Job Discussion Forums

richie122 · Joined: 15 Nov 2004 Posts: 101 Location: Seattle, Wa, USA

I have been teaching here for seven months now. My contract does not end until January next year. But just today my boss told me he needs 1) My ticket stubs from coming to china, and 2) Will need to see my tickets to Amercia before they'll reimburse. The problem is I don't know if I want to go home after I finish my contract. Furthermore, I have been warned about letting my school know my plans after the contract, ie: If they know I will stay in China then why do I need money for my airfare.

I guess my question is.... Isn't the school supposed to give me the money after the contract expires, and it is up to me what I do??

Thanks for any help or suggestions on how to deal with this

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

tofuman · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 937

Collecting your return airfare may pose some difficulty I got my airfare by telling them if I didn't have it by the end of the term, none of my students would receive their grades. There you have it.

Some of these folks have no clue about airline tickets in the modern world. I have a great travel agent in China; however, she hand writes my tickets and I pay cash. School officials may know little or nothing about etickets, credit card charges, etc. To reimburse, they require certain documents that you may not have if you bought an eticket or used a credit card. They don't know that a round trip ticket can or usually is cheaper than a one way ticket.

It's a problem. My FAO told me that he wanted me out of my flat on the day my contract expired and that the airfare, as stated in the contract, would not be paid until the contract was completed.

Reimbursement is dependent on one man. If he happens to have gone to Beijing and won't be back for a week, well, ....you can see the difficulty.

So I just said, "Look, I have 300 students. If you want them to get their marks, you need to pay me my airfare prior to the deadline for posting final grades. And I need two weeks to prepare to leave. Either I stop working two weeks before the contract expires or you extend my welcome for two weeks after it expires.

So I'm packing and making arrangements for the next leg of my China experience. My airfare is in the bank.

Being a "nice guy" here has been an exercise in futility. You are either a predator or prey.

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

It isn't a question of what "usually" happens; it's a question of the exact wording of your contract. What did you sign up to?
For example, I am going to sign my next contract on Monday, and there is only one clause I plan to quibble over: I want a cash equivalent, not a "reimbursal" for whatever travel plans I have, which, as has been pointed out, is none of their business.
I really hate this "nannying" aspect of teaching contracts, treating us like kids.
It's the same attitude that says, silly little boy, didn't you know that you'll live like a king on 3000RMB per month in China? Can you imagine going for a job interview as a City analyst at a top bank in London, and then when it came to salary negotiation they say, OK, we'll offer you 50K. You're expecting 100K, which is the going rate, but they say, "But 50K is much higher than the average local salary!"

tofuman · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 937

My contract says the airfare will be reimbursed upon completion of the contract. It doesn't say I must leave my flat on the same day. That was the FAO's twist.

I don't take it seriously anymore. The airfare is in the bank. Soon it will be forgotten.

amandabarrick · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 391

Richie,
As a last resort, couldn't you buy re-fundable tickets to America, then show them to your school? After you get reimbursed, then cancel the tickets. This way you still get the money for the tickets and don't have to go home after your contract.
AB

tarzaninchina · Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 348 Location: World

Give them COPIES, not the originals. Exclamation

Just as good and they can't refuse. Cool

Keath · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:45 am Post subject:

Your boss doesnt need a copy of your airticket receipt. Your contract is all the receipt he needs. Point to the page where he should pay you the airfare for returning home, and when. If required, get a quote from a local travel agent or online reservation.

www.journeyeast.org

writpetition · Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 213

When a contract says 'return airfare', what they mean in essence, is that a teacher must return the airfare to the FAO or the school. In not paying the airfare or in delaying the payment of the same, the FAO is only trying to save/delay the teacher the trouble of collecting and then returning the money.

It's really quite simple. Teachers must learn some of the Dao or the Way...hehehe

Cheers!