Short, sharp globalisation lesson

Over the past week I’ve been talking to a European company about being an online teacher of English. Everything seemed to be going well. They liked me. They wanted me on their books. These people seemed professional and fair. The internet is bristling with online language teaching sites. Most of them seem to be thinly disguised dating agencies, while those which really are in the business of language teaching will go as low as $8 an hour in the case of the very worthwhile Glovico which bills itself as Fair Trade language learning.

Then we started talking about a fee. Even though I quoted a price which would immediately raise accusations of cheap labour here in Denmark, that was too much for the company and we have gone our separate ways. That is a problem of living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world which also has the highest taxation rate in the world. Obama pays 20%? Your ordinary Joe or Jørgen here in Denmark pays an average of 40%.

This was never going to be my full time job. I was only looking for a couple of hours a week to keep my hand in. But even I have my limits. I risk being investigated by the tax authorities here for possible fraud if I accept too many assignments under the Danish norm.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you globalisation! I’m not complaining. Just observing.