Job Discussion Forums

[Riff Raff]

[doogsville]

I've worked at both a language mill and a university. The language mill offered a bonus on completion of contract. This was taxable, but if you presented proof of your flight cost, an e-ticket in my case, the equivalent portion of the bonus was not taxed. My current university offers flight reimbursement, up to a fixed amount, on receipt of proof of tickets having been purchased. I've seen a few ads recently for private schools offering end of contract bonuses but no mention of flight reimbursement. Id rather have the bonus personally, since I don't go back to the UK in the holidays, I prefer to travel in South East Asia, but for those people who go back home regularly, does it really matter how it gets paid for, as long as it does? Of course, the flight reimbursement has the advantage of being tax free.

[drjtrekker]

[Non Sequitur]

As 'home' for me is in the Sthn Hemisphere my preferred time to travel home is in the Northern Winter.
Took the school a long time to get their heads around that and I find a general lack of awareness among Chinese of the logistics of international travel.
I've only ever been paid in cash, but have needed to produce some evidence of ticket purchase.

[Riff Raff]

Trebek, which city are you in? Chinese are allowed to get emotional.

Depending on where you are, it is illegal for Foreigners to quarrel.

[Bud Powell]

[adventuramust]

Is there any way of filing a complaint? I did not receive my end of contract bonus nor my travel allowance. Yes, I did get a letter of reference, but that was from my department. The office lady is mad as she has to work a bit find new teachers. She tried to do the same to another teacher, but he had the sense to withhold final grades until all his pay was in so he could transfer it before he left China. I guess he had heard about the University. I had not.

[Non Sequitur]

Yep retaining those grades until you have all your reimbursements, is about the only power you have.
Make sure you timetable your assessment and grading so you have one complete spare week before you travel.
And don't be specific about your fly out date.

[Bud Powell]

I don't doubt that any of those who say they've been paid for a return trip home but didn't return, nor do I doubt that anyone has been paid cash reimbursement for a purchased ticket.

The difference in our experiences probably reflects the differences among our employers. I no longer doubt most of the experiences recounted in this forum. Experiences differ widely and wildly from school to school and area to area. I've had experiences in China that I won't even tell because (even to me) they seem to be outside the realm of all possibility.

I know a guy who was flown to the states and back every summer on the school's dime. I believe it because someone in the FAO's office complained that the school would pay for the FT's plane fare but wouldn't pay for anyone's bus fare to work.

I wonder, though, if schools that refuse to BUY a ticket home (as has been my experience) for a returning FT were private schools or public.

[Chinahere]

In my 10 years teaching in government schools, I have been given the agreed amount in my contract for round trip air fare in cash.

[Capt Lugwash]

In four years at govt uni it has been either in cash or in my bank account.

[Bud Powell]

[Capt Lugwash]

Bud

All I can say is that I have simply had to produce my e-ticket.

If they escorted me to the airport (in uni transport) 3.5 hours away I would be chuffed!

[Listerine]

Always been paid cash for airfares here at the end of the year. Public university. School gives the option of booking and paying for a requested flight (assuming it's one of the cheaper ones), or the equivalent of a round trip fare if you don't plan to go home based on some fancy calculated combination of the high and low season fares which in my case usually ended up being around 7,000rmb....nice bonus if you're planning on sticking around for the summer. Previous school (also public uni) either booked a round trip ticket through "their" travel agent, or paid (in cash) an additional month's pay if you weren't going to use it.

[Non Sequitur]

Seems most have good experiences.
But, you don't find out about the rip off until you are about to fly and they know they have you over the proverbial.