Job Discussion Forums

George Macartney · Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Posts: 10

about to go work at a mainland employer affiliated to a UK university, on a two-year contract. following UK higher education policy, the contract is explicit about my being able to leave the contract as long as i just give 30 days' notice. i wonder though, if i did hand in my notice properly and the employer lets me go, and i wanted to switch to a different employer in the PRC, might i still have trouble getting a visa? do the gov't bureaucrats not look too favourably on people terminating contracts, even if i do it according to the employer's contractual terms and conditions?

two years is a long time...

thanks people. it is 3am here in the uk and raining.

mike w · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:16 am Post subject:

So you haven't even left the UK yet, not started the new job yet, and already your thought process is that 2 years is a long time, and could I get out of my contract without any visa hassles?

Hidden agenda?

I'm sorry, but as a long-timer in China, and being a somewhat old-fashioned type of guy, I value commitment!

I would suggest that if that's the way you're thinking, maybe you should stay where you are.

jayjjasper · Joined: 27 Aug 2011 Posts: 344

big_big_bang_theory_fan · Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 105

You are ALREADY preparing to violate the contract. Don't say that it's "just a question" or "prudent to prepare," etc.

Immediate and pre-planned preparation for failure or skipping out and the like is a massive warning sign to the employer.

You clearly don't like the terms of the contract (2 year commitment) and are preparing to bail on them before you even start.

Thus --- find a different job or stay where you are. You know, one where you can be professional enough to understand and accept the terms and conditions, and honor them, despite unhappiness.

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

The contract apparently has a termination clause with a 30-day notice, so OP wouldn't be violating anything, provided s/he gave proper notice. I agree that the key would be getting a release letter from the employer in order to get work elsewhere in China. Multiple instances of (even properly) ending the employment early would no doubt worry prospective employers and might, possibly influence bureaucrats to turn down an invitation letter or work permit request.

Lobster · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:29 am Post subject:

Leaving an employer after giving notice as agreed to in the contract is not violating or breaching the contract. It's absolutely not the same as pulling a runner.

If you're not willing to finish 2 years you should negotiate a 1-year contract or consider a different position.

RED

George Macartney · Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Posts: 10

thanks all for the replies.

i didn't notice that a similar thread was started just before mine, 'Changing jobs mid-contract'. mods feel free to merge the two. maybe i should start putting my replies into that thread.

like i said, the contract has similar terms to a UK university, so they're quite explicit that i can terminate if i give 30 days' notice. in practice i'd give them at least 30 days, and would see out the semester or even the whole academic year.

in this case i've been given two job offers and have accepted the one which is better paid, even though i think i might enjoy the day-to-day work better in the other one, for a number of reasons. if the content of the job and the work environment isn't right for me, i don't think it's entirely awful for me to talk to them about leaving in a way that obeys their contractual requirements.

to the people for whom my original post appeared overly cynical: i've had two employers in china in the past and i fulfilled the contract and then some with both of them. i'd never dream of breaking a contract, unless the employer did so first.

George Macartney · Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Posts: 10