“NABUDOL PO AKO.” These are 3 big words that we don't like to hear from our members in the community. Budol in Tagalog (Filipino) means act of cheating, swindling or being double crossed.
Sadly, these are happening nowadays. There are some groups or individuals who are taking advantage of the increasing job opportunities available for Filipino workers in the UK. We have encountered victims of illegal recruiters or agencies falsely offering jobs for a fee, employers denying their hires their own rights or employers not providing a safe environment to their workers. The victims are either scared to speak up or some don’t even know they are being abused or mistreated.
Let’s stop this from happening.
Here are Top 3 Anti-budol tips as you look for opportunities in the UK. This applies to those who are in the UK and looking for their next job.
1. Do NOT pay a recruiter or an agency for finding you a job.
The common practice in the UK is for the employers to pay the agency/recruiter for every successful hire. It’s NOT common and allowed for recruiters to charge a fee to be paid by candidates/applicants themselves.
If you have a special arrangement with a recruiter, verify first their legitimacy (check POEA or are they registered in the Companies House) and make sure you have a legal contract signed prior agreeing to anything with them.
Filipino UK Nurses community group has its advertising platform and promote different jobs for nurses and carers. Please do NOTE that our team DO NOT charge a fee to any applicants- nurses and carers. If someone claims to be part or related to our team and charges you a fee for finding you a job, please report it to us immediately and most importantly, do NOT pay.
We have also written an article about how to identify & not be a victim of job scams. This applies not only to nurses and carers but other professionals/workers wanting to go to the UK.
2. Do NOT sign a contract without reading & understanding it.
A job offer letter/contract is always seen as good news. Some may be too excited that they would not read the details and just sign. This is NOT a good practice. Make sure that you understand what you’re signing and agreeing with. For terms of employment, understand the particulars from job, hours of work, pay, benefits, termination, notice period and buy-out clause. There are cases where employees are being demanded to do or pay for fees that are not originally arranged in the contract. If they’re not in the contract, you have the right to reject their claim.
If an employer asks you to sign a new contract with new terms and conditions, make sure you read them carefully. If there are clauses that are not in the original contract and you’re not in agreement with, seek advice from your union or ACAS.
3. Do NOT be afraid to ask or report your concerns. If your gut feels something is not right, probably, there’s something wrong. Ask questions. Do your research.
For any questions or concerns re your employment (including your rights), please reach out to your union or ACAS, an independent public body that provides free and impartial advice to employees, employers and representatives re their employment rights.
Your union can give you proper advice and even help you in your discussions with your employer. You can join the union even if you have not passed the OSCE. Here are some of the UK union available:
For ACAS, you can contact them through their hotline- Contact us | Acas Helpline 0300 123 110
For any crime related questions including fraud, please reach out to the police. You can call 102 for any non-emergency related questions.
For any concerns or questions regarding your Overseas agency or recruiter, you can contact POLO. polo_london@dole.gov.ph
We’re hoping that these tips can enlighten & guide as you find new opportunities in the UK. Think. Act. Speak Up.
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