Job Discussion Forums

GeminiTiger · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 10:37 am Post subject:

I can't imagine a school not paying for the air-fare but your going to have to tell us more information to get real help.

If your accepted a less than legal position you might be out of luck.

If your working at a school like a public high school or a university do not turn in grades until the situation is resolved. Make it know at the English department what is going on, contact other foreigners you work with for advice and at last go to the place where you got your visa with the best and most trustworthy translator you can and start to ask questions there.

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

what if you contact the parents of all your students, explain
the school is breaking the contract, and you don't have
enough to pay for your flight. ask them to take up a
collection.

and if you have an id that allows you to stay, you can
protest in front of the school until they cough up the dough.

Lobster · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 11:05 am Post subject:

Do the only thing you can do. Stop work immediately. Refuse to go back to class until the airefare and June pay is given to you in full. Sure the students will be let down, but that's how it goes sometimes. Believe me, if you finish teaching you'll never see the money. The pressure of not having you in the classroom and the disgruntled students is your only leverage.

If you see out the term with these rascals, don't expect to get your June pay anyway. They've proven themselves to be untrustworthy. Take the May pay and stay home until the money's in the bank.

RED

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

I know you care for the students, and maybe you feel that you are being noble, but in continuing to teach you are just allowing yourself to be abused by people that just do not care about you.

Also, allowing the school to cheat you might just make life more difficult for any teachers that stay, or that teach at that school in the future.

After you make your decision as to how you handle this situation it would be appreciated if you could return here and tell us the name of this school .

Miles Smiles · Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 1294 Location: Heebee Jeebee

OP:

Now that we have more info: If you didn't fly to China specifically to teach at your present school, but traveled from one location to another within China, the likelihood that your present employer will pay your way back is nil. If you had an agreement with your first employer for him to pay your way back to the UK but you stayed in China and went to work elsewhere, you can't compel your present employer to reimburse you.

Your first employer should have reimbursed you, and he would have done so by buying you a ticket to go home. I've seen this situation arise before, and never has the second, third or fourth school reimbursed the teacher.

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

The schools I've worked for had a set amount that was stipulated in the contract for airfare. I didn't have to show tickets. I didn't have to travel to receive the money. At two schools the amount was paid at the end of the contract, at my current school it is paid half after the first term and the other half at the end of the second term. What is the wording in your contract?

.

Miles Smiles · Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 1294 Location: Heebee Jeebee

Exp_China · Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 18

Thanks for the responses. There's been a few.

So the general consensus is to stop teaching until I get my airfare. However if I do this I'm probably likely to not even get paid for May and June (My last pay will be in mid June + 1000yuan atm).

I did not come with a VISA (wish I had now). As it could be a safety net, i'm not sure. I have a Chinese ID which allows me to stay in China for a long time, but is not the same as a China born person. Therefore VISA is not necessary.

The job is legal, and the pay, accomodation is decent, so no problems there.

MilesSmiles - I worked somewhere else in China before yes, however the 1st school had already given me a ticket to go home, so I did for 2 weeks and then flew from the UK bk to China again. The position is legal.

Adriadne - The contract dosen't say much about airfare reimbursement, apart things such as if you break the contract etc etc u, or party A will pay this. The part that is valid or not? is in my first post.

The headmaster thinks i'm the one in the wrong not them, that's the problem and I have no marking left. They are doing IG exams already.

Exp_China · Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 18

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

[quote="Exp_China"]

Lobster · Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 8:49 am Post subject:

Just another reason why FTs should negotiate a lump sum payout at contract end instead of some shady "airfare reimbursement" that can be danced around by an employer. For example, some employers will request a chopped paper receipt, knowing full well that most paople buy an e-ticket, and then refuse to accept whatever proof of payment is provided. Just ask for 10k tax exempt and save yourself the headache.

If they expected him to stay for more than 1 year I guess they should have negotiated a multi-year contract.

RED

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC