Job Discussion Forums

[lucylu]

I'm working at a university in china and they are withholding money for extra work I've done, they have always paid me late, and -surprise!- they've been lying to me. My employers are nice to my face but snakes behind my back.

I'm tired of this situation and want to break the contract. Have been thinking of moving to another country next year but may one day want to come back to China because I'm familiar with the culture.

However, if I break the contract, will I be 'black listed' forever from teaching in china again? How will this affect me in the future?

Any info would be helpful.

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

some more details?

how much are they with-holding? how late have you been paid? what lies have they been telling? have you tried to work things out? yes/no? people will be more forthcoming with assistance if you tell the whole story.

[lucylu]

Yea, i understand. first they always pay me late. have to beg to get paid each month.

second i've done extra work for them outside of the contract-maybe stupid of me, but whatever, what's done is done. now they are telling me i must sign another contract for next year in order to receive the money they owe me now--and it is a lot of money.

they've lied about when they will pay me for this work and have even decided on a lower rate than what initially offered after the work was completed.

yes, I have tried and tried and tried to very professionally and very calmly work this out with them and they have stone walled me-refused to discuss it any further.

i would rather not sign another contract with them, but it seems it is the only way they will give me my money.
i have never broken a contract before-even in bad situations i have endured it. however, in this situation, i don't know what else to do. but i'm afraid that if one day i want to come back to china, i will be on a 'black list'.

I cannot get an arbitrator, because this extra work is not written in the contract(yes, yes, i know i should have got in the contract!) should i sign another contract to get my money and then break it?

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[caleypatrick]

They have broken written and verbal contracts with you. It's simple: Go to them and tell them that you will leave immediately if you are not paid. They will pay you. If by chance they don't, just leave. You can always come back to China and to another province. This kind of employer doesn't report you because they know they are wrong. Respect is a two-way street regardless of culture. They give you squat, give them squat.

[randyj]

Someone, I don't remember who, said that China has all the disadvantages of a dictatorship, but none of the advantages. Each province goes its own way in a lot of different areas. There is not even a nationwide power grid. Although the use of computers may someday allow something like a nationwide blacklist of wayward foreign English teachers, at present I am convinced nothing like that exists.

[mike w]

[motown]

[Non Sequitur]

Isn't overtime dealt with in the existing contract?
Mine is the standard FE Admin one and it states hours over the nominal 20 pw are paid at RMB60/hour.

[johntpartee]

Leave. Immediately. There is no blacklist.

[Non Sequitur]

According to my Admin Dept there is a black list and it is being progressively rolled out throughout the PRC.

[johntpartee]

Well, then, I'm sure it must be true.

[Non Sequitur]

Well Admin told me about the black list when they were fuming about a FT who had 'done a runner' over the winter break.
Stuff like 'he will never get another job in China'.
From the FT point of view it made no sense as he left owed January pay (RMB4000) plus he forfeited his airfare allowance (RMB10,000).
He should have gritted his teeth and hung on until end of contract.
The real idiocy is the increase in break fee just introduced makes running off more of an option - not less.
That is if you've finished with China and the real or imagined black list isn't an issue.