Job Discussion Forums

[BlueBlood]

Very general question re contracts for the old China hands here:

Are these types of disputes (I find this one terribly depressing as the OP was probably slighted by only a couple hundred dollars--I feel his pain and the school should just pay him, IMSO) less common with public universities as opposed to private colleges and language mills?

Or need I strongly guard against getting screwed regardless of where I work?

Thanks in advance.

[roadwalker]

[BlueBlood]

Yeah, RW, I'm sensing this is unusual. I'm actually not as worried about it as much as my post may have indicated.

In fact, on one job site another very helpful board member clued me into, the respective school often posts the contract itself--right there on the job advertisement. I appreciate that kind transparency.

OP, hope it works out for you. Let us know what happens.

[teenoso]

In my experience, which is quite limited to a few employers in China and UK, Chinese employers will try to 'get away with things' much more than employers in the UK. This is just my direct experience.
So , if you do not establish up front exactly what you will be paid for and other terms, you are unlikely to get what you want if it is uncertain (in the contract).
My school has just refused to pay for my medical check (only 580 RMB) because I did it in my own time and in another city (still in China). This is just petty , but pi**es me off no end, and I will remember it later. Not because of the money, but because of the attitude, of trying to avoid their responsibility (and because of my brit sense of what is fair and reasonable).

[NoBillyNO]

[Bud Powell]

[Bud Powell]

"...I think you have been lucky with UK employers ...... I have worked for British Universities for many years and found them to be just as complected, and sneaky, unyielding and uncaring as to contracts and labor laws as any Chinese Uni..."

Same in the States. Politics and pettiness galore.

[NoBillyNO]

[BlueBlood]

That's the case throughout America now. The middle class is literally under siege.

My brother-in-law recently got a severance package from his company; now they want to hire him back--as a contractor without benefits. Nice. He worked his arse off for them for over 15 years, and this s what he gets.

Even the public sector, to a degree, is getting worse. I know public school teachers that work under...wait for it...contracts. Each summer they have to sweat whether they're going to have a job and health benefits come fall. Nice. If they've a mortgage to pay and kids to feed, but don't get a new contract, well that's their problem.

Look, I know the world doesn't owe us a living, but things weren't like this in America when I grew up. People weren't working at WalMart 3/4-time without health insurance and able to qualify for public assistance.

At least in China with a one-year contract I'll know where I stand.

[Bud Powell]

Define "stand". If your boss offers you a seat, you may be out of a job.

I witnessed a situation in which a new hiree came to the school from another province, signed two copies of the contract (bilingual) then waited two weeks for his copy, assuming that it had to be authorized by a yet higher authority.

The school then told him that he'd have to go to Hong Kong for some d@mned reason. He read a little Chinese. He said that he thought that he read a reference to organ harvesting in his contract, but he wasn't sure.

The FAO wouldn't give him a contract or a letter of invitation to bring with him to HK. He packed up for Hong Kong, but never returned.

On a lighter note, this sort of thing (FAO's and bosses not cooperating at contract time) seems to be more and more common--- at least in public institutions.

[Bolt]

Suggest you get the SAFEA or CFTU people involved. I had a similar problem in 2010 and after two weeks of arguing and begging I made some formal complaints with these people and I got my contract delivered by courier!

[choudoufu]

[NoBillyNO]

[Bolt]

[muffintop]