers and students to recognize that this is hyperbole and nothing more.
- BKC-IH Moscow is not "regularly inspected" by International House. There is no evidence that International House pays Moscow any visits. BKC-IH Moscow pays a yearly fee to International House to use the IH name brand to lend more credibility to an otherwise unsupervised school engaged in unethical and illegal activities.
- Not factual. Many teachers come to this school with no experience whatsoever.
- Salary: $ 1040-1160 - The salary has been lowered once again from previous years.
- Length: 8 months and 3 weeks - Untrue: your contract is actually more like 10 months when your holiday time is counted.
- Benefits: end of the contract bonus –up to US $ 1000 - The contract states that you will be paid this bonus if they feel like giving it to you.
- Visa support - Not exactly. BKC-IH Moscow is having many problems with visas for teachers. Teachers absolutely cannot count on BKC Moscow to tell the truth about the visa situation or fairly reimburse the visa costs.
- Shared accommodation - True.
- Local transport paid by the school - True, though it comes in the form of reimbursement.
- Airfare subsidy - True, but the amount changes. You may be told the round-trip airfare reimbursement will be $1,000 and then later in the contract, it will be changed to less than that.
- Paid holidays - Not always true
- Health care - True but perhaps not what the average person believes to be "health care".
- 50% discount for Russian classes - True. After the discount, it is approximately $90 USD monthly.
- Hourly paid positions are available as well. The rates range from $ 22-31 per academic hour. True, but as an hourly employee you are at the mercy of the Timetable ladies who may not give you enough hours to survive.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Balance, But Still Bad (A Review of BKC Moscow by Current BKC Teacher)
This is a guest post by one of our contributors: The contributor cross-posted this review on Dave's ESL Cafe.
The last two weeks of the contract cannot be taken as holidays because of legal hoops BKC jumps through to accommodate the end of your contract. In order to make sure the legally-recognized part of your salary and all can be received by you via bank deposit prior to the end of your contract, they have to legally say your employment actually finished two weeks (or so) earlier than on the contract you signed. There's a form you sign for this when you get the visa manager's signature on your BKC leaving form.
That said, what's the thing about terminating early and having to submit your passport two weeks before your early departure date? They basically issue you a visa that's good until the day you leave (or very shortly thereafter). This is blatantly illegal. They do this so as to insure you don't go and work for any one else because your visa IS NOT tied to an employer. Withholding pay unless you give them your passport is illegal in so many ways I haven't bothered to count.
Registration is legit and if you stay for more than one contract it may even display the address of the apartment where you actually stay as opposed to the hostel at Tverskaya where most of us have been registered at one time or other, no doubt.
The number of paid vacation days does suck for global EFL standards. Most of the days are taken up by national holidays. As for February 23rd, that was a holiday. Thing is, BKC decided the 22nd would also be a holiday, hence making up for it the Saturday the 27th.
Making up for holidays, yeah, that's just a way for BKC to get you to work more. Many cultures around the world do this and it's just a matter of the teacher being aware of this and negotiating otherwise.
Case: I was stiffed on interviews because BKC decided to switch it to a stand-by session last-second so I wasn't paid anything extra as the standby was part of my base contract hours.
As for contracts, the only valid ones are those written in Russian. Good luck getting one like that from BKC because the Russian income tax rate is insane, plus there are other bureaucratic concerns (most of which I don't know). That's why many teachers can't find legal grounds to sue BKC, although BKC is currently in the midst of a legal battle with a former teacher on the concerning the grounds of dismissal. I'm rooting for the teacher on this one regardless of the grounds of the case just because of the bad things BKC has done (otherwise my view would be really different and this would be a glowing email, although in a non-nuclear way).
As for postal addresses, most teachers send their stuff to central office for various reasons - and it's reliable. What happens is, the Russian postal system will deliver it to a specified postal mailbox or keep parcel notices on-hand until you go there and ask if anything is there. So, BKC has a runner who goes there once a week (or so) and collects everything with BKC in the address. Voila. That's not BKC, that's just the postal system. I haven't tried DHL, but that may result in direct - and therefore speedier - delivery.
The airfare re-imbursement totally sucks, even with 2010 increases (which are a bad joke IMO). I have no idea how this is calculated, but I know tax issues are involved. That said, BKC can make it what it wants, so....
Medical coverage is actually ok for non-serious stuff. I've had a house call and I've had to visit the hospital once. Say what you want about the doctors, but the house call was free and the hospital visit re-imbursed.
There have been issues with teachers who became seriously ill and needed surgery. Then BKC did the absolutely disgusting thing of renegging and forcing them for forgo so much just to stay in-country to get it done. You don't kick someone when they're down, but that's not a Russian axiom. The Russian one is kick them until they can't get back up. Seeing bar fights or street fights anywhere will make it clear that it's different in Russia.
What, then, about accommodation? Dealing with Russians in your building is not something BKC can control, but choosing neighborhoods is. Loud neighbours is one thing, gangs around the buildings that accost you is another. Such is life.
While the teacher is responsible for cleanliness as well as anything they break, BKC is responsible for everything else (but not lightbulbs and matches and garbage bags and simple stuff). That said, I was docked for replacing door knobs, shower knobs, taps/faucets, oven/stove knobs, etc. It took me and my roommate two weeks to get a bathroom door lock replaced. This was a particular problem because the door would remain open without it. I literally had to email the accommodation manager that demanding a change in sexual orientation to save on a door lock was too much to ask. Only then was a door lock installed.
I honestly don't know if they wait for kicks or if it's just a test of patience. That said, I know many admin on the 3rd floor are caught between a rock and a hard place. Bribery, ass-kissing, and gift-giving seem to have worked well for other teachers, but only generally so.
My family builds their own homes. I never had the heart to tell this to the accommodation manager because then I would have gone on and on at all the shoddy things in the apartment I occupied while at BKC.
As for wanting teachers to stay and cover classes, that's to insure continuity of classes. That's a little BS considering the attitude Russian students have toward "their teacher" versus others. Plus, BKC is a company and continued classes mean money is continually coming in. This is an arguable point, but whatever, covers are a part of TEFL-life.
If there's ever an unresolvable issue between yourself and your mentor/ADOS, then you're passed onto the DOS, Mr. (or is it now Dr.?) Rimmer. He knows his stuff when it comes to the English language, but he has a nasty tendency to put teachers into one of four categories. You're either a criminal, sexually deranged, trying to escape something, or are genuinely meant to be a teacher.
Then there's the owner, Mr. Bondarev. Former scientist who grew his business up from the mean streets of Moscow during the rough `90s. Drives a nice car, owns BKC country, has property in other countries, and is engaged on a sizeable personal project involving frequent travel to one country in Asia I will not name. BKC is a cash cow, so I'm truly stumped as to why BKC is engaged in actions that will see the company run into the ground.
So BKC has to jump through hoops. Here's how they pass it onto us.
The last two weeks of the contract cannot be taken as holidays because of legal hoops BKC jumps through to accommodate the end of your contract. In order to make sure the legally-recognized part of your salary and all can be received by you via bank deposit prior to the end of your contract, they have to legally say your employment actually finished two weeks (or so) earlier than on the contract you signed. There's a form you sign for this when you get the visa manager's signature on your BKC leaving form.
That said, what's the thing about terminating early and having to submit your passport two weeks before your early departure date? They basically issue you a visa that's good until the day you leave (or very shortly thereafter). This is blatantly illegal. They do this so as to insure you don't go and work for any one else because your visa IS NOT tied to an employer. Withholding pay unless you give them your passport is illegal in so many ways I haven't bothered to count.
Registration is legit and if you stay for more than one contract it may even display the address of the apartment where you actually stay as opposed to the hostel at Tverskaya where most of us have been registered at one time or other, no doubt.
The number of paid vacation days does suck for global EFL standards. Most of the days are taken up by national holidays. As for February 23rd, that was a holiday. Thing is, BKC decided the 22nd would also be a holiday, hence making up for it the Saturday the 27th.
Making up for holidays, yeah, that's just a way for BKC to get you to work more. Many cultures around the world do this and it's just a matter of the teacher being aware of this and negotiating otherwise.
Policies and contracts are different according to Russian law. Contracts are set in stone and require both parties to agree to any changes. Policies must be written and physically given to all employees in a hardcopy form. The catch? The company has the legal right to change policies whenever they want unilaterally. Any extra bonuses like non-standby placement tests that aren't written in the contract are literally at the company's discretion as to whether or not they're paid and that is legal in Russia.
Case: I was stiffed on interviews because BKC decided to switch it to a stand-by session last-second so I wasn't paid anything extra as the standby was part of my base contract hours.
As for contracts, the only valid ones are those written in Russian. Good luck getting one like that from BKC because the Russian income tax rate is insane, plus there are other bureaucratic concerns (most of which I don't know). That's why many teachers can't find legal grounds to sue BKC, although BKC is currently in the midst of a legal battle with a former teacher on the concerning the grounds of dismissal. I'm rooting for the teacher on this one regardless of the grounds of the case just because of the bad things BKC has done (otherwise my view would be really different and this would be a glowing email, although in a non-nuclear way).
As for postal addresses, most teachers send their stuff to central office for various reasons - and it's reliable. What happens is, the Russian postal system will deliver it to a specified postal mailbox or keep parcel notices on-hand until you go there and ask if anything is there. So, BKC has a runner who goes there once a week (or so) and collects everything with BKC in the address. Voila. That's not BKC, that's just the postal system. I haven't tried DHL, but that may result in direct - and therefore speedier - delivery.
The airfare re-imbursement totally sucks, even with 2010 increases (which are a bad joke IMO). I have no idea how this is calculated, but I know tax issues are involved. That said, BKC can make it what it wants, so....
Medical coverage is actually ok for non-serious stuff. I've had a house call and I've had to visit the hospital once. Say what you want about the doctors, but the house call was free and the hospital visit re-imbursed.
There have been issues with teachers who became seriously ill and needed surgery. Then BKC did the absolutely disgusting thing of renegging and forcing them for forgo so much just to stay in-country to get it done. You don't kick someone when they're down, but that's not a Russian axiom. The Russian one is kick them until they can't get back up. Seeing bar fights or street fights anywhere will make it clear that it's different in Russia.
What, then, about accommodation? Dealing with Russians in your building is not something BKC can control, but choosing neighborhoods is. Loud neighbours is one thing, gangs around the buildings that accost you is another. Such is life.
While the teacher is responsible for cleanliness as well as anything they break, BKC is responsible for everything else (but not lightbulbs and matches and garbage bags and simple stuff). That said, I was docked for replacing door knobs, shower knobs, taps/faucets, oven/stove knobs, etc. It took me and my roommate two weeks to get a bathroom door lock replaced. This was a particular problem because the door would remain open without it. I literally had to email the accommodation manager that demanding a change in sexual orientation to save on a door lock was too much to ask. Only then was a door lock installed.
I honestly don't know if they wait for kicks or if it's just a test of patience. That said, I know many admin on the 3rd floor are caught between a rock and a hard place. Bribery, ass-kissing, and gift-giving seem to have worked well for other teachers, but only generally so.
My family builds their own homes. I never had the heart to tell this to the accommodation manager because then I would have gone on and on at all the shoddy things in the apartment I occupied while at BKC.
Finance on 3rd floor can be rude when they reject any costs that aren't covered under BKC's ever-changing policies. "What you do with your money is your business." I hated that. In all honesty, I wonder if they receive any bonus, commission, or company kickback for shaving off this and that teacher-based expenditure. I don't know if that happens, but I wouldn't put it past BKC and admin.
As for wanting teachers to stay and cover classes, that's to insure continuity of classes. That's a little BS considering the attitude Russian students have toward "their teacher" versus others. Plus, BKC is a company and continued classes mean money is continually coming in. This is an arguable point, but whatever, covers are a part of TEFL-life.
If there's ever an unresolvable issue between yourself and your mentor/ADOS, then you're passed onto the DOS, Mr. (or is it now Dr.?) Rimmer. He knows his stuff when it comes to the English language, but he has a nasty tendency to put teachers into one of four categories. You're either a criminal, sexually deranged, trying to escape something, or are genuinely meant to be a teacher.
Then there's the owner, Mr. Bondarev. Former scientist who grew his business up from the mean streets of Moscow during the rough `90s. Drives a nice car, owns BKC country, has property in other countries, and is engaged on a sizeable personal project involving frequent travel to one country in Asia I will not name. BKC is a cash cow, so I'm truly stumped as to why BKC is engaged in actions that will see the company run into the ground.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
When a BKC Moscow Holiday Means You Have to Work on Saturday, Instead
If you are currently one of the oppressed teachers at the evil organization, BKC-International House Moscow, you know what happened last week is a grotesque violation of your contract and also law, not to mention plain common sense and dignity.
If you are not (yet) an oppressed teacher of the fascist regime, BKC-IH Moscow, then you may not know:
On February 23, there is a Russian National Holiday that goes by several names. Some call it Defender of the Fatherland Day, Men's Day, and Defender of the Motherland's Day.
No BKC classes were held that day, but in a cunning move, BKC ordered teachers to work the following Saturday to make up for it.
Thus, BKC Moscow didn't give anyone a holiday at all, did it?
Current teachers coined it "Monterday," which happens your Saturday suddenly becomes Monday instead because you haven't got any holiday at all.
We call bullshit on this. We call this filthy fucking cocksucking sickening revolting bullshit on this bogus BKC-IH Moscow practice. Bastard fuckers!
If you are not (yet) an oppressed teacher of the fascist regime, BKC-IH Moscow, then you may not know:
On February 23, there is a Russian National Holiday that goes by several names. Some call it Defender of the Fatherland Day, Men's Day, and Defender of the Motherland's Day.
No BKC classes were held that day, but in a cunning move, BKC ordered teachers to work the following Saturday to make up for it.
Thus, BKC Moscow didn't give anyone a holiday at all, did it?
Current teachers coined it "Monterday," which happens your Saturday suddenly becomes Monday instead because you haven't got any holiday at all.
We call bullshit on this. We call this filthy fucking cocksucking sickening revolting bullshit on this bogus BKC-IH Moscow practice. Bastard fuckers!
Monday, February 22, 2010
BKC Teacher SUES BKC International House Moscow
We have confirmed that the lady we spoke of in our last post, Horror Story: the Truth About BKC Moscow is, without a doubt, SUING BKC IH MOSCOW.
An advocate retained by this teacher filed a motion for the lawsuit at the Basmanniy district court of Moscow last Thursday, February 18, 2010.
The lawsuit is for illegal dismissal.
Many of us grumble about suing BKC Moscow. Some of us threaten on occasion to sue Lingua.ru, BKC's umbrella company. But to our knowledge, this is the first time that a teacher put her money where her mouth is and got herself a lawyer and took them to court.
BKC Moscow breaks many laws - we all know this. They dodge taxes, tear up contracts, take hours away from hourly teachers who need them, and give hours instead to teachers who are already working more than 30 hours a week. They might be breaking the law by not giving us free flats - it only appears that they give us free flats, when, in fact, our payslips show that this is deducted out of our real salaries.
We are not mentioning the name of the teacher because it is our policy to not name any teachers at all, even ones who have put themselves out there in terms of being disgruntled.
We wish this lady the best of luck with her lawsuit against BKC Moscow.
An advocate retained by this teacher filed a motion for the lawsuit at the Basmanniy district court of Moscow last Thursday, February 18, 2010.
The lawsuit is for illegal dismissal.
Many of us grumble about suing BKC Moscow. Some of us threaten on occasion to sue Lingua.ru, BKC's umbrella company. But to our knowledge, this is the first time that a teacher put her money where her mouth is and got herself a lawyer and took them to court.
BKC Moscow breaks many laws - we all know this. They dodge taxes, tear up contracts, take hours away from hourly teachers who need them, and give hours instead to teachers who are already working more than 30 hours a week. They might be breaking the law by not giving us free flats - it only appears that they give us free flats, when, in fact, our payslips show that this is deducted out of our real salaries.
We are not mentioning the name of the teacher because it is our policy to not name any teachers at all, even ones who have put themselves out there in terms of being disgruntled.
We wish this lady the best of luck with her lawsuit against BKC Moscow.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
BKC Moscow - the Internal Regulations for Contract Teachers
We know you don't want to read the internal regulations. Why would anyone in their right mind want to read the internal regulations? Boooooooooooo-ring, right?
Just listen to us. If you haven't signed the contract yet, great! There's still time.
If you already signed the contract, consider finding an alternative school that will pay you more and provide you with a much more decent experience in Moscow.
If you please, pluck your Internal Regulations for BKC Full-time Contract Teachers document you have buried in a mass pile of paper on your desk.
Pay close attention to these:
2.1 - Teachers are required to carry out oral and written instructions from the head of Recruitment department, Senior teachers, Assistant Director of Studies (ADOS), Director of Studies (DOS) and General Director and to fulfil his/her duties.
Problem - every single one of the aforementioned people will give you contradictory instructions on how to "fulfil your duties".
2.10 - Teachers are expected to be in the school, where they are teaching, at least 20 minutes before the class is due to start.
Problem - we don't get paid for this. Even if you happen to work at only one school, and happen to work only 5 days a week, that adds up to one hour and 40 minutes per week of unpaid work.
5.2 - Teachers will not be paid for the first 3 days of absence from work through illness. For any further consecutive days of illness (beyond 3 days), teachers will be paid 50% of their gross salary (see payment guidelines for details).
Problem - no sick pay. except a measly 25 bucks or so starting on the fourth day.
5.4 - Regular or persistent sick leave can result in early termination of the contract.
Problem - huh? you're planning on sacking me because I get sick too much? you see those old guys hawking and hacking on the streets and in the metro? Oh no, BKC, you're right, it's all my fault.
6.3 - Teachers cannot take holidays later than 2 weeks before the end of the contract. Teachers cannot book holiday time to be taken after they complete their contract. They will be paid for the number of holidays earned but not taken.
Problem - we got together and tried to figure out what this means. We think it means that we can't use our holiday time past our contract. No shit? We also don't see why we can't take a holiday in the two weeks before contract ends. Stupid.
6.4 - Unpaid Leave. Teachers may be asked to take unpaid leave between June and August if there is not enough work in their branch school. If a teacher does not take unpaid leave, they may be moved to another Satellite or Central School or Summer Camp where there is work or they will undertake other educational work as directed by the school director. If a teacher wishes to remain in a school flat during an extended period of unpaid leave (more than 5 working days) he/she will be asked to pay rent.
Problem: If your contract runs through the months of June, July, or August (one of ours does), then that means you'll either be moved, get to do lots of stupid shit work for the Evil Queen, get shipped off to camp or, in a twisted scam - you will actually end up paying BKC, and not the other way around.
6.6 On public holidays when BKC schools are closed, teachers will have days off, which are not counted as working days.
Problem - this extends your contract, those sneaky bastards. this also means you don't get paid.
6.7 - Teachers working on public holidays when BKC schools are open will receive double pay.
Problem - they just like to throw this in there to make it look good. nobody ever works on public holidays.
6.8 - The school will be closed for winter holidays from the 31st December to the 7th of January. These days muist be taken out of the paid holiday.
Problem - oh, silly me, i thought i could take my holiday as i pleased. no? all those days off are forced holiday? thanks for telling me. nice of ya! WHAT THE FUCK? That's not holiday time, that's a public fucking holiday!
7.3 The company guarantees that it will take a teacher not more than an hour to get from a school where they teach to the flat they are provided with.
Problem - this is a bloody fucking lie. One of us has a commute that takes her anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours one way from her flat to her school.
7.7 The company cannot guarantee that all teachers will have the same standard of accommodation in terms of facilities, fittings, size of flat and convenience of location.
Problem - this is BKC-Moscow-speak for "We'll give the best apartments to our friends, and the ones that give us chocolate and vodka. Oh, and that cute American boy who invited us to his party. He'll get a good flat, too."
7.14 For teachers taking more than 2 calendar weeks leave (paid or unpaid) at any one time, the school cannot guarantee that they can return to the same flat they were living in before.
Problem - YES, it is a possibility that if you go on holiday and return 2 weeks later, BKC will tell you that you no longer live there. You live in this other flat. Across the city. How will you move your stuff? They don't care. Why was some strange wanker living in your room while you were on holiday? They don't care.
8.1 Teachers will receive reimbursement towards the cost of their return air ticket to Russia. This will be refunded as follows: 50% after 90 calendar days of teaching and the remainder on completion of the contract.
Problem - This is a lie. This year, we all received our 50% late. Took them a paycheck or two to finally give us the money.
12. VISA
We're not gonna touch the visa mess right now because it's a total cluster fuck right now. We'll try to post the latest and greatest from Russia and BKC Moscow as soon as possible.
14. Disciplinary Procedures
Just ignore all of that. It's all a big pile of horse shit. There are a lot of stupid teachers around you, and some of them just get tossed. There are a lot of good teachers around you too, and they also get tossed by the Evil Queen if they didn't do the proper bowing and curtsying and chocolate giving.
The most important thing to know is that you can get sacked for whatever reason and you're on your own in terms of getting back to whichever country you came from. Try to find a new job, whatever you do. And don't give them your visa. Trust us on this one.
15. Notice of Termination
Ignore all that happy horse shit, too. If you want to get the hell out of BKC Moscow, then go ahead and give them their 4-week notice. Do as they say. And maybe, maybe, just maybe, you'll get the money they owe you when you leave.
But we don't advise counting on that.
Just listen to us. If you haven't signed the contract yet, great! There's still time.
If you already signed the contract, consider finding an alternative school that will pay you more and provide you with a much more decent experience in Moscow.
If you please, pluck your Internal Regulations for BKC Full-time Contract Teachers document you have buried in a mass pile of paper on your desk.
Pay close attention to these:
2.1 - Teachers are required to carry out oral and written instructions from the head of Recruitment department, Senior teachers, Assistant Director of Studies (ADOS), Director of Studies (DOS) and General Director and to fulfil his/her duties.
Problem - every single one of the aforementioned people will give you contradictory instructions on how to "fulfil your duties".
2.10 - Teachers are expected to be in the school, where they are teaching, at least 20 minutes before the class is due to start.
Problem - we don't get paid for this. Even if you happen to work at only one school, and happen to work only 5 days a week, that adds up to one hour and 40 minutes per week of unpaid work.
5.2 - Teachers will not be paid for the first 3 days of absence from work through illness. For any further consecutive days of illness (beyond 3 days), teachers will be paid 50% of their gross salary (see payment guidelines for details).
Problem - no sick pay. except a measly 25 bucks or so starting on the fourth day.
5.4 - Regular or persistent sick leave can result in early termination of the contract.
Problem - huh? you're planning on sacking me because I get sick too much? you see those old guys hawking and hacking on the streets and in the metro? Oh no, BKC, you're right, it's all my fault.
6.3 - Teachers cannot take holidays later than 2 weeks before the end of the contract. Teachers cannot book holiday time to be taken after they complete their contract. They will be paid for the number of holidays earned but not taken.
Problem - we got together and tried to figure out what this means. We think it means that we can't use our holiday time past our contract. No shit? We also don't see why we can't take a holiday in the two weeks before contract ends. Stupid.
6.4 - Unpaid Leave. Teachers may be asked to take unpaid leave between June and August if there is not enough work in their branch school. If a teacher does not take unpaid leave, they may be moved to another Satellite or Central School or Summer Camp where there is work or they will undertake other educational work as directed by the school director. If a teacher wishes to remain in a school flat during an extended period of unpaid leave (more than 5 working days) he/she will be asked to pay rent.
Problem: If your contract runs through the months of June, July, or August (one of ours does), then that means you'll either be moved, get to do lots of stupid shit work for the Evil Queen, get shipped off to camp or, in a twisted scam - you will actually end up paying BKC, and not the other way around.
6.6 On public holidays when BKC schools are closed, teachers will have days off, which are not counted as working days.
Problem - this extends your contract, those sneaky bastards. this also means you don't get paid.
6.7 - Teachers working on public holidays when BKC schools are open will receive double pay.
Problem - they just like to throw this in there to make it look good. nobody ever works on public holidays.
6.8 - The school will be closed for winter holidays from the 31st December to the 7th of January. These days muist be taken out of the paid holiday.
Problem - oh, silly me, i thought i could take my holiday as i pleased. no? all those days off are forced holiday? thanks for telling me. nice of ya! WHAT THE FUCK? That's not holiday time, that's a public fucking holiday!
7.3 The company guarantees that it will take a teacher not more than an hour to get from a school where they teach to the flat they are provided with.
Problem - this is a bloody fucking lie. One of us has a commute that takes her anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours one way from her flat to her school.
7.7 The company cannot guarantee that all teachers will have the same standard of accommodation in terms of facilities, fittings, size of flat and convenience of location.
Problem - this is BKC-Moscow-speak for "We'll give the best apartments to our friends, and the ones that give us chocolate and vodka. Oh, and that cute American boy who invited us to his party. He'll get a good flat, too."
7.14 For teachers taking more than 2 calendar weeks leave (paid or unpaid) at any one time, the school cannot guarantee that they can return to the same flat they were living in before.
Problem - YES, it is a possibility that if you go on holiday and return 2 weeks later, BKC will tell you that you no longer live there. You live in this other flat. Across the city. How will you move your stuff? They don't care. Why was some strange wanker living in your room while you were on holiday? They don't care.
8.1 Teachers will receive reimbursement towards the cost of their return air ticket to Russia. This will be refunded as follows: 50% after 90 calendar days of teaching and the remainder on completion of the contract.
Problem - This is a lie. This year, we all received our 50% late. Took them a paycheck or two to finally give us the money.
12. VISA
We're not gonna touch the visa mess right now because it's a total cluster fuck right now. We'll try to post the latest and greatest from Russia and BKC Moscow as soon as possible.
14. Disciplinary Procedures
Just ignore all of that. It's all a big pile of horse shit. There are a lot of stupid teachers around you, and some of them just get tossed. There are a lot of good teachers around you too, and they also get tossed by the Evil Queen if they didn't do the proper bowing and curtsying and chocolate giving.
The most important thing to know is that you can get sacked for whatever reason and you're on your own in terms of getting back to whichever country you came from. Try to find a new job, whatever you do. And don't give them your visa. Trust us on this one.
15. Notice of Termination
Ignore all that happy horse shit, too. If you want to get the hell out of BKC Moscow, then go ahead and give them their 4-week notice. Do as they say. And maybe, maybe, just maybe, you'll get the money they owe you when you leave.
But we don't advise counting on that.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The BKC Moscow Doctor
So you've been in Moscow for a few weeks or for a few months by now. There are a few things you probably already know about what will happen if you get sick.
- If you break your leg or require surgery, you will probably be terminated and sent home. BKC Moscow may or may not pay for your airline ticket for you to go home to your country.
- If you get sick, you will not be paid for any time off. You cannot use your holiday time for your sick days. You will receive a portion of your pay after the fourth day of illness.
- The Doctor BKC Moscow will send you is not a fluent English speaker. BKC Moscow will not provide you a translator.
- No matter what your symptoms are, the Doctor will almost always tell you that you have the flu and that you will recover in three days.
BKC Moscow teachers who have been around for awhile know that if they want an unpaid holiday, they just need to call BKC and say, "I'm sick." BKC may or may not send the doctor to your flat. No matter what you tell the Doctor, he will always say that you have the flu.
If you really are sick, then BKC will arrange for you to go to one of the state-run clinics in Russia. Field stories of the state-fun hospitals and clinics are horrific. We will be posting more first-hand accounts of these stories.
BKC Moscow, despite what they may want you to believe, does not offer you any type of insurance. The health care you receive is sub-standard, state-run facilities and treatment.
This is unfortunate, because there are actually several private hospitals, doctors and clinics that serve English speakers.
BKC Moscow will not pay for Western standard care for you, as a BKC teacher.
Stories from the field will be posted soon.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Flatmate You are Given by BKC-IH Moscow
New teachers quite often fill out a short form that asks preferences of the following types of lifestyle choices:
Are you a smoker?
Do you drink? Occasionally or frequently?
What is your level of cleanliness?
The Flatmate BKC Moscow Gives You May Be the Opposite of You
Current teachers have a theory that BKC Moscow takes those forms you filled out and simply tosses them in the bin. There is no other logical reason, since here are the facts:
Are you a smoker?
Do you drink? Occasionally or frequently?
What is your level of cleanliness?
The Flatmate BKC Moscow Gives You May Be the Opposite of You
Current teachers have a theory that BKC Moscow takes those forms you filled out and simply tosses them in the bin. There is no other logical reason, since here are the facts:
- Smokers and non-smokers are frequently paired together in the same flat.
- Although cleanliness is subjective, there are some teachers who are cleaners, paired up with teachers who are filthy slobs.
- Teachers who simply work and study are paired with very young teachers who spend the majority of their time and money on liquor - and throw the necessary late-night loud parties that accompany this.
What to Do If Your BKC Moscow Flatmate Is Crazy?
Some more true stories from the field of BKC Moscow's World of Disgusting Flatmates:
- In 2009, a teacher attacked his flat mate with a knife, because his flat mate had an annoying habit of bringing home prostitutes and causing a lot of late-night noise.
- A female teacher in her 30s recently remarked that her 20-ish flatmate dirtied every dish in the kitchen and refused to wash them. The flatmate also soiled the toilet and refused to scrub her own shit stains from the toilet bowl.
- There are occasional stories of flat mates sneaking into the other's room to use personal computers, read diaries and snoop around.
- A male in his mid-twenties told a group of teachers that his 30-ish flat mate's room actually smelled, and the smell permeated throughout the flat. This person also had a tendency of leaving shit-stained underwear in the shower room, as well as leaving moldy plates and food inside his room.
- A female teacher reported, with horror, that her flatmate had not only snuck into her room to use her computer, but also left trash and dirty dishes behind.
- A male in his late twenties invited his long-time girlfriend to Moscow for a weekend. The girlfriend mopped the floors (in addition to cleaning the whole flat), and asked her boyfriend's flatmate to refrain from walking on the floors for a bit. The flatmate off-handedly remarked that she was a "bitch." The boyfriend was not happy about this at all.
- A brand-new teacher, who had been in Moscow for just a couple of months, was saddened when his flatmate did not invite him to a dinner party. The problem is that the dinner party was in their shared flat. The new teacher hid in his room until finally making a getaway to meet other new teachers at a club.
- One infamous woman, who has been with BKC Moscow for about 4 years, boasts that she has managed to make every single one of her flatmates leave. This older woman greets her new flatmates by immediately telling them, "You and I are not going to be friends." Then she shows the new flatmate around the flat, explaining, "This is mine, and you are not to touch it." She then begins cleaning and throwing things around between 3 am and 5 am. She knocks loudly on the new flatmate's door, and screams at them for not cleaning enough. She locks her roommates out of the apartment. Multiple female teachers have gone to BKC Moscow administration to ask for help. These teachers are told to move to another flat. The problem here is that in most cases, these teachers are forced to move further away from the schools they work at. The old, crazy lady? She is friends with the accommodation manager, and so suffers no punishment at all. Just a slap on the wrist and a "tsk, tsk." BKC Moscow doesn't care whether or not you leave because of this crazy person.
But we shall discuss BKC Moscow management and administration at a later point.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The BKC Moscow Contract You Signed
Before you got to Moscow, you signed a bunch of papers. You may not have actually read through all the paperwork because, let's face it - it was a lot. That's OK. Everything you signed is worthless.
BKC Moscow tears up contracts on a regular basis. So, don't worry about it.
Probably you signed a contract that stated an end date 9 months from when the contract date started.
When you got to Moscow, you may have been surprised that you were asked to sign yet another contract. This one extended your end date by anywhere from 10 days to two weeks. Maybe more.
Oh dear.
This is maybe the first thing that makes you think, "Huh."
There is more to come.
BKC Moscow tears up contracts on a regular basis. So, don't worry about it.
Probably you signed a contract that stated an end date 9 months from when the contract date started.
When you got to Moscow, you may have been surprised that you were asked to sign yet another contract. This one extended your end date by anywhere from 10 days to two weeks. Maybe more.
Oh dear.
This is maybe the first thing that makes you think, "Huh."
There is more to come.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
BKC is Getting Boring
BKC is getting boring. though the faces change often we always have the same old breaches of contracts, same old lies, same old unskilled and apathetic staff. same mistakes year after year. even a remarkably dull lab rat would have learned some new reflexes by now.
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