Job Discussion Forums

[insideout]

I got done by a very well known international franchise "rich kid" school on my Summer School teaching in east Shandong. They decided, without consultation with me to deduct 66% of my pay. Obviously I had done something to get them upset. After several attempts to get them to come to some arrangement and compromise they flatly refused. They asked me to incriminate myself by putting in writing what they said I had done if wanted the 66% of my pay. In spite of the very good results I got with very young students who were wild most of the time, I couldn't get any resolve or willingness for co-operation and shared responsibility.
Prior to the recent arrival of the new "henchman" all went well. But even one contract teacher got done on a deal that was not in writing. Yet a teacher who gave the students all the test papers with answers was only penalised 400 RMB out of his 6,000.
Because nothing was in writing there was nothing I could do, no one to turn to what so ever.
So the moral of my story is get something in writing in the event of dispute. Doesn't have to be a contract. Something simple as teaching hours, pay, when you will be paid, what you are required to do. Have it counter signed by the boss and you, a Director Studies may not be a big enough power in any disputes. My advice is that if a school won't do an agreement or terms then they've got some thing up their sleeves.
Another school decided not to pay me at all. I had to put them over a barrel to get paid. They told me after I got paid that they didn't want to pay me because if they did I would leave. The think there was that I would hang on in hoping to get paid one sunny day. I promptly left as soon as I got paid thereby confirming their think.

[Jess_Laoshi]

My school tried to shaft me out of some of my pay because I told my students I was leaving when asked point blank, "Jess, are you going to be here next month?" The school would have preferred I lied to the students so they would sign up for another round of lessons, thinking they would have their old teacher. They didn't care if the students would feel cheated or betrayed if, after having already paid to have me be their teacher, the school switched teachers on them. Our problem, not yours, they said.

I argued with them for a full hour before they would agree to pay me the money. The funny thing was, halfway through the argument, they switched tactics, saying that the students didn't sign up for more classes because they didn't like my teaching, which was a complete reversal from what they were saying before -- that the students didn't sign up because I told them I wasn't going to be there anymore. I almost laughed in their faces. Finally, they agreed to give me the money if I would admit right there that I was wrong in telling my students I was leaving. Fine. I was wrong to be honest with my students, was wrong to care more about their learning than making profit for the school. Whatever, just pay me. In the end, I'm not sure why they caved in and gave me the money, perhaps because I made such a fuss about it, which they didn't expect, and they were worried that I might expose the school for the scam that it is, losing them more students in the process.

The thing is, teachers get shafted left and right. Especially if you're not working legally (I had a student visa, not a work visa), there's not a whole lot you can do to protect yourself. My school had the balls to tell me, directly after this whole dispute, that they hoped I would return to teach at their school when I came back to China. That's the kind of schizophrenic attitude you get from these people. They're only in the business to make a buck, and they know they can get away with screwing teachers, especially if they make a practice of hiring backpackers or foreign students, who lack the proper documentation which would entitle them to any sort of recourse. I'll never work at a place like this again. It was definitly a learning experience, but in the end, its the students, who pay a lot of money (which a lot of them can't afford) to participate in this scam who lose out, while the school laughs its way to the bank. I won't even start on some of the idiots that passed for teachers at this place either (in order to be hired, I had to watch another teacher give a lesson. It was actually painful. Five minutes at least spent telling the students that the plural of "eye" is "eyeses." Yeah, I should have ran away at that point). Moral of the story (more like a rant, sorry) I guess -- there are shady language mills everywhere, best way not to get swindled is not to work for them in the first place.

[dractalks]

I vow...if you stand up to them, threaten them with the consulate, shouting, yes (you think God forbid, jus' threaten them) IF THEY WILL LOSE FACE, THEY WILL ALWAYS RELENT! And PAY YOU! If you act weak, THEY will treat you that way. Been there, done that. GET WHAT YOU WERE PROMISED!!!!!!!

[Roger]

Drac,
I can't believe you have ever put on a Schwarzenegger act with one of these schools! Threaten them with violence??? You make me laugh! YOu are a jokester!

Jessi laoshi's mistake is common - she shared too much private information with her charges. I do not know it this was unprofessional, probably it wasn't. But it is not conducive to raising respect from anyone, and the students will always gossip even with other teachers. Finally, the school boss knows things about you he should not know, or if so, he should have found out from you by himself. Talking about one's imminent departure never is an educational topic in class! This is strictly private between you and your employer! Your employer should never be the last to be in the know!

Although I have made many of my peeves known, being short-changed by schools has never really ahppened to me! Once a training centre manager tried. He was employee with a government-run library, but his outfit was a money-making operation, and some of the profits no doubt ended up in his pockets. He cancelled so many of my classes five minutes before I was to enter the classroom that one day I got mad at him and demanded my entire salary, including the pay for two hours cancelled on that day.
He refused to pay that day, though he was prepared to pay for the rest of the month, but he insisted I wait until the end of the month.
I went to one of the directors at the library and complained about him - he was hauled into her office, and he had to explain his reasons for his behaviour.
Finally, I got my pay right then.
There was another occasion at a different private training centre where I was hired through the telephone, and when I took over their class I immediately knew this class was no good (see "Steppenwolf"). I lasted exactly one evening, then I decided to roll out of it. I did not even go to the trouble of informing them. They called me two weeks later, to tell me they had cancelled that class, not asking me, why I had not come in the second week.
SOmetimes you can judge by the quality of your students and the shoddy preparation that had gone into arranging the whole setup that there is going to be trouble ahead.
Trouble always translates into costs, and the schools will try to pass the expenses on to the II!

[Jess_Laoshi]

The thing is, the school wasn't the last to know! When they hired me, I was very clear with them about when I would be leaving to return to America. On my second to last day, the school was still pushing students on me for "trial lessons," even though they knew I was going to be leaving. I was one of their more popular teachers (which, although flattering, is certainly not saying much given the choices they had), and I got the feeling they wanted to milk me for all I was worth. Even though I had told them I was leaving, they were still pissy about losing me, but I really felt it was would have been wrong to lie to the students. It never even occurred to me not to tell them actually, since I took for granted that my employers knew about my departure and were prepared for it. I think they just kinda hoped I'd stick around regardless. If I'd told my students before my bosses, yeah, I'd agree that woulda been a shifty thing to do, but since the bosses knew, I didn't see the harm in being truthful.

I did find that holding my ground worked though. This is where having passable Chinese was an asset. It was funny seeing them try to search for ways to justiffy shorting me my pay. The really funny thing was, it wasn't even that much money. It was about 200 RMB they were trying to stiff me, which is nothing. It was more the principle of the thing. I really don't think they expected me to fight them on it at all, and maybe I wouldn't have, but I was fed up with the school anyhow.