I am a freelance business English teacher in the Ruhrgebiet working primarily through a few different schools/language agencies. In the last year I have found myself in a very difficult situation of being asked to accept 3 and 4 consecutive course meeting cancellations on an all-too-regular basis. I am sure this is not an unfamiliar situation to visitors to this board. Obviously, cancellations are an occupational hazard of working freelance. However, I can't help but feel that granting the possibility of cancellation with at least 24 hours notice is not the same as accepting cancellations at will. I am wondering how others handle similar situations.
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Excessive cancellations
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 ClayC |
Excessive cancellations |
Lead | |
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Posts: 20 (Wed, Jun 13, 2007 16:25) |
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raDAr |
Re: Excessive cancellations | ||
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Posts: 95 (Thu, Jun 14, 2007 13:40) |
24 hours notice is standard and rarely will clients moan about this. Some schools have a longer notice period (48 hours sometimes). Any school not doing this is a waste of time.
This is, as you say, a hazard of the job and can't be changed. The schools suffer as much as the teachers when this happens as they usually can't invoice their clients. Some schools I am aware of charge the client but don't pay the teacher which is of course a complete disgrace. Just remember though that schools often see freelancers as suppliers and not as employees. This is more or less your legal status too. |
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ClayC |
Re: Excessive cancellations | ||
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Posts: 20 (Thu, Jun 14, 2007 15:18) |
I agree. The trouble in one situation was that the particular school had such a lucrative relationship with the client that it didn't pay for them to make waves over 16 cancelled hours in 6 weeks. Of course, it is entirely possible that they charged this client (a major multinational corporation) in any case. The client was oblivious about the whole situation, basically a geldautomat for the school.
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Amydg |
short notice | ||
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Posts: 26 (Thu, Jun 14, 2007 16:15) |
Hi Clay,
Well, that certainly sucks. I usually get at least 24 hours notice. However, I also usually get the opportunity to reschedule the hours. Weren't you offered that? Why were they cancelled in the first place? Was it the same group of people cancelling each time? Are they lacking motivation? Something else? Was/is it a political problem? Does management really support this training or are they just doing the courses for the sake being able to say they are doing them? Amy |
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ClayC |
Re: short notice | ||
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Posts: 20 (Thu, Jun 14, 2007 17:13) |
Some of the hours were rescheduled, some weren't. The result was still a significant shortfall for me a few different months in any case. Ultimately I decided that as long as I was having to spend a lot of time seeking work to replace hours I was already under contract for, I might as well spend all of my time finding a different employer.
You hit the nail on the head. The human resources department of this client was totally going through the motions. The students quickly got the message that this was the case and did likewise. |
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Amydg |
going through the motions | ||
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Posts: 26 (Mon, Jun 25, 2007 14:22) |
This is a shame. I notice this sort of scenario also can happen when a group of civil servants have training. The money gets freed up, decisions made and people are sent to go to training and really do not want to be there. Fortunately, this is not true of all gigs, nor of all participants, just some. Management support is a key factor.
Amy |
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YorickJenkins |
Re: going through the motions | ||
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Posts: 133 (Thu, Jun 28, 2007 19:34) |
I have the following solution or part solution to this problem when I make private contracts.
1) I charge less per unit if it is agreed to do say 50 units (thats is fairlystandard) 2) however, to benefit from the low rate, the hours agreed on cant extend for ever-I set a time period. For my cancellations I extend the time period but not for their cancellations. This seems to be quite an effective system but only possible if the trainer writes the contract (another reason for as many people becoming independent as possible and getting away from schools). YorickJenkins |
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ClayC |
Re: going through the motions | ||
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Posts: 20 (Sat, Jun 30, 2007 12:06) |
Great suggestion, Yorick. I will definitely be incorporating a time limit into future private contracts. This is really only fair. I started a class back in April that (due to cancellations and public holidays) has only met 5 times! When I signed this contract for 30 lessons, I certainly didn't anticipate setting aside my Thursday evenings in perpetuity!
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YorickJenkins |
Cancellations | ||
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Posts: 126 (Wed, Oct 1, 2008 08:37) |
I d like to know how you have got on with your contracts including cancellation clauses since we last talked about it a year ago-also I did not mention last
time, there is a move towards 48 hour instead of 24 hour notice for courses. More and more training providers are stipulating 48 hours (they have the same
interest as their trainers on this-they dont want lessons cancelled on time stretching a course out for ever any more than the trainer does).
Of course this is also another incentive to make the courses interesting-the more interesting they are, the better the chance that at least one person will turn up but there are plenty of groups of course who will frequently cancel for reasons which have nothing to do with the standard of teaching. I also think cancelling is mor eserious when it is the only lesson at the place because if you were going to the place anyway for the lesson after you probably had a slot for the whole morning or afternoon there in any case. I'd like to hear more postings on cancellations please-it is an important issue. Yorick |
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