Job Discussion Forums

[nappyni]

Hi Everyone,
I'm teaching in Xia'n and I have a very bad contract (I didn't realize it until I got here) and I have had problems getting my boss to even give me what was promised in the contract. Now, I work 6 days a week while everyone else at my job works 5 days. I tried to work things out diplomatically with talks, I already said I need 2 days off and it's not fair that I do not get this. this has not worked. In my contract it says that if I break the contract with unacceptable reason I have to pay 4000rmb. however the contract doesn't say what is acceptable reason and of course the boss will probably decided what's acceptable. does anyone have any advice on how I can get out of this without paying. do you know any lawyers i can talk to or where I can get good advice? Thank you in advance.

[vikdk]

to be able answer we need to know
1. contract details with respect to hours agreed
2. what type of visa are you working on

finding out if you have agreed in advance to do those hours, or if you are working on a legal or illegal contract is very important

[clark.w.griswald]

[vikdk]

don't do anything before you have told us what visa you are working on

[Roger]

It would be premature to dish out advice at this stage; your employer might be perfectly in his right to demand your presence on those days you object to - you haven't said how many contact hours you agreed to in your contract!
Besides, you also should clarify what kind of employer you have; I have the distinct impression yours is a language mill; if this is true then they have every right to spread your working hours over the entire week unless they formally agreed to letting you orff one day a week...

Please, do clarify your situation! Public schools are not quite that bad; training centres are, however, run according to market whims.

[andyscott84]

Once that pen hits the paper there really is no turning back. If you agreed to only work 5 days a week and they're making you do six then it is a problem. If not, you have to live with your decision. but, feel free to come back and give more details.

[nappyni]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I work at a private English school and I work about 30 hours a week, I am not doing overtime. My visa is a residence permit and it say its for the reason of employment. I do want to leave on the best terms possible and I am trying to work that out right now. For the sake of the students, I don't want to leave them stranded, however my first obligation is to myself. I know my problem is very common, and I have even heard worse stories. I think it's a shame that many employers try to take advantage of their workers. Someone should start a foreign english teacher advocacy group.

[nappyni]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I work at a private English school and I work about 30 hours a week, I am not doing overtime. My visa is a residence permit and it say its for the reason of employment. I do want to leave on the best terms possible and I am trying to work that out right now. For the sake of the students, I don't want to leave them stranded, however my first obligation is to myself. I know my problem is very common, and I have even heard worse stories. I think it's a shame that many employers try to take advantage of their workers. Someone should start a foreign english teacher advocacy group.

[Super Mario]

[pc-pocket]

[yamahuh]

[vikdk]

If your in a legal job - the only way of getting out of it seems to be a "Steve McQueen" - those hours and wages would probally drive the sternest of FT's in that direction. Bad boss on top of that so it's FT purgatory - at best being seen as a job where you learn a big lesson!

Anyone thinking of working here take heed of this experience (even if it is only heresay)
1. remember anything over 20 contact hours a week is difficult - what with preperation time plus in many cases travelling time just think 20 hours can soon add up to over 30 plus. For new teachers my advice is don't go over 20.
2. time off is essential to sanity here - when your boss tells you time off is the hours between lessons and single days here and there - well beleive me this is not top quality free time 'cause your day is till governed by your work. Go for jobs with free weekends and evenings - so you can wind down.
3. if you agree to low wages - regardless of your attitude to money - unless you are working with the very needed, you will eventually start to feel ripped off. There is nothing worse than going to the local FT bar and finding out that other FT's are earning twice as much, and that your boss has just bought himself a new merc! You bargain for wages here and 100/hour is quite easy to come by in private schools in the cities. By accepting low wages you are also ripping off other FT's

[erinyes]

What's the name of the school?

I am teaching thirty lessons a week and think what I am getting a pittance at 6000 a month for that much work 5.5 days a week.

But to tell you the truth - I get that even if I only work 2 or 3 weeks out of the month - and I often get a week off here and there - so in fact, it's not really that bad I guess.

But anyway I got a new job starting next semester so it doesn't matter.

I would suggest that you carefully go through the contract and underline anything that you think they didn't live up to and use it as an excuse to get the hell out of there.
If you can find nothing - well dam.

And in the future, try to make sure that you work out your average hourly rate. Something like salary / 4 / number of lessons = >50RMB Cos 4000 / 4 = 1000 / 30 = 33.3 That's REALLY LOW!!!

But before doing any of that - make a post called "Name of school = low pay" so everyone around here knows to stay away!

ps - We are the foreign English teacher advocacy group baby!!!
pps � if you do leave but like working 6 days a week and 30 lessons then, like I said, I am leaving my current job!
Cheers everyone.

[vikdk]

If we are the closest you get to an FT advocacy group, shouldn't we discuss some kind of recommendations the majority of us think are sensible for anybody starting this game?

How does the following sound - 20 contact hour max, 2 consecutive days/week free, no more than 10 traveling hours/week and 75/hour in a school or college selling yours lessons privately (remember state institutions often use us for extra revenue by making our lessons pay classes) - I think this is a goable target.

I would prefer to recommend 100/hour but feel that it's difficult to get when applying outside China, but urge all new applicants to ask for this rate when negotiating a wage - and to remember wage negotiation is a bargaining process even when done over the internet.

The accom, flight and insurance stuff also should be part of the newbie package

[tw]