There are many horror stories from people that I know and people that I have heard about. Just to mention a few - many people did not have their work permits (this is normal - ed) when I was there and had to leave the country every three months. I had a work permit but my social insurance was never paid and I was not reimbursed for any costs (must mean health insurance - ed).
A friend who finally got his work permit just before he finished his full contract (the contracts there vary and full timers often get screwed if they don't teach the full time hours) and when he didn't renew his contract found out in a very unpleasant way that his work permit was revoked (you are, or were at the time, only able to work at the institution that got the work permit for you anyway - ed). Another friend was forcibly detained in the office when all she wanted to do was leave. Other friends have gotten roped into doing extra projects with the promise of being paid but the actual pay tends to be far below what was promised.
Several of the people I know think that the owner/manager stays up at night thinking up ways to make people suffer.
Apart from the general craziness payday tends to fall on the 15th of the month and they always use the lowest possible rate to convert dollars into lira. The support staff has a high turnover rate and it makes doing your job difficult. Many people end up working almost every single day if they want to earn enough.
The guy at Berlitz is a liar. He comes across as being nice and caring and then comes the day when you realize how nasty and ugly he really is. They ask you to lie to customers and the nasty things he has to say about students is disgusting at best.
Just stay away from this place unless you want to experience a lot of negativity. "
posted in May, 2004
Ha! The contract is invalid. Don't fall for it. I quit because I was recovering from an illness and they would not give me any time off. I offered to go part time , but nooooo, my contract says full time. So I quit.
Stay away from Berlitz IStanbul. Oh I guess youshould stay away from Berlitz in general from the other posts I have read. BTW The English Center in Sisli is a class act. "
posted in 2003
posted in 2003
The charge that "they don't care about the teachers" is untrue...Whenever I had special needs Iwas able to discuss it with management and they were sympathetic and understanding... The teachers are expected to work hard - Berlitz has rigorous standards - but the hard work does not go unappreciated (possibly unpaid, though - ed).
I wouldn't write off Berlitz because of the comments of those who have no experience working there or who went with no intention of working. I am satisfied...But the work is challenging and the schedule is demanding, as I knew it would be before I signed on." POSTED May 2003
