Winshire Education Centre (Bedok North)

I was unfortunately a tutor with Winshire Education Centre from December 2014 to October 2015 and it was my by far my worst working experience ever. This educational centre that purported ethics and morals as its guiding principles in its promotions cannot be further away from the truth in its ways and management. The employers James Tan and Lindy Yeo are clearly the most dishonest, exploitive and unethical employers I have worked for and refused to pay for my teaching services when I was working for them by coming up with a barrage of excuses. I am totally appalled by the manipulative and penny-pinching couple, James Tan and Lindy Yeo, who amasssed there wealth and millions paying for their landed property through providing educational services actually knowingly exploited an employee who has worked for them and refused to pay me my salary according to the terms of my contract.

When I was working for them, I was told and as stated in the contract that I have signed for that I would be paid my salary for the previous month on the 15th on the following month. However, for the 10 months that I have worked for them, I was never paid on time. The salary was ALWAYS late for up to one week or even longer. Initially, when I was working for the first few months and as I was only taking on two classes and thought that the situation would improved after I have worked longer, I didn't think too much into it and accepted the late pay without raising the issue up. Nevertheless, the situation did not improve over time and the pay issues were not resolved and in fact I got my pay later and later. When I brought up the issue to one of the employers, Miss Lindy Yeo (who had reassured me prior to me signing the contract that pay will be on time), she simply "pushed" me to her administrative staff who could not give me a reply as to why the pay was late and when I would receive it. This happened over and over again like a bad nightmare as Winshire and its employees have the habit of "disappearing" when my pay issues are concerned and pushing me to the administrative staff when they cannot make the decisions as to when my pay would be received. At times, Lindy Yeo would come up with the excuse that the administrative staff in charge of doing the payroll is on leave, in hospital etc when it was plain to see that it was another of her pay-delaying tactics. Winshire collects fees from the students as early as the previous month before lessons commence and my students had to pay for the lessons regardless of their attendance and yet they NEVER once pay me on time. Despite all the excuses, I continued teaching the students to the best of my ability and taught all the lessons.

I even went the extra mile to provide the students with worksheets and notes I have prepared because the centre materials were largely outdated, not aligned with the latest MOE syllabus and fraught with printing errors. My students have on numerous occasions complained to me that the materials were pretty much useless and they did not benefit or learn much from doing them. It was sometimes embarrassing to actually teach using the centre's obsolete materials and often I have to improvise and provide materials with them at my own expense so that the students can learn more productively instead of doing the centre's worksheets that were practically useless as attested by the majority of the students. Instead of appreciating my efforts, they came up with groundless excuses not to pay as I have earlier expressed my intention not to teach anymore when their penny-pinching, pathetically stingy parsimonious, unethical and cost-cutting ways became clearer with time. Imagine them collecting fees from the students way before my salary and then refusing to pay me for the work I have committed. They came up with most preposterous ways not to pay me. Two most glaring excuse they came up with was instead of deducting the amount they should pay me for 1 lesson when I could not make it due to school commitment, they ludicrously deducted thrice the amount. Imagine not being paid for your wage for that day and even having to compensate the organisation for. Even when the student was late for the lessons through no fault of mine, they deducted my pay arbitrarily. Nothing was ever mentioned or stated in the contract about something like this.

When I contacted and went to their office to ask for my pay, the unethical employers Lindy Yeo and James Tan go missing in action. They both are teachers and educators in the centre teaching Science and Mathematics to the students as well and what examples they set to students with such immoral and unscrupulous tactics not to pay exployees like me. They made me sign a 6 month long contract for such a pathetic amount of salary and after I have committed the hours teaching, they came with a slew of excuses not to pay knowing I am still studying and need the income due to my current financial situation. Lindy Yeo pleaded with me relentlessly to help take over two classes after I have initially told her I was too busy with school, reassuring me that the schedules for the classes can be discussed and I would be paid fairly and on time but it was a bunch of lies. They lined their pockets with the money they were supposed to pay part time staff like me. It is disgusting how they drive luxurious cars and build up their private properties and yet refused to even pay me my month's salary. Lindy Yeo even asked me to "plead" with James Tan for my salary. Sorry Lindy Yeo, if you want to be feckless and act all pitiful, go ahead but I will not do so. This is my salary and I deserved it. I am not asking for charity but my salary- the salary I have worked for and why should I beg for it?

This organisation has leeched me and the other employee who has posted in this website of her salary. I agreed with the other contributor in the website that they made use of the loopholes of the law to cheat teachers of their hard-earned salaries. I would like to exhort all unknowing teachers or staff of this unethical education centre that has their branches in Bedok North and Bedok South and office in Tampines not to join Winshire Education Centre and I wish to flag down this organisation so that no ignorant or innocent teachers would be exploited and cheated of their hard-earned salaries! I also cautioned all parents about enrolling their children in such an unethical organisation like Winshire Education Centre.