Job Discussion Forums

Jayray · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 373 Location: Back East

Last Friday (two days before the end of the term), I was fired from my job with no notice. Classes were doing well. All of the students liked me. The only problem I had was with the school cafeteria when it refused me service. Later, three students who tried to buy me food, and they were refused service in my presence. I just passed the info on. I let it go, as I did when it refused me the first time. (The first refusal turned into an ugly mess when all I wanted was a meal card which was refused to me at the beginning of the term. I paid cash from then on. This matter is in another thread)

When I was told that I would be let go, I was given no reason. When I pointed out that the school owed me the penalties as stipulated by the contract, the FAO rep (who --I just found out-- is an employee of the school, not an official of the foreign affairs office) became upset. When I called her attention to another breach of contract, she became REALLY emotional. I said okay, I'll go to the VP's office. I went into his office. He didn't understand anything, so they sent for the FAO rep, who was still upset.

The school VP handed her the contract and (apparently) told her that she could give me my job back. (She must have explained the breaches). I told her that the school would have to rectify the cafeteria problem first. I suggested a monthly stipend to cover the problem with the cafeteria.

Nope. They wouldn't budge. She failed to comprehend that the nearest place to eat is either a twenty-five minute walk away or a forty-minute bus ride away. This place is out in the boonies like so many universities now.

Yesterday, I was told that the school needed my passport so it could cancel my residency permit and buy my plane ticket. I didn't want to go through another ugly mess, so I asked to go with the rep so that the plane ticket would be done properly.

We went to the PSB. A three-day L visa was put into my passport. (My departure would be in three days).

We bought the ticket, though the FAO rep supposedly "forgot " my passport at the PSB, so the travel agency had to work from a photocopy of the Residency Permit page of my passport.

Lunch, lunch, yada yada, have a good trip home. Happy every day, etc., etc..

Back story: the school is routing all of the FTs out of the campus for the summer. The FAO rep promised to put me up in a hotel because I have a one-year contract. The others have six-month contracts, so they opted to move on to other employers. (The hotel accommodation was rescinded, of course, when I asked for a stipend for having to eat off-campus. Cooking in the room isn't really practical or safe, unless a microwaved meal is desired every day. The refrigerator stinks and the odor permeates everything put into it. I have to keep the fridge plugged in to keep the odor from escaping).

Question: is this short-notice, no-reason-given for termination treatment legal? Is the L visa affair normal procedure? I've never been fired from a job in China, so I don't really know if this is normal.

[I corrected a grammatical error. That's what I edited].

Teatime of Soul · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905

It is normal when the school believes you are a troublesome employee who needs to be immediately out of their hair, and China, and the PSB, (based on their reports) agrees.

This response is strictly in answer to your question and should not be construed as any judgement of you or your performance at your school.

theincredibleegg · Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 224

I still think the story about the school cafeteria sounds abit too odd

Jayray · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 373 Location: Back East

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

That's what happens when you complain in China. Whatever you do, don't work in and then complain in Xinjiang...

Jayray · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 373 Location: Back East

cblack76 · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 26

I've heard of a lot of schools firing teachers before the end of the contract to avoid having to pay their bonus / buy them a ticket, but it sounds like you got yours.

Lobster · Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:12 am Post subject:

How about coming back one more time to let us know the name of this fine institution so we can possibly enjoy the haute cuisine offered there?

RED

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 302 Location: Yinchuan

Makes me glad I work out in Western China.

NOTHing bad ever happens out there.

ps.. good luck and I hope you have a better time of it at your next port of call.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

Do you have a copy of your contract? I know my contract says that unagreed termination of the contract from either party = paying to get out of it. My contract will give me more if they cancel it without notice than if they give me the bonus in place of a plane ticket. Not sure how far that can get you, but it is a starting point for mediation.

P.S. The point of that clause is to protect FTs from getting stuck in China if the school screws them. I believe it is in the standard government contract also, so at least someone is thinking about us.

Hansen · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 737 Location: central China

Three days to get out of town. What chance does he have to collect a penalty? They know that.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

Jayray · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 373 Location: Back East

I got my passport back from the FAO at 4:00 pm today.

FRP= CANCELED

Three day L visa in its place.

Good thing that I went with the FAO rep to the travel agency (She didn't go through the government agency that issues the tickets because she said that it was too expensive). I told the FAO NOT to book me through LAX. I got to the agency, and the travel agent heard me talk to the FAO rep. The woman spoke perfect English. The FAO rep had no clue about booking a flight. She booked a flight ONLY as far as LAX in California. I live on the East coast of the U.S.. With the cash that the FAO rep brought with her, I could get as far as Chicago O'Hare. From there, I have buy a ticket to Virginia.

In yet another bizarre twist, the travel agent asked the FAO if she could ride with me to Shanghai in the school transport. The FAO rep agreed. Maybe I'll find out what happened from the travel agency rep during the ride tomorrow.

I won't name the school. I wrote to the Powerz that Bee at Dave's asking how I can post a warning about this school. I got no reply, so I guess that the mods would rather not become the site of a battleground between me and the school. I can understand.

Perhaps after I get home and some time passes, I'll be able to sort this out and post a report in another forum. I took notes during the meeting with the FAO, so I'll be able to post a factual, unemotional response to all this.

I DO want to warn others about this public college, but I don't think this is the right place to do it.

Thanks for the input.

Mojoski · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 170

This whole thing is so bizarre. I can't fathom the motivation for it (I'm talking about the non-food service), and it's such an odd thing to make an issue of. I'd really like to understand this scenario. Is it some sort of negative disrimination against westerners? Sounds like blacks being refused diner service in Mississippi. Did you approach your boss and say, 'look here, there's a silly problem down at the cafeteria; can you please get to the bottom of it for me?' I certainly can't see any need for justifying needing to have a spot of lunch. Did anyone at all offer to explain explain what was going on? Did you ask them to?

In keeping with the theatre of the absurd, I keep picturing a Monty Python skit in my mind. A couple of administrators from the college sitting around an office, "Had to ship off another Yank today. Yes, wouldn't stop making a fuss about eating. Why can't these people understand the simple fact that they don't have the right to eat in China?" "Yes, such a bother to keep having to get more of them." "A pity we can't seem to be able to grow native speakers locally." [they both shake their heads...]

TexasHighway · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 779

You admitted that the first cafeteria refusal turned into an "ugly mess" and then you had another incident. So how can you say you were fired for "no reason"? Although the blatant discrimination you faced is abhorrent, your reaction was not what would be expected of a professional teacher in China or anywhere. Throwing temper tantrums in front of students, administrators, and cafeteria workers seems like a sure way to get fired. As far as suing the school for breach of contract, I don't think you don't have a leg to stand on. Just move on and learn from this experience.