Job Discussion Forums

[Simon in Suzhou]

I copied my response from another post about a teacher who quit his contract early and is now having problems getting the paperwork for the next job. Thought it might get more views than at the end of a dying thread. Maybe it will be useful info for some new teachers, or maybe you think this is totally wrong. This is what I've learned from some of my own mistakes...

I don't know if the OP left on good terms or bad terms, but I've seen this scenario played out many times here in China (and also other countries in Asia). In China, the employees are expected to meekly submit to whatever the boss says and NEVER make waves. They are not to complain directly, even when treated unfairly, and they are certainly not supposed to make any emotional outbursts (especially in front of other underlings) that might make the boss embarrassed or lose face. Quitting in an untimely manner is frowned upon, especially if it makes the life of the boss more stressful (What? I must find a replacement in a month???!!!).

Chinese tend to avoid confrontation, but they can be brutally passive-aggressive. You may not even know your boss is/was unhappy with you until it comes back to bite you later on.

This doesn't help the OP much now, but a real key to success in working in China is setting aside your natural cultural reactions to situations and learning to "play the game" a bit as the Chinese do. Do you want a decent life in China? Do you want to have smooth transitions to new jobs? This is my advice...as someone who has made ALL the mistakes you can make in this area:

-"Make nice" with your boss. Always smile, be pleasant, even buy a small gift for him/her at the holidays. Doesn't matter if the boss is a good person or not. I'm personally repelled by the idea of being a "kiss-a$$", but this is how things are done in this culture. In China, the bosses play favorites. They don't even care about our western ideas of "fairness" in the workplace. There are usually 2 sets of rules (and consequences)- those for the workers the boss likes, and those for the workers the boss doesn't. You're not going to change this mentality, no matter how unfair and stupid it is. So you can either be treated well or be in the doghouse.

-Don't get angry and explode in front of your boss, if at all possible. If your boss does something colossally stupid/unjust to everyone, let someone else be the hothead and make the confrontation. There will always be someone itching for a fight. I wish i had learned this lesson years ago.

-Choose your battles carefully. You don't want to be a total pushover, but you need to find balance about what you go to war over. I have seen (and been guilty of myself) multiple times where foreign teachers are ready to explode over even the most trivial things. Maybe its culture shock, maybe the small things add up over time. Try to step back and get perspective. That mountain is sometimes a molehill. If it is a mountain, take a step back and try to appeal rationally rather than emotionally.

-If you have to leave early, be ready to make up a good lie. This is hard for a lot of us (especially Americans), but this is how things are done in China. If you're quitting a contract early and going home, make it a really good reason, something that will make your leaving a compassionate affair for your boss. Stupid, yes. But this is what Chinese workers do ALL THE TIME. Quitting is often seen as some sort of personal offront to the boss. I don't get it, but it is.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It is an adjustment in thinking, but a few small things like this (and swallowing your ego a bit) can make things MUCH better working in China.

[hdeth]

What's the difficulty with this? It's not that different from America. Would you yell at your boss in your home country? If you quit a contract early wouldn't you try to make an excuse to make things easier? Maybe all these things are more-so in China but it's not THAT different. I can't imagine yelling at my boss at any job. That's nuts. Maybe because I've been a boss before. If an employee exploded at me in any country in the world they would be out the door so damn fast...unless they were absolutely indispensable.

[jmoxley]

I like your post Simon, as I mentioned on the original thread. Good idea to share here.

[Alien abductee]

[star32569]

My issue is personally I have had troubles working abroad but I am looking to see what I can do to make my experience better. Some things which have gotten me into trouble have been

Discussing my pay
Reviewing my contract

Any advice, for me natuarlly I am out the door if you short me in my money or benefits and if I ask to for clarification. I only email I do not talk in person I learned that is an opportunity for hear say.

Do you think I should chang my views?

[Bud Powell]

About your contract: if it's small beans, let it go.

Example: Your contracted pay is 7,000 rmb per month but you are paid only 6,900rmb because of an unmentioned tax or to pay for internet (that should be included) let it go. Sometimes situations change and someone forgets to change the contract accordingly.

If, however, your electricity is turned off and the school won't turn it back on because your consumption is considered excessive, even though consumption hasn't changed, and you aren't in your apartment 60% of the time, then you need to speak up and negotiate to get to the bottom of it.

Some FTs arrive in China ready to fight about anything and everything. Don't do that.

[RiverMystic]

Yes, ESL teachers need both emotional and social intelligence. I did the CELTA course a while back. It's high pressure, so tends to push buttons. It really brings out people's shadow side. I had two fellow trainees, both women, really throwing tantrums. Both were abusive towards me, including screaming at me in front of the students. I did absolutely nothing to provoke either of them. One suggested I was criticising her lesson, which was simply untrue. I'd never made any comments about her at all. Not ever. It was all in her head. And regardless, you don't start screaming at other staff members on the job. If a man did this to a woman it would be considered abuse.

But there are a lot if people in this industry who seem to lack social graces. I've always been good at working with people, and as has been stated above, it's mostly common sense. Don't take anything personally, assume responsibility for your mental projections (know thyself), communicate and keep smiling... ...even at a..holes.

[hdeth]

They usually drafted or copied the contract years ago, haven't made any changes, and are unwilling to make changes. If you have a recruiter sometimes they can pressure the school or explain it in a different way. Dealing with the school directly I have had no luck. They don't care about most of what's in the contract anyways or it's totally outdated. I basically ignore everything it says except for what they're supposed to pay me and how much I'm supposed to work.

My first job I got them to add a provision making sure they were going to pay me during the break like they had said they would. But in general I think people stress over this too much (myself included at times).

[Voyeur]

The worst advice that tends to go around is the blanket admonition to always stand up for your rights. This line of thinking suggests that bosses are always trying to get more out of you, and when you do something for nothing or give in to them, they will think of this as weakness, and instead of later rewarding your generosity when they can, they will just push for more.

As with most dangerous advice, it's dangerous because it has an element of truth. This does happen in Asia sometimes--probably more than it does back home. But more often than not, there is some other reason behind your boss suddenly asking a little more from you than you expected.

No blanket rule covers these situations. Sometimes giving in--even repeatedly and graciously--is called for. Sometimes you push back. It all depends. But I've seen too many FTs who believe they need to fight for the letter of their contract at all times.