Complaint Against Recruiter of Foreign Teachers
Posted Oct 23, 2009
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In many jurisdictions throughout the United States, school districts are dealing with staffing shortages by hiring teachers from overseas. Typically, these positions involve science, math, and foreign language teachers. The H1B category is often utilized for such teachers. This is absolutely a permissible and legitimate manner for schools to meet their unmet needs. However, school districts, as with all other employers, need to be careful regarding the source of such employees. As reported by National Public Radio (NPR) on October 2, 2009, several school districts in Louisiana hired teachers from the Philippines via a recruiter, Universal Placement International. A summary of that report follows.
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Recruiter Demands Fees and Portion of Future Earnings
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According to NPR, the teachers’ union, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), recently filed a compliant alleging that Universal Placement not only demanded that foreign teachers pay up to $15,000 in fees for visa applications and related formalities, it also insisted they pay 10 percent of their monthly earnings for two years. Citing documents filed with the State of Louisiana, NPR reported that Universal Placement aggressively pursued teachers who failed to keep up with these payments.
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Interviewed by NPR, the president of the LFT said that H1B teachers who complained were threatened by the recruiter with the possibility of losing their jobs. This put them under extreme duress: no job, no status, and a mountain of debt to repay upon their return to the Philippines.
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Recruiters May Provide Valuable Service or May Take Advantage
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The article notes that hiring foreign teachers under the H1B program has become increasingly widespread as school districts scramble to find qualified teachers in particular fields. Many school districts turn to recruiters to meet these needs. The fees paid to the recruiter by the teacher can be significant, as would be the case with most placement or recruitment firms. As the NPR report makes clear, however, some recruiters move beyond standard business practices to taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of immigrant workers. Employers and others using these types of companies must look out for warning signs, such as a lack of transparency or questions not answered fully or forthrightly.
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Not all recruiters are alike, and many provide a valuable service by connecting job seekers with employers, at reasonable fees. Indeed, as one recruiter noted in the interview, foreign teachers often are willing to pay the fees to find employment in the United States, because it would be difficult for them to do on their own.
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Conclusion
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Whether one is a teacher seeking employment in the United States, or a school district representative seeking to fill vacancies, it pays to be absolutely clear about the terms of the recruiter’s contract. The contract terms, particularly those relating to fees and payment, should be carefully reviewed and considered before signing. The Murthy Law Firm can assist with the immigration of foreign teachers for school districts that choose this route to deal with unfilled positions.