Dragonized
- 2009-07-07
Hi Paul, being that I have been through a similiar instance that you have been through my advice for you would be to consult with a person who is an expert in the law here in China. It's obvious that these people are taking the offensive against you so as to protect their reputation. However as long as you have evidence on your side you shouldn't be afraid.
Whichever country you are from, you should contact the consulate of your native country here in China and ask them for consultation. If they provide you with a lawyer or recommend one for you it's probably in your best interest to take their advice as they would know. However you should certainly have some money prepared as this is a case which may take some time.
Schools usually back off when you have a lawyer. In fact you should consult with your lawyer if you can counter-sue them for libel since you didn't lie, right? As long as you have evidence, again that's the key. You might also want to contact media (news stations?) in your native country and tell them about your experience here in China and to avoid these kinds of schools. Make sure you name the employer, too. Good luck.
HireEd
- 2009-07-06
I certainly hope other expats will weigh in on this issue, but I doubt the former employer can do much to hurt you. (But again, I left China a year and a half ago, so who knows...) Intimidation is frequently the weapon of choice with ESL employers, but doing more would actually mean doing more (rather than mere verbal threats), and would require lots of efforts (money and guanxi) and their part. Not sure.
More importantly, are you still in the same city? Province?
I had one employer threaten me (said he would "hunt me down like a dog" and make trouble for me) but as soon as I switched provinces, that was the end of any potential trouble. Besides, he had a horrible reputation in the area from which I fled and so no one would likely get involved with him against an American who was there with all proper documentions, visa, etc.
Good luck, and I hope someone can provide some real, concrete legal answers to your questions and warranted fears.
Raoul Duke, Silverboy, DPP, are you out there???
I would like to ask peoples opinion on the following...
I have had a very bad experience with my former employer in China. Basically we were misinformed via the adverts that they have on the internet, and also verbally. Over the period I worked for them ,many things cropped up which were not as they were supposed to be. Holiday periods were grossly inaccurate, promises of additional work during this period never cam into fruition, and so on and so on.
After deciding to move on, I ran into issues obtaining the correct documents and paperwork to be able to get a new work permit, I had had enough. I had read many reviews since coming here regarding other similar bad employers, and felt that I should make people aware of the experience I had with this one.
I wrote a review, sticking to the facts, and outlining the misinformation they used and what the actual situation is, the real holiday period lengths, the fact there was no work during this period, the fact I was not given the hours I was promised in the first place and so on.
Now, the company is threatening to sue me for libel, can they actually do this ??? Nothing I have stated was based on speculation. I feel that when a company is treating its staff in this manner, people informing others of the truth of the situation is above board and there is nothing wrong with that. But obviously I am still concerned about their threats. I feel they are probably making idle threats, and are just trying to rattle their sabre in the hope that fear may prompt the removal of such bad reviews, but nevertheless, I still have a twist in my gut over this situation. Why should a person be threatened and forced into silence after being treated like something someone has just stepped in on the pavement.