Congratulations, Betsy!

Go Betsy! Go Betsy! Go Betsy!

shakes pompoms of FuckYou at job

Ahem.

t /boss issues

...actually, no, that tag doesn't seem to close. Huh.

So, payday is just over a week away. I've not spoken to my boss since he gave me the Memo informing me that he has no contract with me - I'm just waiting to see if they pay me, and if they do then I'm maybe going to stay. Only more and more I find that what I want to do is tell him to stick his job up his ass, since I don't have any confidence that he'll pay me.

I mean, hey, maybe he will pay me, but I really don't expect it. And I hate him hate him hate him SO MUCH now that I'd rather humilite him even a little than scrabble after the possibility of getting crumbs of the money I'm owed.

I still haven't given him my letter, obviously enough, since I'm waiting to get this month's salary in hand before burning any bridges. Still, I was wondering whether you folks think this is too much, and/or whether you can see any way that I may get into hot water legally:

Dear Mr Evil Boss,

Thank you for your memo of 16th May.

I understand that you have decided against ratifying the contract that I signed last year, and that thus there is presently no contract of employment between The Evil School of Evil Town and myself. I was very surprised and sorry to hear that you preferred to disregard the contract, but I accept your decision that there is presently no legal relationship between us.

Thank you for your offer of a new ‘standard’ contract to cover the remainder of this year, and the offer of a renewal of said contract to cover next year. I appreciate this vote of confidence in my teaching, but unfortunately I find myself unable to sign any new contract with The Evil School. As I indicated to you prior to the memo, I have had a better offer. Following your memo I visited the British Embassy, consulted a lawyer and signed a legally binding contract with the new [insert name] School.

I have worked for The Evil School for two years now, in the mistaken belief that I had a legally binding contract. The contract that I signed, as you know, contained no clause preventing me from seeking employment at any other school in Cairo. I now discover that you never signed the contract yourself, and do not intend to.

During the past two years I have observed how other members of staff, both foreign and Egyptian, are treated, both in terms of finances and in terms of emotional and professional support.

I have seen absolutely nothing to make me believe that you will pay me, now that you have rejected the contract that would oblige you to do so. Your decision to make me verbal promises “off the record” via second parties, rather than approaching me directly, does little to instil me with any trust. It appears to me that you are simply trying to ensure that I put in all the work until the end of the year, whilst you retain plausible deniability and can get away without paying me in full for my efforts.

Believing that I had a signed contract with The Evil School, I have been faithfully performing all the teaching duties asked of me, both in school time and in my own time. The Evil School has been paying me my salary and rent money as promised, and I have received one of the two return tickets that were promised in the contract. This appeared to be a satisfactory arrangement for all concerned.

Subsequent to receiving your memo, it appears that you no longer consider that you have any legal obligation to continue paying my salary. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay the money for the initial two months of my work for The Evil School, which was held back on the understanding that it would be paid at the end of the contract. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay for the return ticket.

By the same token, I have no legal obligation to continue to teach the class I have been working with for the past year. I have no legal obligation to continue carrying out assessments of their ability, no legal obligation to level their work, no legal obligation to work for hours after school planning lessons, writing the reports or attending parents’ meetings.

It was my full intention (continued...)

( continues...) to do all of the above. However, it seems perfectly clear to me that you do not intend to pay me my full salary. If you did intend to honour the contract you would certainly have signed it, either when I gave it to you last year or when you looked at it recently. Instead you have made it explicit that you consider that you have no contractual obligations to me.

I am a highly qualified professional, with experience in both teaching and commercial environments. I have financial commitments to meet, and following your memo I have no confidence that I shall be able to meet them. I love my class and I hate the idea of placing them or any of my colleagues in a difficult position. However, I am not prepared to have this used against me in this way. I am very sorry to have to leave precipitously, but I cannot afford to work for free. Nor do I wish to work illegally.

It would have been sensible to leave as soon as you told me that we have no binding contract, in order to secure paid work elsewhere for the rest of the Academic year and/or over the summer.

Rather than leave immediately, however, I have stayed at school long enough to level the children’s work and write their reports. I have also written the planning for the rest of this term and for next year. This is not my legal responsibility, since you have been at pains to tell me that I have no contractual obligations to The Evil School, but I feel it is my moral duty. I certainly do not want the children in my care to suffer for your decision any more than they already will.

I wish you good luck with recruiting staff for next year.

Yours sincerely,

FayJay MA (Hons), AIEC

c.c. All parents & staff

Congrats, Betsy!

Sounds like fun - I'll have to figure out whether Im' up for it right now.

Also, I had my teeth cleaned today. I forget who had the gum/teeth horror stories, but thank you because that's what got me to the dentist!

Fay, what benefit does the letter bring you? What harm might it cause you?

If you can't think of a tangible benefit, then I wouldn't send it. If you can think of a tangible benefit, I would still have it vetted by an attorney, if possible. You know if he wants to screw you badly enough, he will do his best to use that letter (and anything else he can think of or make up) against you.

The Evil School has been paying me my salary and rent money as promised, and I have received one of the two return tickets that were promised in the contract.

Fay, I obviously know nothing about British law, but it would seem to me that both parties fulfilling their side of what was listed in the contract (you teaching; them paying), on an ongoing basis, would make the contract binding regardless of whether it was signed.

But, again, I could be full of crap.

Oh, I fully intend to have it checked over by lawyers before handing it to him. I cannot see any harm that it can cause me right now, which is why I'd appreciate a second opinion. Well, 'kay, he's not going to be exactly the Writer of Glowing References - but my new employers are entirely up to speed with the present situation.

I really, really don't want to stay and do all 'my duties' up to the end of term. I really want somebody to finally get egg on his face with the parents. He has fucked over so many of my friends and got away with it again and again and again. This school has terrific potential, but it also has him. He's a laughing stock in this town, but it's his employees who take the brunt of it from him. Everyone covers the boss's ass because they're being professional, regardless of how totally unprofessional he might be. He depends upon us to help him screw us.

...I don't know. On the one hand I feel this pure blind rage at the thought of him getting me to co-operate with being ripped off, and keep on covering up his behaviour from the parents. On the other hand, my kids would be gutted if I fucked off and left them. And I don't want to do that to them. But why the bloody hell should HE benefit from that? It's what he counts on. Bastard.

t /not entirely at home to Mr Calm

Fay, I obviously know nothing about British law, but it would seem to me that both parties fulfilling their side of what was listed in the contract (you teaching; them paying), on an ongoing basis, would make the contract binding regardless of whether it was signed.

That would be my take, too.

Also, I'd be careful to use qualifiers every time you reference the lack of a contract. (You believe you have no obligation to pay me; you claim we have no binding contract, etc.) There are a few places where I know you're just restating their position, rather than your own, but no sense letting yourself get tripped up.

Subsequent to receiving your memo, it appears that you no longer consider that you have any legal obligation to continue paying my salary. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay the money for the initial two months of my work

Fay, I might change the above, and anything similar to something like, "your position appears to be that you have no legal obligation to continue paying my salary." I wouldn't just conceed the point, even it the lawyer you consulted told you it was probably so.

x-posty with brenda, who said it better