January 2008
How Sabis Treat Employees
Following my interview with Sabis in a swish London hotel, I was awed enough to sign my employment contract there and then. They promised a high wage-packet, awesome bonuses and perks, and, the best part- a job teaching History (my degree subject) whereas all the other companies I had been offered work with wanted to employ me as a teacher of English.
There were many errors Sabis made but perhaps the most important things to say are in regard to an accident I sustained in the actual Choueifat school itself. It was a serious accident, requiring a blood transfusion and immediate medical treatment. The first issue that arose was the fact my medical insurance as arranged by Sabis, did not cover the nearest hospital with an accident and emergency department. Luckily, the hospital made the decision to treat me none the less. Following my admission to hospital following emergency surgery, I was left for a full five days before I managed to contact any Sabis staff. The staff were well aware of my accident, it being the entire talk of the town I lived in, but they did not phone or visit me, and when I tried to phone them, they ignored my calls. I was left in hospital for 5 days with no clue as to who or how my medical bill would be paid. I was also lacking the basics- a toothbrush, clean underwear, toiletries, a mobile phone charger; the usual things one needs when it hospital.
Eventually my friends managed to alert someone reasonably high up in the Sabis staff who eventually negotiated my medical bill with the hospital. But not before 6 days of my stay had passed, and there were murmurs of me being kicked out of hospital into a government hospital! Of course, this was incredibly stressful on top of my injury, and there was little comfort I could offer my family; 'Yes Mum, I nearly bled to death, and now I am in a hospital and don't know who is paying the bill!' Luckily my family were able, from the UK, to get the Embassy involved so I was able to glean some comfort from that.
Despite my having signed a year's contract, following my injury I was sent home with only the month's pay I had worked. I've since found it very difficult to claim incapacity benefit as my injury happened whilst working abroad. I strongly feel that Sabis should have admitted more responsibility for my accident, with it having happened on school property and as a direct result of poor health and safety planning. The final insult was that whilst I was lying in hospital, frightened and in pain, with no contact from Sabis, it was not because they were unaware of my plight. Oh no. They were perfectly aware, because they had the glass in the door replaced that very morning.