Job Discussion Forums

[AlecBaldwinsEgo]

Newbie here, I've been applying for jobs all over China. I have done 8 skype interviews in the last two days (and several before that). I've gotten a few offers and have been combing the contracts for red flags (one school wanted me to work unpaid overtime with the promise that I'd work that many fewer hours next week-ie work 45 one week, only 35 the next. Not likely).

I have a friend that teaches there that brought a potential red flag to my attention that I hadn't considered. He said that if a school pays in the last half of the month it likely means they have a lot of teachers skipping town. He said if payday is the 15th it's not good, and if it's the 20th that's enough for him to turn down an offer.

So my question is: do most experienced teachers in China feel this way? Is the date of pay significant enough to turn a "yes" into a "hell no"?

[water rat]

[AlecBaldwinsEgo]

Well I'm new to this, so I'm sure I'm making many mistakes. If there's a better way to do things I'm all ears. Basically I've been applying to lots of different schools (after doing a cursory internet search-if there's not a bunch of people complaining on the first couple pages of google I apply). Those I hear back from I do another google search and set up an interview. After the interview I get the offer (sometimes). So it's not really until then that I know enough details to rule them out if they've passed by cursory screening.

But it sounds like my friend is just a bit paranoid with regard to the thread title.

Nearly all the schools I've talked to are hiring for the term starting March 1, is now too early to apply for those?

[LarssonCrew]

The only thing I disliked about being paid on the 15th was that essentially by the 14th you're owned 6 weeks of pay.

So if your contract is for 15,000 a month, the school owes you 22,500 plus potentially 1 1/2 months of accommodation allowance, which if 3000 means the school owe you 27,000 RMB. That's what? $4500?

[RW8677]

[Listerine]

The current university I'm at pays at the start of the working month for the current month. September's pay is paid on September 5th. In decades of ESL I've never come across a school that actually pays in advance - usually on the last day of the month or by the 10th or so of the next month.

I don't think I'd like getting too far beyond that, as Larsson mentioned by the 15th or so you're still being owed for work you did a month and a half earlier. You're putting a lot of trust in some potentially dodgy fuckers.

[Bud Powell]

You won't know a whole lot until you arrive. The date of pay doesn't reflect much about the school as long as you are paid on time. At one school, the contractual date of pay was the 5th or the 7th of the month. We were never paid until the 10th or the 15th. The FTs were given an idiotic reason for it being late, and we bought it. There was little we could do. (I found out later that the CTs were paid on the 1st without fail).

Then, the guy who paid us took a leave of absence. Suddenly, we were paid on the 5th of the month or before. His replacement was much more efficient and didn't spend her time playing computer games.

When the original paymaster returned, it was back to payment on the 10th, the 15th, then the 20th.

[toteach]

My school pays on the 11th for the previous month.

Teachers who've done runners in the past opt to wait until payday before taking off--but they lose all pay from the first of the month through the 11th. (Which reminds me that "runner season" will shortly be here. It's always interesting to see who takes off over Christmas or Chinese New Year break).

[Non Sequitur]

It's December next week OP so I don't think it's too early to be hiring for a start date after Chinese New Year.
Getting away on time for Chinese New Year is more important than getting away for summer - for Chinese staff.
If you are starting a year's contract in March I feel you should clarify whether you will be paid for the summer holiday - July and August?
As to the pay day in the month following, there could be a problem with your final pay when you leave.
If it is guaranteed to be paid into your bank account and you can access it via UnionPay elsewhere, then good.
Cash payments could be an issue.
Ditto your airfare refund.

[kungfuman]

My main job pays me on the 28th of the current month - every month never missed a pay date.

#1 part time job pays me on the last sunday of every month for that current month.

#2 part time job pays me on the 28th of every month for that current month.

I have turned down other part time jobs that wanted me to wait for the 10th or 15th of the next month.

My belief is pay date is very important for a job.

[LarssonCrew]

Get this,

I knew the Dad of one of my student's quite well[3 months?] and so when his son's classmates wanted classes through him we negotiated, he paid me upfront for the whole month.

Alot of trust there, possibly upto 5000 in my hand at the first day of teaching. My friend was paid on the last day because he liked it like that.

[3701 W.119th]

In China, I get paid on the last day of the month, for that month, (or the Friday before, if the last day falls on a Saturday or Sunday).

In Britain, with a major bank, I got paid on the 17th of the following month, (or the Friday before, if the last day fell on a Saturday or Sunday).

I wouldn't read too much into payroll dates. There are many red flags when considering an offer here, but I don't think this is one.

Surely it's not an issue, apart from maybe in your first 6 weeks / 2 months in China? And it's only an issue then, if you haven't brought enough money with you?

[wangdaning]

Also, remember start date. My contract did not begin until Sep 12th or something, uni. I got my first pay around the 15th the following month.

[Non Sequitur]

[Cubism]

The last uni had the pay date as 'between the 25th and 30th of the month.' & that seemed ok to me because I've seen that before, phrased in many ways. I got paid OK.

The point is: as long as you have a date in your contract as pay day every month, you've got leverage, something to scream about to someone like your embassy (not that the embassy would do anything; but I'd guartantee that your school would get your pay to you. They hate foreign consulates peeping into their business. Plus it would look bad for your school). The end of the month is a good time to get paid.

Now mentioning 'this isn't the hiring season.' I'd agree, but because you're looking at the bottom of the barrel. What's left isn't so good. I say this with authority because I took a uni job in PEK because I'm 66 next month; felt this would be my last teaching contract in China. It was trouble from the minute I got there. I did get paid, but otherwise...plus they didn't get my visa & I left.

I'd recommend waiting until Feb. or whenever the posters here suggest (Jan., not sure now) Good luck.