Employer holding employees' passport

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ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member16 May 2015 07:00:35

Good day,

Please enlighten me. I'm working in an English Center but I wanted to resign because of the following reasons.

1. The employer pays my salary in an installment basis.
2. He can't give me a contract (don't know the reason)
3. We agreed on $800 per month, but he changed his mind so he only pays me $750.
4. His salary is always delayed.
5. I smell something fishy, I think his Center is not yet registered.
6. Incomplete itools, and other facilities.
7. He can't provide me working visa.

To give you a background about my situation. His center just started January 2015 and I'm the only teacher there with 2 Vietnamese staff. So, I told him I wanted to resign effective July 31, 2015 so that he has time to look for a teacher to replace me, but he doesn't agree with this and he told me I can't go/ I can't stop working because he is holding my passport. Please advise me on what to do.

Please respect my post.

Best regards.

ralphnhatrang Serial expat

Member since 20 January 2015

ralphnhatrangSerial expat16 May 2015 07:09:20

599

Resign immediately, demand your passport immediately. If you don't get it, go to the police immediately.

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member16 May 2015 07:11:42

Thank you ralphnhatrang. I don't speak Vietnamese so I'm scared that the police might go in his favor. 😭

Scarletvn Guest

ScarletvnGuest16 May 2015 07:19:27

Save all of evidences (email, message,...). Tell him that if he doesn't give your passport back, you will report him to the police for blackmailing you.
You can send me pm the name of the place, I will ask around to know if your though is true or not. Then you will have more confident to get back your passport.

P.S: Sorry to hear that! You may have been scammed.

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member16 May 2015 07:31:04

Thanks Scarletvn I really appreciate it.

Fred Indonesia Expert

Member since 02 August 2009

A smile is the universal welcome.
Max Eastman

FredIndonesia Expert16 May 2015 07:51:06

28616

Contact your embassy without delay.

The passport belongs to them anyway, and they'll support you in getting it back and sorting this evil little toad out.
They'll involve the police as they see fit, and have a lot more weight behind them to get things done.

http://hanoipe.dfa.gov.ph/http://hanoipe.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/2014-01-07-08-50-16

Embassy of the Philippines

27B Tran Hung Dao Street
Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Tel: No. (84-4) 3943 78 73

Consulate General of the Philippines

Address: 40-5 Pham Viet Chanh St., Ward 19
Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel. No.: +84 8 3518 0045

These numbers will give an emergency contact number. Use it.
Don't worry about legal problems, they'll sort it all out for you.

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member16 May 2015 07:55:12

Thank you all for helping me all this, I so have many sleepless nights because of my situation.

Thank you also Admin for creating this, it helps a lot.

Fred Indonesia Expert

Member since 02 August 2009

A smile is the universal welcome.
Max Eastman

FredIndonesia Expert16 May 2015 09:15:24

28616

ash78 wrote:
Thank you all for helping me all this, I so have many sleepless nights because of my situation.

Thank you also Admin for creating this, it helps a lot.

This site is here to help expats, so we're more than happy to help you.

It would be nice if you let us know the outcome so your experience and solution can be added to the sum of information here.

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member16 May 2015 09:19:46

Will do, thanks again.

Coach Athan Contributor

Member since 14 January 2015

Coach AthanContributor18 May 2015 04:53:36

#10

149

hi Ash!

In the first place, it was already a wrong move to commence work without a contract and 2nd wrong move to let him have your passport.

However, I believe in resolution.

As discussed before, You can talk to him nicely and let him sign an agreement that he owe you the salary, talk to him nicely to pay you the salary first. As a Vietnamese boss, most have high ego, if he gets mad, he may not pay you at all.

i suggest be patient and nice first, if he shows no intention of paying up and not want to give you back the passport (assuming you will quit without salary) tell him that you will proceed to the embassy and report him on this.

I suggest going to the embassy straight (if you so decide), if embassy is helpful enough, they might have referrals of police for you. My worry here is that, if you go to the police yourself, you might incur some cost and made merry-go-round before having results.

My 2 cents.

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member18 May 2015 05:02:03

#11

Thanks athanasius pang...

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member18 May 2015 06:42:00

#12

The main reason why I handed my passport to him is he told me to process my wp will give it back after. I am stupid enough to trust him which I regret so much. He was nice person and all was well before, and suddenly things change, he became more complicated after he took my passport and I realized that I'm in a deep Shit... Grrrr 😭😭😭😭😭

Coach Athan Contributor

Member since 14 January 2015

Coach AthanContributor18 May 2015 06:56:09

#13

149

Be careful next time.

Very little help can be sought for legal issues like this except for the authorities.

Prevention is better than cure. As a foreigner, is always better to be on the safer side. Is not your homeground ya?

ash78 Active member

Member since 12 February 2015

ash78Active member18 May 2015 07:03:41

#14

yes, I agree with you. I'm so mad of myself... Grrrr i never complain anymore to him, trying to be nice now. Btw, until when I can extend my DL? my only hope is the time he can't extend my visa that I needed to exit so this will be my chance. my tourist visa expired last Feb. 11 and I went to Cambodia to extend last Feb. 14 for 3 months, and this was expired last May 14. So he did extend it again (I believe ) last May 11 for another 3 months. So I am assuming this will expires on August. Can he still extend it again? or I need to exit this time.

Thanks

dennisacadnew2 Member

Member since 24 June 2016

dennisacadnew2Member24 June 2016 09:33:19

#15

Moderated by Priscilla 8 years ago
Reason : please post in english only on this english speaking forum

Scarletvn Guest

ScarletvnGuest25 June 2016 05:13:26

#16

This is an English language forum, if you want to post in another language send the person a private message.

stumpy Laos Expert

Member since 27 November 2009

stumpyLaos Expert25 June 2016 22:34:30

#17

17992

@dennisacadnew2

As colinoscapee has said, this in an English speaking forum.

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