Job Discussion Forums

[frank d]

After three years in China, I've noticed a growing trend� Schools offering monthly or end-of-contract bonuses. I�ve worked mostly for training schools here, and more and more they seem to be lowering initial salary offerings, but attempting to �sweeten� the contract with monthly bonuses (usually based on student feedback) ranging from 1000-1500RMB per month, above the base salary.

Public institutions (primary, middle, and universities) are offering end-of-contract bonuses. Luckily, I get high ratings from my students, but I always refuse to participate in these bonus programs because I don�t want my salary to fluctuate, and because I usually work part-time, these bonus plans usually don�t apply to me anyway.

My full time foreign colleagues often tell me that the training schools become very creative in finding ways to deny them the bonus each month; often changing the criteria at a moment�s notice (i.e. �You didn�t wear a tie every day,� or �You spoke too quickly this month,� or some such nonsense). They also tell me that the teacher must usually score at least a 95% �excellent� rating from students to obtain the full bonus.

I�ve read a number of testimonies on this website (and other ESL website discussion forums) from FTs claiming they�ve been denied these sizeable (4000-8000RMB) end-of-contract bonuses at universities and other public schools.

As I said, I never agree to these salary plans, but I�d like to know other FT�s experiences with this ever-growing contract trend. Have you been �burned,� or fairly rewarded?

[Super Mario]

I was offered, and took, an 8,000Y [equal to a month's base salary] bonus for each year of extra contract I signed for.
This was a state uni, and I had no problems getting the money. At a guess they'd want to see you working first.

[no_exit]

My last school had an end of contract bonus, but it wasn't based on student feedback. Instead, there was a list of guidelines and reasons why a teacher would get deductions (lateness, unexcused absenses being big ones). Low student turnover was another, as were parental complaints. Each item on the list had to have three ticks by it before a deduction from the bonus could actually be made, so you'd have to mess up pretty bad to end up with a low end bonus (you were guaranteed a certain amount anyhow).

In designing my own program I'm also offering bonuses to teachers for completing the contract. I like the idea of end of contract bonuses because it gives teachers something tangible to work towards, and motivates teachers who might call in sick after a night out drinking, or, heaven forbid, even pull a runner, to think about what they'll lose by doing so. I don't believe that student feedback is an adequate judge of a teacher's ability, however, and for any bonus system to work, there's got to be a quantifiable method for making deductions, it can't just be something like "you spoke too quickly this month."

I don't like the monthly bonus thing though. It just seems like an excuse for the schools to pay less to the teachers. While an end of contract bonus can serve as a motivating factor, the monthly "bonus" seems random and useless as anything other than a money saving tool.

[frank d]

No-exit and Super Mario,

Thanks, guys! Your comments are very useful! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

[Craig!]

No 'contract renewal bonus' here, except for a handsome raise, a nice round number, and which appears to be at the discretion of my dep't head.

The monthly bonus: 200 RMB is what i'm always rewarded.
Based on student feedback - the students write on scraps of paper and give to the head teacher (but some months, there are none!) -- and it's based on the dep't head's perogative.

[no_exit]