I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I can't find a threat pertinent to my specific situation. Most seem to be about breaking contract in the middle of the school year, while I'm wondering about breaking well before the school year even starts.
Example:
If I get a job from one of the Search fairs in January, what is the penalty of breaking that contract?
I have a few other options outside of Search (though not a lot since I'm not the strongest candidate - History and English, no experience), but they usually make hiring decisions in February or even March. Some of those options sound better than what I get from Search.
So if I get a contract in January and decide to break in March or April, before the school year starts. What might be the penalty?
If it's a financial penalty, I could probably take the hit. If it's something worse, I'd rather know now and try to get into a later fair (e.g. Bethesda).
Any help would be appreciated.
Penalties for breaking contract question...
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Lastname_Z
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 12:17 pm
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Cheery Littlebottom
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 8:32 am
Sweetie
Don't mess with people. Even if the school in question was gracious about it, was you've basically done is pissed off the biggest recruitment agency in IS teaching.
I can't quite gather why you would go to a recruitment fair, inexperienced and in a non-shortage subject, accept a job, possibly even sign a legally binding contract, then renege?
Sometimes, people have emergencies; I heard of one poor family whose child developed a rare condition which truly needed treatment in the US, and another woman whose mother died suddenly leaving a handicapped brother without a carer. But these were exceptional conditions.
What you are suggesting is some sort of planned circumstance. Are you hanging out for some sort of promise? A specific school? A marriage proposal? A promotion at home?
Frankly, if you say yes, you had better darn well mean yes. I think what you suggest may have far-reaching consequences. Word gets around. Replaceable you may be, but this sort of thing puts people off......
Don't mess with people. Even if the school in question was gracious about it, was you've basically done is pissed off the biggest recruitment agency in IS teaching.
I can't quite gather why you would go to a recruitment fair, inexperienced and in a non-shortage subject, accept a job, possibly even sign a legally binding contract, then renege?
Sometimes, people have emergencies; I heard of one poor family whose child developed a rare condition which truly needed treatment in the US, and another woman whose mother died suddenly leaving a handicapped brother without a carer. But these were exceptional conditions.
What you are suggesting is some sort of planned circumstance. Are you hanging out for some sort of promise? A specific school? A marriage proposal? A promotion at home?
Frankly, if you say yes, you had better darn well mean yes. I think what you suggest may have far-reaching consequences. Word gets around. Replaceable you may be, but this sort of thing puts people off......
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Lastname_Z
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 12:17 pm
Okay message received Cheery,
I haven't done anything yet, thankfully. This is all just a hypothetical scenario.
I was just asking the question because I may/may not get other offers from schools I've gotten in touch with outside of Search (some of which were very receptive towards me) and I would want a backup plan. I don't necessarily want to lose those other schools' contacts later on in life simply because I accepted a job through Search and not with them.
I wasn't sure how harmful/harmless it would be because, like you said I'm replaceable, and it's well before the start of the school year.
Thanks for the help. As I'm writing this, I realize I'm not being professional at all, and I have to be much more decisive and really think about what I want to do instead of "keeping my options open".
I haven't done anything yet, thankfully. This is all just a hypothetical scenario.
I was just asking the question because I may/may not get other offers from schools I've gotten in touch with outside of Search (some of which were very receptive towards me) and I would want a backup plan. I don't necessarily want to lose those other schools' contacts later on in life simply because I accepted a job through Search and not with them.
I wasn't sure how harmful/harmless it would be because, like you said I'm replaceable, and it's well before the start of the school year.
Thanks for the help. As I'm writing this, I realize I'm not being professional at all, and I have to be much more decisive and really think about what I want to do instead of "keeping my options open".
He asked from a legal standpoint, not moral. Everyone knows their moral obligations.
It will vary school to school, contract to contract, country to country. One thing to note, Search will always be there to take your money. The international school scene is small, but people break contracts and life moves on.
It will vary school to school, contract to contract, country to country. One thing to note, Search will always be there to take your money. The international school scene is small, but people break contracts and life moves on.
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Cheery Littlebottom
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 8:32 am
Hey Max
You do indeed have a point. Shit happens for sure. And each circumstance is different.
I suppose it's a question of ones point of view. I think that if I had to renege on a contract, whatever the circumstances, then I would always be looking over my shoulder wondering if it would come back to bite me and feeling bad about it.
I should imagine if someone was a little less of a worrier than me then it would sit better with them.
Generally, I prefer to play with a straight bat.
I would stick to my advice though for a teacher trying to get into IS teaching because the question was one of repercussions, and there could be negative effects.
Lets hope we all find our perfect job first time!
You do indeed have a point. Shit happens for sure. And each circumstance is different.
I suppose it's a question of ones point of view. I think that if I had to renege on a contract, whatever the circumstances, then I would always be looking over my shoulder wondering if it would come back to bite me and feeling bad about it.
I should imagine if someone was a little less of a worrier than me then it would sit better with them.
Generally, I prefer to play with a straight bat.
I would stick to my advice though for a teacher trying to get into IS teaching because the question was one of repercussions, and there could be negative effects.
Lets hope we all find our perfect job first time!
Legal repercussions vary and would generally be minimal if there are any. The school is probably not in any sort of position to enforce an expectation that you pay them back their expenses, nor anything like that.
Cheery's right, the real repercussions are in pissing off groups and individuals you may need later. I've personally seen teachers take mega-hits years after doing this sort of thing, losing out on jobs they would otherwise have gotten, just because someone knew what they had done and wasn't afraid to share it. Schools don't like getting burned, and they will freely tell other schools to avoid you on the grounds that if you did it once, you'll do it again.
Not to mention the very real possibility that if you duck out of a contract with School A in favor of School B, School A might then tell School B about it, and School B could cancel your contract on the grounds that you recruited and signed under false pretenses. It's a standard rule in recruiting that once you sign, you have to stop looking - if you're seen to still be looking, or even worse if you sign another contract, you can be sacked from your job before you even get there.
And yes, international schools are very closely connected. We all move around pretty frequently, so there's always someone at School A who is friends with someone at School B, so this sort of thing easily gets around the grapevine.
Best advice: look carefully, consider carefully, accept an offer that pleases you, and don't look back.
Cheery's right, the real repercussions are in pissing off groups and individuals you may need later. I've personally seen teachers take mega-hits years after doing this sort of thing, losing out on jobs they would otherwise have gotten, just because someone knew what they had done and wasn't afraid to share it. Schools don't like getting burned, and they will freely tell other schools to avoid you on the grounds that if you did it once, you'll do it again.
Not to mention the very real possibility that if you duck out of a contract with School A in favor of School B, School A might then tell School B about it, and School B could cancel your contract on the grounds that you recruited and signed under false pretenses. It's a standard rule in recruiting that once you sign, you have to stop looking - if you're seen to still be looking, or even worse if you sign another contract, you can be sacked from your job before you even get there.
And yes, international schools are very closely connected. We all move around pretty frequently, so there's always someone at School A who is friends with someone at School B, so this sort of thing easily gets around the grapevine.
Best advice: look carefully, consider carefully, accept an offer that pleases you, and don't look back.
Reply
I always come out on the other side of this issue then most posters.
If you break contract through ISS or SA you are first liable to pay the agency the placement fee for you. You will also be banned from being represented by them. Not much of an incentive to pay the placement fee, and you have a job so you dont really need them. Agencies dont turn down money so ina couple years when you come back with marketable experience and your going to make an associate some money they arent going to turn you away.
There is no black list, of course I wouldnt tell school A that you were dumping them for school B. They cant realistically warn every school in the world, even if they tried it would ahve so many people on the email most spam filters would block it. They cant realistically call every school either. Heads do not sniff each others butts and then go over the list of runners they have had this year when they meet each other.
The school is not likely going to be in a position to actually pursue legal recourse against you.
People run all the time and life moves on. This year is the first year since the recession were seeing increased (marginal, but still there) demand, especially in high needs areas. If your going to pull a runner sell it to the school as a family emergency, say your sorry be very apologetic, cry a little on the phone, and then move on.
If you break contract through ISS or SA you are first liable to pay the agency the placement fee for you. You will also be banned from being represented by them. Not much of an incentive to pay the placement fee, and you have a job so you dont really need them. Agencies dont turn down money so ina couple years when you come back with marketable experience and your going to make an associate some money they arent going to turn you away.
There is no black list, of course I wouldnt tell school A that you were dumping them for school B. They cant realistically warn every school in the world, even if they tried it would ahve so many people on the email most spam filters would block it. They cant realistically call every school either. Heads do not sniff each others butts and then go over the list of runners they have had this year when they meet each other.
The school is not likely going to be in a position to actually pursue legal recourse against you.
People run all the time and life moves on. This year is the first year since the recession were seeing increased (marginal, but still there) demand, especially in high needs areas. If your going to pull a runner sell it to the school as a family emergency, say your sorry be very apologetic, cry a little on the phone, and then move on.