Kojen Policy

Taipei has entered monsoon season which means it can pour all day, everyday, for days on end. When it's not raining, it's hot and humid, so much so that when you step out of your door you are instantly covered with sweat that doesn't seem to want to evaporate until you make it to another air conditioned location which, in my case, is usually work.

Kojen now has a new dress code policy which specifically states that teachers in the children's department cannot wear shorts, tank tops, sandals, etc. I think I broke most of the most of the rules yesterday. I figured I would rather have my manager give me talk than soak my clothes through with sweat. No one mentioned anything so I think I'm going to go on preferring my choice of clothing until they tell me that I have to go home and change. The thing that gets me is that they allow teachers to wear jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. How is that more professional than a pair of khaki shorts and a plain sleeveless top? Not to mention there are female teachers, we won't mention any names but we know who they are, who wear jeans so low that it's surprising that pubic hair isn't showing, and others who wear shirts with sexually explicit material while teaching six year olds. There should be a rule that says that jeans which go down to the crotch should not be allowed.

Lately, I've been getting more and more fed up with this school. There are specific guidelines clearly stated in print that we are supposed to get an annual bonus after about 1000 hours of work, a raise if we've worked a few hundred hours, and a return rate bonus if 90% of our students come back to study after each session. Teachers don't get the money unless you ask about it. I wouldn't have gotten my bonus if I hadn't incessantly asked Queena, the Children's Department manager, to add up my hours. And each time, it seemed like I was putting her out by asking to do her job. I think I went to her office every other day for about a month, and each time she would chuckle, "Ha ha, not yet." It's the same, if you want to inquire about a raise. Actually, most teachers don't even know about it. Last year when my old Director Jane was working at our school she showed me the pay raise chart for children's teachers. I asked if could make a copy of it. "Sure!" A year later I was talking to some co-workers about this topic and I was surprised to discover, most of the teachers were not only unclear about the number of hours one must accumulate, but had never heard a thing about it. I thought I would be doing a service by posting it up on the bulletin board. A few days later, it mysteriously disappeared. Teachers wondered and complained saying that it was important. So I put another one up. Then that one was taken down as well. We found out that it was the Adult Department director who took this one down. It's these little things that I hate about this company. They try to nip every last penny from you. As for the return rate bonus, you can forget about that. It doesn't show up on your pay sheet, and it only goes through the system after several months and by that time the class that you taught has been over for months. There's no way to track it. This is what the company is counting on, that you lose track about your money and that we all just forget about it. Kojen steals thousands of dollars from teachers every year.

I could go on and on ranting about Kojen but there are good things too. The people here are all really nice for the most part. It's a very relaxed environment. There's not a whole lot of pressure, and I get to do whatever I want during the day time, like write in my blog. = )