Pros and Cons of Working for OWLS
Posted March 18, 2008
on:Tonight I just got the details about my new contract. Here it is verbatim:
Your schools are Kato JHS, Kato ES and Genkai ES. You can walk to Kato JHS and ES from Akama station. To get to Genkai ES you can take bus from Togo station.
232,000 yen per month is provided except for August. So is transportation expenses up to 15,000 yen per month.
We will show you the actual contract at the meeting on 24th.
If you have some questions, please contact me.”
10 Responses to "Pros and Cons of Working for OWLS"
I’m with ya. &&& I didn’t know that the company took the travel expenses above 15,000yen. I am not surprised in any way that they’re doing underhanded bullshit to make more money but still that’s just fucking rotten. It’s pretty awful cuz I know guys in the company commuting really far every day and they pay the difference out of pocket.
I agree with your pros about the job, the students and teachers are the only things that save me from madness.
I have been with the company for a year, finish on Tuesday. First of all, met some great students and even a few nice teachers (none male) and was treated well by the schools
(except for the shoddy timetables!) So all up i shouldnt complain, but i will anyway.
Now the company OWLS, jesus christ what a pack of assholes. I had 2 sick/leave days in a year and i was threatened with the sack both times. Once to attend a funeral, and they indeed asked me for ALL the details, which I didnt give of course, hence the threat came. The next with the Flu this January. I was to sick to even get out of bed and attend hospital and get a doctors note. So they didnt believe i was ill, wouldnt pay the days leave, then threatened me with the sack again if i wasnt at school the next day. I have a hundred more things to tell anyone contemplating signing with the company. Just keep looking and explore your options (seriously dont sign!)
Sorry for more bad news mate but word from the president of the Fukuoka Union is that they got 41% of our salary as well.
I know I’m extremely late to this discussion board but, I used to work for Interac last year and this year I’m working for OWLS. Let me just say that yes, this company sucks ass!!!
They’re a total pack of assholes! And they bug the hell out of you too! ALL of my schools are REALLY far away. I wake up at 5:30am EVERYDAY. AND for one of my schools there’s no bus that goes there so I have to walk there. For the other schools there’s only one bus that I can catch and if I miss those buses, the next bus comes two hours later.
For the month of April my travel expenses were nearly 40,000 yen, however, I’ll only see 15,000 of that. Altough all of these ALT companies here get over on us foreigners, I wish I was back with Interac!
I only signed with OWLS out of a need to pay the bills.
However, if you’re not pressed for cash, DON’T sign with OWLS!!!!!
Not too sure about this company myself. It seems they offer some people five paid holidays and others 10. Not that it matters, because they give you hell before ever actually letting you take a day off.
A lot depends on your coordinator, though. If you have a good coordinator it can make your experience with OWLS much better.
I have heard they try keeping some of your salary, too, if you quit before your contract expires. Not sure if it’s true or not, though. Any confirmation?
They have misinformed, misrepresented information, or broken labour laws and standards concerning the following issues: paid holidays, withholding final pay, health insurance options, fines for contract cancellation, company arranged apartment expenses, non-renewal of contracts, and no salary for the month of August.
They want you to sign an agreement which says they get $1200 of your salary if you quit early. Highly illegal and is easily fixed up if you are in a Union. Talking to the Fukuoka Union priesident Chris Flynn recently he is very familiar with OWLS and how they f people over.
I havent heard much praise from fellow workmates regarding thier coordinator. Seems they all just spew the same old company bs.
What schools in Kyushu would you recommend working for, in terms of fairness etc?
Tiis is worth a read if, even after reading the Dog Blog, you are still thinking of working for this company.
OWLS dispatch company ordered to repay illegal salary deductions to twenty teachers
http://www.generalunion.org/alt/news/643
1 | userla1310
March 19, 2008 at 3:47 am
Hey Danny! Keep ur head up buddy ole pal!! **Lame** No, really…good things happen to good people!