Job Discussion Forums

chinesearmy · Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 394 Location: canada

I see a lot of ads that include allowances for food, living, transportation etc.

let's say they state 1100RMB for travel allowance

does this mean they give you the 1100RMB in cash every month for that or do you tell them you need to go to places and then they automatically deduct that from the allowance they give you?

can someone shed some light on allowances?? thanks!

hot_water_hillbilly · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 97

The standard is 1100 RMB per semester - 2200 for a 1 year contract

This is a hold over of many schools not paying for winter breaks or summer holiday/breaks and was intended to replace the so-called missing salary

Many still provide this allowance.

That is all it is. You'll receive 1100 at the end of the semester, before the holiday period.

That's all

chinesearmy · Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 394 Location: canada

thanks for the reply HWH. is the allowance taxed or do they give you under the table?

hot_water_hillbilly · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 97

At least in my case, I was just given cash, but technically speaking it taxable, since it's a payment, not a reimbursement.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

I've gotten the 1100 "travel allowance" every semester for the past 7 years and it's never been taxed. It's always been shown on a separate slip of documentation and not included with my regular pay. I still get paid my regular salary throughout the school year, holiday or not, so I'm certainly not complaining about this extra bit of money . . . BUT, 1100 is not really an equitable amount of money for "travel" with the ever increasing costs of airfare, hotel prices, restaurant prices, tourist attraction costs, etc. But it's still a nice gesture that they'd even consider giving you money towards holiday traveling in the first place!

Daphne · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 119

Is the end-of-contract allowance given by a Univ usually in compensation for an unpaid summer or winter holiday?

Mine is almost exactly equal to the 2 months salary which I don't get for July and August.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Could be - - maybe the wording of "allowances" and "bonuses" and "reimbursements" are different from school to school for different accounting/tax reasons.

Daphne · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 119

My contract actually does not mention specifically that my summer holiday is unpaid, but I'm reluctant to press my boss about it, because he has been so kind to me at every turn.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"My contract actually does not mention specifically that my summer holiday is unpaid." -- Daphne

Your contract should say which months you will be paid for. If it's a 10-month contract, for instance, you'll be paid for just those ten months. Typically, the mid-year school holiday is paid as usual, but the end of contract holiday is not. Any airfare reimbursement, travel allowance, etc. will help to bridge the gap between the end of one contract and the start of the next, or at least get you home again if you're not planning to come back.

Daphne · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 119

Frankly, that is pretty much what I had figured already--but if the Univ is not willing to pay it, and my "agent" is likely not willing to press them on it; an inevitably ugly legal fight would very likely be in store.

As mentioned before, I'm not willing to go down that road just yet. Probably best to bring the issue up with them at the end of the contract, and see if they are willing to pay for next summer, and then if the answer is negative; look into possible legal means.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"(B)ut if the university is not willing to pay it...an inevitably ugly legal fight would very likely be in store." -- Daphne

The school is only obliged to pay you what your contract says it will pay you. There may be very little to "fight" over. If you want more than what the contract specifies, you'll have to try and negotiate this as part of your next contract, if you continue to teach there.

Daphne · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 119

Well, I just assumed that whatever period that would not be paid would be specified in the contract, but in China it could be the other way around, as someone just posted.

The best thing to do would be to ask the other foreign teachers at my Univ about their summer pay (or lack thereof...)

I know some Chinses Universities pay for that time and some do not.