Job Discussion Forums

[buffalobill12323]

I have been working in the same place for years, our flight allowance hasn't changed, but it was pretty decent to begin with, so I can't complain. I notice, however, during my periodic scans of the job ads that there seems to be universal shrinkage else where. I just noticed this ad on Dave's

Compensation
-Excellent salary: 8,000 to 9,000 RMB per month
-Flight allowance provided: 3,000 RMB (half paid after 6 months and the other half after 12 months)
-Housing allowance provided: 1,000 RMB per month
-Assistance in finding accommodation

Where the hell are you going to go with 3,000 as a return fare. My first year, 2006 I claimed back 12,000 and got it without fuss. Whereas things in general in china are improving, flight reimbursements seem to have gone in the toilet. Any experience of this out there?

[Mr. Leafy]

My school promises a return ticket at end of contract with no limit stated.

When I tried to get mine last year they moaned about the (previously verbally agreed) price, and tried some ridiculous loophole to avoid paying. When I refuted that they tried another but in the end I got the full money.

Also, all the teachers got an email in the evening saying to bring our receipts the next day by noon if we wanted to get paid. Luckily everyone was organised enough to do it.

I don't think these are trends, just annoyances at my school.

I've heard a rumour they will be putting a limit on the reimbursed amount but no more than a rumour. That does seem to be happening more.

[Harbin]

[BlueBlood]

[Non Sequitur]

Well I repeat my mantra to 'think package' but I agree that there is a downward trend.
When I got started on 2004 it was a standard 10K allowance which actually didn't quite cover my outlay.
Now the 8K allowance seems standard and I agree a likely reason is the surplus of younger (and not so young) economic refugees from the US.
There are other difficulties around the reimbursement idea and the 'we'll buy you a ticket' idea.
Given that your average Chinese has little idea of the cost and logistics of international travel, seeing the cost of reimbursement can be a shock because oftentimes it is more than 10K.
Another thing that blows their minds is travel home in the Spring Break which is often the choice of Australians, NZers and South Africans.
As with other things make sure you have a copy of the agreed amount and method of the travel allowance and an invoice showing your actual payment.
I use a local travel agent at home because she understands the situation and provides a hard copy on letterhead headed 'INVOICE'.

[kev7161]

On the one hand, the exchange rate gap has narrowed so what 8k or 10k would buy several years ago, will buy more now (if you are, like me, exchanging money and sending it home, then buying tickets with USD). On the other hand airline fares and all their many, many fees have dramatically increased over the years as well, so I don't think it balances out.

When I started in China, my first school reimbursed me 10k for each of the two years I worked there. My current school also reimburses for that amount and has done so every year. As my salary started to improve, they wanted to strike out little things in my contract (for example, paying for internet or drinking water). I know new teachers don't get the same benefits that I have been getting over the years (their apt. allowance is 1500 vs the school pays the rent on my 2000 rmb apt; they get 500 utilities vs my 1000 per month . . . ), but I have stuck to my guns with them. I've told them that it doesn't matter if I make more money now and it doesn't matter if they've changed benefits and I wouldn't allow them to lower anything on my newer contracts. I actually get more "perks" now than I did several years ago!

I'll repeat something I've said several times in the past: The longer you stick with one place and prove your trustworthiness and loyalty as an employee, the easier it will be for you to negotiate for (and often get!) what you want.

[Non Sequitur]

Good points Kev.
I love the give and then take attitude.
It's as if they feel they are exercising some subtle ploy.
'Dumb FT won't notice that he's actually worse off'.

[Denim-Maniac]

I wonder if us Europeans are contributing to a reduction in flight allowances? Its considerably cheaper for us to fly home and so an FAO seeing lots of flight tickets to the EU, which is much cheaper than flying to the US, might see a trend and want to pay less.

My flight costs this year from London>HK. HK>Guilin, AND RETURN TICKETS for the same route ran out at 7300 RMB.

[Non Sequitur]

[Denim-Maniac]

Cathay Pacific ... so a major carrier. No ridiculous stop overs either. I left London at noon, arrived in HK at about 9am and had an afternoon flight from HK to Guilin. Its pretty similar going back with no long / unreasonable time between flights.

[LarssonCrew]

But Denim, whenever I look at BA it's about 8500 just from BJ, add in Xi'an -> BJ and return and it's not so rosey.

I guess some of the schools expect us to fly Aeroflot or Plotz air via Moscow and Warsaw...no thank you.

[Denim-Maniac]

[Non Sequitur]

[davelister]

Some teachers are already in China, either re-signing with the same employer or signing with a new employer. Some teachers don't fly home each year, for whatever reason, and maybe prefer to, for example, travel/holiday in Asia (although it could be a chicken-egg thing, some not flying home because of incomplete reimbursement). These reasons make me think why the flight allowance has become a lowered travel allowance in some cases.I also think that in such cases, wages have increased, not hugely, but enough to compenstae for the lowered flight/travel allowance.

I also agree with Denim-Maniac that flights from London, for example, can be very reasonable, and I think have been for a quite a while. To get my flight allowances and travel allowances refunded and not be out of pocket, I've not had to choose the much cheaper 2 stops, twice-as-long options.

I can easily imagine an employer refunding receipts for a higher air fare for one FT and then for a lower value receipt for another FT, may well review their policy and offer a standard low flight/travel allowance in future.

[davelister]

Non Sequitur