Job Discussion Forums

[piglet44]

Hi all, I have a whole armload of offers from unis and I am ready to sign one of them .However I am not 100% if I can come to China cos I am waiting for release from my job here. What (if anything) can they do to me if I sign on the contract and then don't arrive in China?
Am I paranoid? THe reason I am contemplating this is that the Uni says they have to have an answer from me before end of June and I can get my permission to leave any time between now and Sept 1st.
thanks

[choudoufu]

you're not actually signing a contract. it's more an agreement to
sign the real contract once you arrive at the school. only the
official contract with the official number on the official paper is,
well, ummm, 'official.'

with the signed agreement, the school can get your FEC and
invitation letter. so they're going to the trouble - and expense -
of preparing your papers so that you can apply for your z-visa.

if you change your mind they canna do nothin'.

but they'll be a little pissed. as you would be if, after paying for your
visa and medical checkup and booking a flight, they change their mind.

sooooooooooooorry....

[dog backwards]

I agree with choudoufu. BE SURE that you receive not only the contract to inspect but also the addenda to the contract. In some cases, the addendum (or addenda) will contain school "rules" that are usually within the school's right to ask, such as school policies regarding non-school related work and guest visiting hours. My current SAFEA-issued contract (with printed registration numbers) does not include these policies. The addendum that accompanied the contract for me to inspect was the same as the one that I signed when I arrived at the school.

In one instance, however, when I arrived at the school, I was presented with further addenda that stipulated that I could convert NO rmb, had to work Saturday classes (English Corners for no pay), and had to move into a hotel at my own expense for the summer.

If you sign a contract when you are still in your home country, stipulate that you agree to the terms of the contract and accompanying addendum but nothing else. Number each page and initial it.

If you find that you can't arrive to work, be sure that you provide a plausible and unforeseeable problem as a reason as soon as you find that you cannot fulfill the agreement. At worst, you'll have difficulty getting a job through the same recruiting agency again or in the same city or province. It's unlikely that you'll not be able to work in China.

Try to see the possible scenarios through the school's eyes.