Job Discussion Forums

tigerlily20202 · Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 40

what are some questions to ask about my contract and general stuff i should look for? how seriously do they take the termination clause if i had to leave before the year was over (emergency, etc...?) i just got here so i'm pretty clueless, i didn't get to see my contract when i was still at home, this is the first time i'm seeing it, i do have to sign it soon though

anthyp · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 1320 Location: Chicago, IL USA

You're freaking out about a lot of pretty basic stuff here. So first things first - relax.

It doesn't even sound like you have it all that bad. Many of us come here on our own, with no contact persons back home, no cooperation, and handlers that speak barely comprehensible English.

You will probably have to do another medical test, yes. They don't seem to trust our records, and I think they want to do the test themselves, if only to collect the fees. I wouldn't worry so much about syringes and infections, though. I love Westerners who worry about crap like that. I got my medical test in People's Hospital #2, with all the other Chinese people, no problem. Don't be such a snob.

You do want to be careful, yes, but don't be an *beep* about everything. You can probably buy a syringe somewhere. The exams shouldn't keep you up at night, unless you have something to hide.

The termination fee is the university's way of protecting itself, you have to understand that. They do it because people ask questions like,

burnsie · Joined: 18 Aug 2004 Posts: 489 Location: Beijing

I agree with anthyp, please relax. It's a bit of culture shock.

Believe me that tomorrow when you start class YOU ARE THE EXPERT here with english. They are going to be more sheepish around you!

Sorry I don't know where you are in China but the medical exams are fine. They are really non issue here. I am surprised they asked you to do it in your home country (US I think you are from) as usually you do your medical here.

I actually did it last week, it took me 30 minutes and was no issue. The hospital in Beijing is assigned by the government to do the medical and is very clean so RELAX!

Also I won't start discussing the issue of going back home. Just get into a routine of teaching, learn a bit of Chinese and go out and see a bit of the country you are in. If after a few weeks you are still not settled maybe approach it then.

CHINA IS THE SAFEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. This is a fact! It may not be the cleanest but I feel safer here than in my own country.

You said you worked for a University. Actually Universities are one of the best to work for. They usually follow the rules outlined for foreign experts rather than the private schools and alot of the issues you hear about.

Hope this helps.

Spiderman Too · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 11:50 am Post subject:

The Chinese law governing the employment of foreigners specifies that a foreigner must (can) give 30 days notice of resignation. If complied with, no fee / fine/ levy is payable for breaking the contract. Nothing in your contract can over-ride this law. However, an employer may nominate in their contract that the cost of obtaining a health certificate / 'Z' visa / Foreigner Residence Permit must be repaid by the employee if he/she doesn't stay the full term.

I did a medical last week at a Chinese government hospital. They used a new syringe and I saw them 're-cap' it and throw it in a bin after taking my blood. The medical check is no big deal and includes the following;

Blood sample taken
Chest X-ray
ECG
Ultrasound (stomach, kidneys, etc)
Sight test
Color-blindness test
Blood pressure
Reflexes
General physical exam

Ludwig · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 12:32 pm Post subject:

toothbrush · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 5

hey. my advice my be a bit more radical than the others, but ill tell you anyway. feel free to sign whatever, but expect nothing to be honored, and dont even think that you can use the law to your advantage. none of this "the law says" kind of stuff. a previous school of mine basically had enough guanxi that i could sign or not sign whatever i wanted, and i was helpless. its not like im going to hire a lawyer here and pay astronomical hotel fees and lawers fees unless there is something at hand on the value of several thousand US dollars. your only real power and point of active decision making is the fact that you can leave at anytime as long as you have your passport and little green book (foreign residence permit) and they cant stop you or do anything to you outside of the country. i left my old school in the responsible way, giving them notice, helping them find replacements, etc etc, contrary to the advice of all my chinese friends who have worked at foreign language schools, and low and behold, the school screwed me. i would have been 10 times better off taking the chinese advice, and just leaving on payday and not saying a word. i find in this culture, is it often best to put aside my intuition and trust the intution of chinese people that you can trust (i know this feels unsafe and akward), but i find it to often work the best. my humble opinion...

Guest · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:24 pm Post subject:

I know it is all a bit daunting in the beginning, but hang in there as it is well worth it.

I remember when I did my medical 12 months ago, I was freaking out as I had not mentioned to them that I only had one lung and Sars was in the news still then. I went along to the medical and after the chest xray was taken, the Chinese teacher came out to me and said "when did you take out a lung?" which made it sound like I had taken it out to dinner.

I just said "14 years ago and it is no problem" but I was inwardly shaking for fear that I would be rejected. Funnily enough, it was my failing eyesight that they seemed more concerned with - the fact that I could hardly see the bl****y wall, let along the letters on it without my glasses on.