Greetings,
Does anyone have advice or experience with dealing with schools in Kuwait that refuse to follow the Kuwait Labor Law.
For example, the school I am at refuses to implement the maternity leave (original 40 days to 70) and an increase in six days (original 6 to 12 or 15 (I can't quite remember)).
Having been in Kuwait for 4 years I am quite aware that as an expat I am relatively powerless, especially since my school is a large for profit corporation.
Kuwait Labor Laws
Isn't it ironic that your contract always says that you must abide by all local laws but your contract doesn't always do so.
Maternity/paternity leave is a bit of an issue because they are designed to keep employees that plan to stay a very very long time with a company. I don't know many IS that plan on all their expat staff staying forever. Big world of adventure out there.
I was in China and by law I had a week. I got three days by all my supervisors and colleagues conspiring to have my classes covered and HR out of the loop.
If you plan to be a teacher, try to time the birth for summer. It gets away from the issue, and more importantly does not create the issue of having a kid born in a foreign country. Constantly having to legalize their papers in different countries will be a pain.
Maternity/paternity leave is a bit of an issue because they are designed to keep employees that plan to stay a very very long time with a company. I don't know many IS that plan on all their expat staff staying forever. Big world of adventure out there.
I was in China and by law I had a week. I got three days by all my supervisors and colleagues conspiring to have my classes covered and HR out of the loop.
If you plan to be a teacher, try to time the birth for summer. It gets away from the issue, and more importantly does not create the issue of having a kid born in a foreign country. Constantly having to legalize their papers in different countries will be a pain.
Isn't it ironic that your contract always says that you must abide by all local laws but your contract doesn't always do so.
Maternity/paternity leave is a bit of an issue because they are designed to keep employees that plan to stay a very very long time with a company. I don't know many IS that plan on all their expat staff staying forever. Big world of adventure out there.
I was in China and by law I had a week. I got three days by all my supervisors and colleagues conspiring to have my classes covered and HR out of the loop.
If you plan to be a teacher, try to time the birth for summer. It gets away from the issue, and more importantly does not create the issue of having a kid born in a foreign country. Constantly having to legalize their papers in different countries will be a pain.
Maternity/paternity leave is a bit of an issue because they are designed to keep employees that plan to stay a very very long time with a company. I don't know many IS that plan on all their expat staff staying forever. Big world of adventure out there.
I was in China and by law I had a week. I got three days by all my supervisors and colleagues conspiring to have my classes covered and HR out of the loop.
If you plan to be a teacher, try to time the birth for summer. It gets away from the issue, and more importantly does not create the issue of having a kid born in a foreign country. Constantly having to legalize their papers in different countries will be a pain.
Contacting the Ministry is a process that can't be entered unless you can show documentation that you have tried to resolve issues with your board. For example, I provided a letter 3 times to be responded to by the Board and it was not put on the agenda by the Superintendent. As well, our Staff Association has great difficulty getting any response to the labor law on their monthly agendas since it would then go into the minutes.
Attaining a lawyer is difficult because once you open a case you cannot leave the country (you can travel, but you can't begin the process of no longer being a resident if exiting the country). Many law cases can be buried for years as well.
What I am truly curious about is how the accreditation process will deal with this issue. My school is undergoing the process this fall. I have a feeling it will be nothing more than a recommendation by the accreditation team. It shows true insight to how ineffective the accreditation process is.
Attaining a lawyer is difficult because once you open a case you cannot leave the country (you can travel, but you can't begin the process of no longer being a resident if exiting the country). Many law cases can be buried for years as well.
What I am truly curious about is how the accreditation process will deal with this issue. My school is undergoing the process this fall. I have a feeling it will be nothing more than a recommendation by the accreditation team. It shows true insight to how ineffective the accreditation process is.
Well
If you sent three letters and the board failed to act or refused to, that sounds like you've "tried" to resolve the problem, and could go to the labor ministry at that point. What do they define as "trying" or attempting to resolve the issue?
Depends on their accreditation, but normally labor or contract disputes (which are distinct from an actual judgement or finding of fact, by a government body) are not a component of an accreditation review. They mostly review factors involving the curriculum. I can you saying that teachers effect the curriculum, but accreditation is concerned with regulatory factors like effective course delivery/class size and teacher qualifications.
Depends on their accreditation, but normally labor or contract disputes (which are distinct from an actual judgement or finding of fact, by a government body) are not a component of an accreditation review. They mostly review factors involving the curriculum. I can you saying that teachers effect the curriculum, but accreditation is concerned with regulatory factors like effective course delivery/class size and teacher qualifications.
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Irish Rover
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:26 pm
WASTA REIGNS SUPREME IN GULF COUNTRIES
In one sentence, WASTA reigns supreme in Gulf countries. Although these countries have labour laws on the books (most based on UK/European models), they mean nothing and you are right, you have absolutely no rights. At one Gulf school, over 7 of us filed complaints for major labor law violations and absolutely NOTHING was done to remedy the situation; these stories abound in private, for profit schools in the Middle East. Beware, you have no rights in these countries. Professionals to migrant workers are treated deplorably by employers and sponsors throughout Gulf countries.