Job Discussion Forums

[godmachine12]

Collect your pay, tie up any loose ends and get out of there. If they suspect you might leave—or especially if you tell them—expect not to be paid. If you're not planning on staying in China or coming back, don't bother. Why work for a school you're miserable working in? It doesn't make sense. People quit all the time. You're no exception. Just get all you can before you go. Good luck.

[drjtrekker]

OP,

BUD and GOD and the rest are right.
IF your NOT planning on hangin' in Chiner...JUST GO!
The odds are they will stick it to ya....it's just how it's done man! ha.

[Babala]

The OP is probably going to just take off and leave.

I'm going to be the unpopular voice here as I look at the situation from a different viewpoint.

Many people on this forum are very quick to jump on the teacher's side and say screw the employer. Perhaps they might look at it differently if they were a DOS. I think a lot of people have the view that because the DOS works less teaching hours that equals that they do nothing. I'm not saying that every DOS is great and of course there are some bad ones. What teachers (especially newbies) don't realize is that the DOS does plenty that they don't see. It's not easy being the middle person between the Chinese and the western staff. Teachers assume that because you are western, you should always take their side even when they are wrong. The OP mentioned that the DOS told the management all about them. Well that is their job. I keep the management fully advised of everything happening with my teachers.

You get people here who do not come to teach but just to travel/party whatever. They complain about every little thing. The OP mentioned about not being paid for overtime but given additional time off. What was in the contract? A school that is trying to cheat you wouldn't give you anything at all. We have a choice where I work. You can either have the money or you can have time off for overtime.

It sad to me that people are so willing to tell someone to just blow off a job. Where is the responsibility? The OP took a job and signed a contract. Either give the month notice or finish the contract. Are the other teachers all bailing?

We have only heard one side of the story.

[muffintop]

I see your points and can understand your perspective.

However...
Unless you have a good relationship with your employer expecting them to fulfill their obligations in regards to salary is a crap shoot if you provide them notice. Besides that...more than a few employers would become vindictive once they know you want to leave.

IF somebody has valid reasons for ditching a contract...the safest way is to just go. Sure it may put the DOS/school in a bad situation but where should our concerns lie? With them or ourselves?

The OP has no desire to remain in China. The school does not owe him money if he leaves when he plans. He has nothing to gain by giving the school more of his time in the hope that they will pay him later.

[Shroob]

[Babala]

I just don't see warning signs that the employer is not going to pay. If a employer has a clause in the contract that states that the the teacher can give one month notice then they are prepared to find a replacement without it disrupting too much.

I did quit a contract here before. I was hired to teach senior school and my accommodation was at the school. The school however also owned a junior school which was located quite far from the senior school. When I got my schedule, it was for the junior school. In a way my fault as I didn't get it specified in the contract that I was a senior school teacher. I gave a month's notice and received my pay in full.

Why assume that a school will cheat you?

[muffintop]

Why assume they will pay you?

[Babala]

Here's my point. We expect our school to honour our contract to the letter. Why shouldn't the teacher then?

[muffintop]

[Non Sequitur]

If we could see a concerted effort on the Chinese side to lift their game I would have more sympathy with the DOS and the school.
In my 10 years of involvement the FT world in China I've noticed no improvement.

[wonderingjoesmith]

I wonder how helpful all this is to the OP. Should the "improvement" begin with the "FT world" or the corporate world? Should DOSs be accountable for what has been happening in the "FT world"? How largely do DOSs affect the "FT world"? What are the chances the OP finds a better position in the "FT world" that corporate world manages? Why don't we look at the "city FAO" that a previous page message suggests and see how this official can help the OP?

[Non Sequitur]

Not sure I understand.
There is a direct connection to OP via the idea of 'how concerned should OP be about doing a runner and having a negative effect on the school?'
There would be NO runners if the same old cr*p didn't come from schools.
The change must come from the schools. They have the power and connections. We have nothing to fight with but the 'strike' option i.e withdrawing our labour.

[wonderingjoesmith]

Well, my consideration goes to what has been debated towards the end of the first page which offered some fairly reasonable suggestions and to what has been asked in the first post (see below).

[Non Sequitur]

'Going into how cr*ppy the FT world is or how little it has improved in past 10 years, in my view, won't help much as well'.

I would have thought it strengthened the OPs resolve to get out of there on his/her own terms, and not get distracted by concerns for the DOS, or the timetable or other teachers.
If you want to apologise to anyone, do so AFTER you're home.

[Sir Winston]

Nobody is going to get a full last pay check unless you work for a top-tier international school. The problem is the release letter. If you plan to stay in China you need a release letter in order to take a new job. In Chin athey really have you by the short hairs.