Job Discussion Forums

[inchinanow]

I worked at Aston in Shenyang, China from July 2007 until February 2008. I cannot recommend this school. Although I did get paid on time, I had many experiences which were very uncomfortable. I always felt off-balance, never knowing what might happen next. If you work for Aston, don�t count on much support from their headquarters in Dalian China. If you have a problem or issue with your local manager, you are on your own. They are not very responsive at all. Here are just a few of the problems that I encountered:

� Living quarters were small, hot, dirty and full of cockroaches.
� Classrooms are very hot in the summers and are very noisy. They are smoky, because of the market located nearby. All the smoke from the cooking comes right into the classroom!
� Parents stare through windows outside the classroom, gawking at you while you are teaching.
� The manager was extremely rude and abusive to me, often yelling at me when I would simply ask a question. She also had the habit of lying to me. She was basically a dishonest person.
� When I complained to the head office, they were weak and unresponsive. They did respond, but not effectively. The management was not very willing to get involved to improve my situation.
� When I had finally had enough, I gave my one months notice as required in the contract. The manager threatened that if I left, she would not give me a release letter.
� Once it was clear that I was intent on leaving, she tried to sabotage my stay in China, by writing some negative comments on my release letter. These negative comments were basically lies. She was just trying to make things difficult for me.
� She fired me retroactively, so they would not have to pay me the full month�s salary for February 2008.
� They often threatened the Chinese teachers that they would lose their jobs if enrollment did not increase. They threw the task of recruitment onto the backs of the Chinese Teachers.
� They gave me a one business day notice to vacate my apartment once I had turned in my letter of resignation. I had the courtesy to give them a one month notice, but they repaid that courtesy by being abusive to me and trying to bully me.
� They require that you stand all day while teaching the classes. If you have many classes, this can be exhausting work.
� I often felt like a piece of meat standing in the classroom. Don't expect any respect at Aston! They really don't care about anything other than making money.
� I had many other bad experiences, which are too numerous to list.
� If you decide to work for Aston, all I can say to you is GOOD LUCK!
� I did find a new position with another school, which I am happy with! I am happy in China now!!!!!!!



INCHINANOW

UPDATE, August 16th, 2008: I heard that Aston paid their staff two weeks late. Seems they are having trouble paying now!!!!!

[dadczak]

Thanks for the post.

Was the manager a foreigner or Chinese?

Are you at liberty to tell me who you work for now?

[inchinanow]

She is Chinese. She made it a habit of trying to instruct native speakers on how to teach English . She nearly drove me insane!!!

Now I am in USA, but I will return to China soon.

[milkweedma]

These guys are advertising again and I'm wondering if working conditions have improved at all or if management has changed.
Are there any recent or current teachers around who can comment on the working relationships with the management of Aston English Shenyang?

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

No, they have gotten worse.

This is only hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt:

Last I heard, a South African lady was stiffed her pay, but her co-worker (Canadian) got his on time. Worse, as soon as he got his salary he did a run and the school blamed her for not telling the school which is ironic because he was told not to tell her he got his pay.

The school is probably now looking again because she left after not being paid and treated as a 2nd class person.

[Daphne]

Friends don't let friends work for Aston!