Currently Engaged in a Wage and Hour Lawsuit - Instructor Language Systems International Employee Review

Thank you for your recent perspective on your experience at Language Systems. We would like to respond to some assumptions that were made in your critique of Language Systems and its employment practices. Over the years, Language Systems has put tremendous effort into complying with all California labor laws regarding its employees. We have always provided teachers with more break time than is required by law, and teachers are not required to come in early or work late, despite what you’ve said. We provide materials (a curriculum you praised in your review) so that teachers don’t need to spend any time outside of the classroom, and any time needed for writing or TOEFL teachers outside of class to correct essays is recorded and paid. Therefore, upper management was surprised at the recent attempt at a lawsuit (which has not been certified) since we have worked so hard to comply with all labor laws. International student enrollment at U.S. universities and colleges has declined because they have recently had a much more difficult time acquiring student visas and there has been a large increase in student visa denials. Also, other international students have been choosing not to study in the U.S. because of the current political climate. Please google this and you will see numerous stories. Language Systems is not taking away university students. In fact, we have agreements with 29 local colleges and universities that allow students to enroll with a TOEFL waiver after finishing a specific level. We actually send students to colleges and universities. It is not possible for a private company, which receives no funding from the government nor accepts financial aid, to pay per hour what a public university or college can pay. However, new teachers start out at $17-18 an hour, which is not “almost the same rate as Los Angeles' minimum wage,” as you state in your review. When we hire a new teacher, we fully inform them of the hours and pay they can expect at Language Systems. We do not hide anything from the teachers, so they are able to make an informed decision on whether or not they want to commit to a position at Language Systems. Teachers who need to make a higher income will generally leave for higher paying jobs that are not in the ESL industry. Language Systems has worked hard over the years to provide a pleasant workplace for all its employees; as a result, many teachers choose to stay. There is a set curriculum for teachers to follow, scheduled teacher meetings and professional development sessions (all paid), and extra support from the Program Coordinator at each school. We strongly believe that we cannot be compared to other similar sized language schools in California. Therefore, we are confident moving forward that we will successfully demonstrate our continued compliance in all areas of the law.