Job Discussion Forums

[direshark]

I'm in the final steps of negotiating for a university job. Have the contract and am very close to signing. (Not the Changshu job from my other thread.)

I asked about whether sick days were paid or not, and the response was that if I could make up any classes I missed that my salary would not be affected.

I actually think this policy is fair enough, relative to the large amounts of paid vacation university teachers receive. Definitely not a sticking point for me in this negotiation. What I'm wondering is how well it works in practice for other university teachers - whether you find you are able to do the make up classes, how you really go about it, and whether administrations in general are pretty tight about "affecting salaries" with sick days.

Thanks all!

[Bud Powell]

I actually think this policy is fair enough, relative to the large amounts of paid vacation university teachers receive.

The spring and fall vacations aren't that long, and the winter "vacation" is for the benefit of the school, not yours.

I've never been required to make up the few sick days I've taken, though come contracts require them. Scheduling make-up days is usually difficult to do during the day because there's usually scheduling conflicts with other classes. Night scheduling is difficult ti do too because in many universities, there's compulsory study hall from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. That leaves weekends. Try getting students to show up for make up classes on weekends.

Are you considering missing a lot of classes because of an existing medical condition? If so, reconsider taking a job in China. China can bring out the worst in preexisting conditions.

[choudoufu]

our contract sez:

if less than three days, make up the classes. no make up = no pay.
it's really pretty easy when you have less than 16 hours per week.
get a copy of your students' schedules from the fao, then give them a
few options. or you could ask them when they want to meet.

if 4-15 days, you need a doctor's note. in that case you're off the
hook. no make up, full salary up to a max of 15 days per contract year.

16 days to 3 months gets you 80% salary.

[direshark]

[Bud Powell]

Me experience is that usually, the class monitor says nothing about the missed class if you tell him that the class will be canceled ahead of time (even just an hour before class if you're sick). If the class monitor reports the missed class to the class "work leader"(I can't figure out what they actually do), and the work leader is a jerk, you'll have to make up the class if it exceeds the number of allowed missed classes.

I always appoint an alternate class monitor of my own, and I let the class monitor know that I've appointed one. That's to keep the official one honest.

[Toast]

I haven't needed to take a sick day in a long time, but the general policy among the other FTs at my school seems to be to tell the class monitor (forget the DOS) that class is canceled because I'm sick, and it will be made up at a later date to be announced.

Psst - there isn't ever any make up class.

Leave the admin out of the whole thing as they will feel like they need to make a decision - or enforce some School Dean mandated, official-ruling about sick days - and that tends to scare them. I think they're often happier to remain in the dark.

Remember the golden rule of life in Asia. It's much easier to ask for forgiveness later than it is to ask for permission in advance.

[direshark]

[fat_chris]

[NoBillyNO]

[fat_chris]