Berlin, 14 AUGUST 2023 – FAU Berlin urges immediate action for Learnship language teachers’ rights and well-being
Online language training company Learnship is once again leading the race to the bottom in freelance language teacher wages. Many Learnship teachers earning above €15 per hour are no longer being offered classes, while others are only paid €12 per hour. This effective pay cut has been implemented without consultation. It follows a new cancellation policy implemented in 2018, under which, if a student cancels less than six hours before class or doesn’t come to the lesson, teachers only get 33% of their hourly rate. (If student cancels more than six hours before class, teachers get nothing). Most teachers have not received a pay rise since 2018, others since before that. Self-determination of rates of pay is central to the definition of freelance work. During the pandemic, however, Learnship forced teachers to accept a 25% pay cut or have no new courses for an indefinite period of time. This “Covid pay cut” was not reversed until nearly a year later; the cancellation policy is still in place.
Earlier this year, Learnship once again began putting pressure on teachers to accept low rates. One teacher was locked out of its website, unable to log in until she accepted €12 per hour. She had to complain to management to regain access. Many students whose teachers receive more than €15 per hour are being told that they have to change teachers at the end of their courses.
Teacher salaries in Germany range from €44,900-63,000 (source: Stepstone.com). A teacher making Learnship’s hourly wage of €15 will earn only €14,400 per year, and a teacher on €12 per hour—which is also the current minimum wage in Germany—will earn only €11, 520. This is for teaching 20 contact hours per week, 48 weeks of the year. This hourly rate does not include unpaid administrative tasks, lesson preparation, and marking. In practice Learnship teachers do not earn even this much because of other company policies.
Freelancers must also pay their own taxes, health care, and other insurances, as well as financing their own independent workplaces. For most, therefore, Learnship’s pay is not a living wage. Nevertheless, this international company continues a misguided effort to reduce compensation for teachers who use its site all over the world to the lowest common denominator, with dire consequences for workers in countries with a higher cost of living, such as Germany.
Once considered an excellent company for online language teachers to work with, conditions at Learnship have been worsening for the past few years. There is no workers’ council or union representation at the company, which caused its workers to begin to unionize under the Freie Arbeiter*innen Union (FAU) Berlin.
Learnship clients include many of the biggest names in European industry, including IBM, Volvo, Canon and Carrefour. We contend that Learnship’s current working conditions do not meet the minimum standard set out in these companies’ codes of conduct.
FAU has tried to contact Learnship repeatedly, but all communication has been ignored. FAU now intends to escalate the fight for fair treatment and improved working conditions for freelance teachers at Learnship, who are highly trained professionals who work on zero-hours contracts with no guarantees of work. Teachers report high levels of anxiety, insecurity and frustration because of these changes. ‚Teachers used to be respected,‘ said one teacher. ‚ Now I am barely earning more than the minimum wage — it makes me wonder what the value of training to be a teacher is.‘ Many are considering leaving the profession they love, in which they have built up strong relationships with students.
As the demand for language learning opportunities continues to grow in the digital age, the online language teaching sector has experienced rapid expansion. However, the very individuals with the skills to deliver these services often find themselves in precarious working arrangements that undermine their financial stability and overall well-being.
FAU demands that Learnship improve its working conditions, starting with a fair compensation and cancellation policy. It is imperative that Learnship teachers are treated fairly and compensated appropriately, as this will pave the way for a stronger and more sustainable future for online teachers and students.