Westgate Reviews

3.1

65% would recommend to a friend

(66 total reviews)

56% positive business outlook

Westgate has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 66 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Westgate employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Personal consumer services industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

66 reviews
1.0
30 Mar 2018

A Total Ripoff

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you've never been to Japan before, this would simplify the process (but at a cost!).

Cons

This is a greedy, unethical company, and should not be mistaken with a bona-fide educational institution. The staff (both Japanese and foreign) are dishonest and unscrupulous, and will gladly toe the company line to receive their paycheck. You are forced to use the totally overpriced housing, are required to endure grueling and unnecessarily long commutes, receive a low salary with no benefits, and the teaching itself is nothing more than standard (and often silly) ESL, not university instruction. As part of their ongoing ripoff campaign, Westgate recently switched to paying on an hourly basis (rather than a monthly salary), which guarantees that you don't even get paid for the occasional national holiday. You'd be much better off, and better paid, working for one of the many ESL chain schools. Avoid Westgate like the plague.....

2.0
20 Apr 2015

Could be a decent company if they didn't blatantly cheat you on your rent.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Independent teaching environment minimal micro-managing. -Short-term contract but you still get to keep the one year work visa (regardless of what they tell you).

Cons

It turns out that they flat out cheat you on your rent. The company requires that you pay 80,000 a month to them for your apartment. In some cases this represents up to double the real rent! When I asked them about it, they said that they use the difference between the real rent and the amount you pay to subsidize the rent of employees who live in more expensive areas. VERY DISHONEST. When I interviewed for the job, the employee who interviewed me implied that I wouldn't get the job unless I agreed to stay in their overpriced apartment. Additionally, they have ridiculous company policies. For example, you are not allowed to ride a bicycle to work. Why? Because one previous teacher got in a traffic accident. Management's solution? NO BICYCLES FOR ANYONE. God forbid an employee should ever get food poisoning from sushi! Want another example? You are not allowed to have ANYONE enter your apartment without Westgate's express permission. Why? Because one previous teacher was accused of rape. Management's solution? NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN YOUR APARTMENT. As you can see, Westgate's conflict resolution leaves something to be desired....

1.0
17 Dec 2018

A Total Scam

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Everything is done for you.

Cons

Everything is done for you - that is, they control every aspect of your life, from where you live (a minimum one-hour commute in Tokyo's hellish subway system), to where you work (you're only informed a week prior to the start of the term to limit your options), what you teach (utterly cliche' ESL, to when you can arrive, and when you must depart, the country. The pay is low, the hours are long, they force you to use their accommodation and then completely overcharge you, and there are absolutely NO benefits - not even a sick day. Sound like fun? Avoid like the plague.....

Viewing 1 - 3 of 66 Reviews

Glassdoor has 99 Westgate reviews submitted anonymously by Westgate employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Westgate is right for you.