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Making up cancelled hours

 
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whatevs



Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:59 am    Post subject: Making up cancelled hours Reply with quote

In what is supposed to be my last 3 days here, my school is forced to temporarily close for reasons I don't fully understand. My boss is insisting I "make up" these hours on Monday and Tuesday, which will add up to some long days there. It sounds a little fishy to me. Can I refuse to "make up" these hours? Does anyone know what or if there are any rules related to this? I am available to work as planned, but they are forcing the staff to take time off, and they want me to alter my schedule to accommodate their own cancellation issue. I don't wanna do it! I have plans already for both of those evenings and also I can't imagine teaching for 10 hours straight in a single day.
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 10:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is this the summer job you posted about earlier? Do you have a contract? Does your contract have a clause similar to the following:

Quote:
Party B shall observe Party A�s work system and regulations concerning administration of foreign experts and shall follow Party A�s arrangement, direction, supervision and evaluation with respect to his/ her work.

Make up classes/timetable changes for various reasons are part of the job. If your boss is trying to get you to work something akin to a double shift for a few days for whatever reason, I can see you might not be thrilled at the prospect (I probably wouldn't be). If you don't want to do it just tell the boss you're not doing it and that you consider your contract completed in full. But don't be surprised if your final pay, or at least part of it, goes astray somewhere. You do after all, owe them the hours and your boss is surely going to take that into consideration on payday. Was the job OK otherwise? It's the last few days . . . try a compromise somehow. Do you really want to go out on a bad note and being shorted some or all of your final pay?
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Lobster



Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You haven't given us any details about what your contract says about cancelled classes and working hours. If my boss were to move classes like that, I'd be obligated to work them if I hadn't put in my weekly hours. However, according to my contract hours cannot be shifted from one week to another. If they piled all the weekly hours into one or two days, I'd have to do all of them that didn't amount to daily overtime, as OT is only by consent. If I agreed to teach for 10 hours in 1 day, I'd be looking at a pile of OT rate work which would be great pay. Last few days there, evening plans? Change your plans and take care of the job.

RED
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Miles Smiles



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1294
Location: Heebee Jeebee

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 1:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you teaching for a state 3-year college? Those institutions often have "intensive practice week" which require you to work 30+ hours with one class at the end and the beginning of the term. That could be what they're requiring you to submit to
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whatevs



Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

7969 wrote:
Is this the summer job you posted about earlier? Do you have a contract? Does your contract have a clause similar to the following:

Quote:
Party B shall observe Party A�s work system and regulations concerning administration of foreign experts and shall follow Party A�s arrangement, direction, supervision and evaluation with respect to his/ her work.

Make up classes/timetable changes for various reasons are part of the job. If your boss is trying to get you to work something akin to a double shift for a few days for whatever reason, I can see you might not be thrilled at the prospect (I probably wouldn't be). If you don't want to do it just tell the boss you're not doing it and that you consider your contract completed in full. But don't be surprised if your final pay, or at least part of it, goes astray somewhere. You do after all, owe them the hours and your boss is surely going to take that into consideration on payday. Was the job OK otherwise? It's the last few days . . . try a compromise somehow. Do you really want to go out on a bad note and being shorted some or all of your final pay?


Yes it is the summer job. Good point about not going out on a bad note. Some things have been a little weird but overall it's been fun and fulfilling.
They asked me to come back next summer. I am considering it.
As for this issue I think I will put my foot down, just my gut feeling and I have to stick with it. If they take it out of my pay...hmmm. We'll see.
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whatevs



Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lobster wrote:
You haven't given us any details about what your contract says about cancelled classes and working hours. If my boss were to move classes like that, I'd be obligated to work them if I hadn't put in my weekly hours. However, according to my contract hours cannot be shifted from one week to another. If they piled all the weekly hours into one or two days, I'd have to do all of them that didn't amount to daily overtime, as OT is only by consent. If I agreed to teach for 10 hours in 1 day, I'd be looking at a pile of OT rate work which would be great pay. Last few days there, evening plans? Change your plans and take care of the job.

RED


What if the contract doesn't mention anything in particular about shifting of hours....? It all comes down to the contract then, no across the board law for something like this?
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whatevs



Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Miles Smiles wrote:
Are you teaching for a state 3-year college? Those institutions often have "intensive practice week" which require you to work 30+ hours with one class at the end and the beginning of the term. That could be what they're requiring you to submit to


No it's just a random language school where I teach business English and some classes here and there to the owners' children

It's been pleasantly flexible but they are breaking rules left and right and the person behind this particular move is kind of evil and I don't want to give in to her.
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck whatever happens. . . .
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Lobster



Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
What if the contract doesn't mention anything in particular about shifting of hours....? It all comes down to the contract then, no across the board law for something like this?


No across the board law. If you are contracted to teach 30 hours a week, with no details, you could be in for a rough time. They can split your shifts, run you between schools without paid travel time or pile all your hours together on the weekend. Beware the vague or incomplete contract.

RED
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whatevs



Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 9:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks 7969 for your good wishes, you're kind.

Thanks Red Lobster for chiming in, I was hoping you would. How'd you learn all this stuff?

And thanks to everyone else, too. I guess I'm kind of signing off for now. This board has been so helpful to me here.

See you next year?! *waves*
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whatevs



Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Miles Smiles wrote:
Are you teaching for a state 3-year college? Those institutions often have "intensive practice week" which require you to work 30+ hours with one class at the end and the beginning of the term. That could be what they're requiring you to submit to


That's a good heads up, too, Miles Smiles.

Is that something that's somewhat hidden in the job description for those kinds of places?

Wow, life as a teacher abroad is so tricky. That's my main takeaway from this experience. From teachers met in-person and what I read on this forum and others. Really seems like luck plays an overwhelmingly large part in whether or not you get a decent situation

So on that note, here's wishing best of luck to all!!!
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Miles Smiles



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1294
Location: Heebee Jeebee

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Is that something that's somewhat hidden in the job description for those kinds of places?


It's usually written into the contract as an addendum. The first time i saw it, I questioned it, and I was given the impression that I'd be working with Chinese English teachers. Wrong. I got paid overtime for those grueling hours at that school, but at the next school, I received no overtime whatsoever, and the classes were scheduled for the hottest and the coldest months.

I learned that even though the Chinese teachers had to do the same thing, nobody took it seriously.
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