Job Discussion Forums

klasies · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 178 Location: China

Just been told that we have to teach on Sunday, Christmas Day and that we would be given an extra day off during the week! What say you? Yeah I work for a private language mill! We usually have off from Sunday at noon untill Wednesday night and the mighty one said that we can have Wednesday night off in lieu of Christmas day, which means we will be off from Sunday untill Thursday night.
Wondering if I should ask her holiness how she would feel if she had to work during Spring Festival and the have time off later in lieu of Spring Festival!!!!!!!!!!

Comments?

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

I also work for a training center. In the contract it does state that we get a day off for Christmas but it doesn't specify what day. The center is open on Christmas and there were supposed to FT's working but we reasoned with the bosses and they said fine. The center remains open but there are no classes. I would suggest banning together with the other FT's and try to make your case to the boss.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Without sounding too cruel, I hope, but this is something that probably should have been covered before signing the contract (holidays, that is - - especially Western holidays that don't seem so important to Chinese bosses). My advice is to try and do something Christmas-y in your classes that day to make the best of it.

dragon777 · Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 163 Location: Christmas Island

Jesus Christ! Are you really a Christian? If you feel so strongly about it, take the day off? and pay respects to JC and God. If not work WORK. I am not trying to be critical, but you seem confused about your Christianity...thats if you have any.

pancakes · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 76

I think my answer depends on where you are. Last Christmas here in Huainan there was very little in the way of celebration. Seeing as there are so few foreigners here, a Christmas party on - say - Boxing Day wouldn't make much difference.

On the other hand, if you've plans to go frolick in the festivities on that day - assuming you're in a bigger city where there actually are festivities - then I would make a fuss about it.

I work for a private school, too, and I haven't yet heard what they are planning for the 25th of Dec. I think my contract is like yours, and says "a day off" but not specifically the 25th.

It depends on how much it matters to you. To me, although I'd like the 25th off for sentimental reasons, it wouldn't bother me too much if I got another day instead.

On the left foot (run out of hands) it might be worth making a fuss for the sake of future teachers? I know at my school, being one of the first foreign teachers, I've sort of had to pave the way. I've made fuss over things like new students being added last minute, both for me and for future teachers; the school will know what foreigners expect.

In the end, though, up to you.

Super Mario · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:33 pm Post subject:

Chinese students in Australia don't get Spring Festival off.
Unless you really have to attend mass to avoid going to hell, I'd suggest you do what I did every Christmas Day in China: ring the folks back home, go to work and then celebrate.
And have a good one.

Midlothian Mapleheart · Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 623 Location: Elsewhere

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

erinyes · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 272 Location: GuangDong, GaoZhou

If you want to pay respects to god then you can do it any day of the week. The day that we celebrate Christmas isn't historically accurate anyway, so the Christian argument doesn't hold water.

I think the point of Christmas is to spend time with the friends and family. I don't care if I have to work on Christmas day because I can just imagine that it's Christmas on some other day and make that day special. No biggy... we aren't in our home country and chances are the circle of friends and family isn't so large.

I can�t imagine a Chinese-Australian demanding a day off for Chinese New Year in Australia.

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

At the school I am currently teaching ..we receive around two weeks off for Christmas.

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

Personally I don't care much, I can worship the gods of my choice whensoever I choose. However my first Christmas here I was just a bit put out when the last class of the day was cancelled on Christmas Day. What, getting out a couple of hours early? Ah, but I had made plans to meet someone for dinner, and the FTs were expected to attend a publicity banquet. I like a free feed bag as much as the next workhorse, but when it came to meeting with someone I was interested in, my time was priceless. I lost a lot of guanxi points that night.

erinyes · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 272 Location: GuangDong, GaoZhou

I am looking for another school right now and the contract offers Christmas day and Thanksgiving day off. What the hell do I care for thanksgiving? I�m not American!!!

Nope! I told them that I down want either. But maybe if they wanted to give me one I would rather have Anzac day. That's more special to me!

no_exit · Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 565 Location: Kunming

I have Christmas day and New Year's day off as stipulated by my contract. We also get a break for Spring Festival, although it is not as long as normal.

My previous employer gave us special holidays off. We could choose whether we wanted to celebrate Christmas, Passover, Ramadan, whatever, although there was a limit to how many days we could take. I do remember when I went to school in the States, students were always allowed excused absences for religious observances. I think it is nice to have Christmas off, although it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. As another poster said, Christmas is about being with family, and my family isn't here. I hate Christmas Chinese-style, so missing it wouldn't be a big deal.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Not only will I have my normal weekend off (24/25), but I was able to choose the Friday before or Monday after (I chose Monday) AND I worked out to leave after my morning classes the Friday before. Woo-hoo!

AND my school will close the Monday after New Year's day to celebrate that holiday. THEN, about two weeks later we'll be off for about a month for the Chinese Spring Festival/New Year. I love being a teacher. Very Happy

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

Coming to live in China doesn't mean you have to abandon your own culture. Some posters here are so quick to jump if you even mention eating western food or in this case, wanting to celebrate a holiday that is quite important to some. When Chinese (or other people from other countries) come to Canada, they sure don't abandon their culture. They continue eating their own food and celebrating their own holidays (sorry guys but in Canada I have seen people take days off to celebrate a holiday from their country). I do celebrate Christmas over here. The FT's I work with and I have a gift exchange, spend the day together and have a big Christmas dinner. I do agree that it is something that you should put in your contract if it is important to you but if you don't, there is nothing wrong with the OP trying to talk to his school about it.