So, in a way it is difficult to talk about my work situation as scathingly as I would like to as I am making the best money I ever have (a living wage). However, I believe that the industry that I am working in is in this weird government blind spot in which hours are completely unregulated. Let me explain more.
Basically I am an English Instructor, but not in the way where I teach at any kind of reputable college — I teach immigrants class by class at three different locations. Like I said before, the pay isn't terrible, but the expectations and work conditions are. Likewise, I am in the city with the biggest market for this in Canada and from what I understand about the industry I am making on the higher end for people who engage in this type of work.
For the most part, the expectations of the employers is for you to be doing work on your own time to create reasonable classes, on occasion at the job I have had for a year I have had some criticisms but for the most part when I asked for a curriculum or any prep time they basically conceded (the least they can do) that I was trying my best. I am absolutely overworked and spend every second of the 4 hours I work there trying to generate detail and generally do a good job. I don't particularly like the job but I thought it would be a stepping stone to something greater and at least I can afford to live.
Anyway, I've dodged bullets with other companies which seemed even more unethical — but what has happened recently has really taken the cake. I got a job with a third party company which is administrating the government model program through a local college, let's call them MKB. I had harbored dreams since I started this career path that the government programs would have full-time work and therefore all the time I've spent in terrible conditions and uncertainty would pay off, as I would be in a regulated government environment which would be professional.
This has proven not to be the case. Not only does MKB seem to have very few, if any, full time positions — I recently had a class observation which was frankly shocking. I spend an hour every day (unpaid) doing prep for the classes, which involves assembling materials, planning basic tasks, making sure the students have enough to do etc. The observation notes I was given after basically said that I should have cohesive plans minute by minute, and likewise that I should be making my own PowerPoints etc. for the classes. As it is, I spend 2.5 hours commuting between my various jobs, and two hours doing unpaid prep every day. I don't know how I could excuse using any of the 4 remaining hours I have in the day to add any more detail to the classes I make.
I have really put in my best effort for this past year, but I feel like this is the knife in my gut. I understand needing to put in dues somewhere, but I couldn't ethically excuse using any more of my time doing free work for a company which couldn't care less about me and likewise won't have further opportunity. I have tried basically since I left university to just about anything else and have never been able to, and feel like I am out of options. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.