Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

New teacher, started in March, 2015 and signed a contract until July 2015 (4 months contract). New teacher was given a new contract, from September 2015 to July 2016, but the new contract mentions 'no summer pay' because teacher has worked less than one year 'during the contract'.

The question arises, because as the teacher will continue to work (if he/she signs the contract) for the next year, she/he will have been here for more than one year, by the end of the contract.

Does anyone get summer pay, having worked less than one year, but continues to work for the following year. I can see not getting any summer pay for only working 4 months, but if one continues to stay and work, then the summer pay could be used as an incentive to keep the teacher at the university. In addition, the other teachers received a 2000 rmb bonus to cover the 6 weeks summer period.

Personally, I see the summer pay as a good incentive to keep the teacher motivated for the job, and offer her/him some incentive to stay.

Thank you for your feedback.

Ghost in China

[Markness]

It depends. If they re-sign a new contract then they can SOMETIMES get their summer pay. Some universities are just trying to rip people off and/or have enough people applying for the job that they can afford to not give a paid summer... They usually advertise these "Travel N teach!" positions and offer people an "internship" with a TESOL course and then a working period which conveniently falls near spring festival or summer break and allows you to not get paid in those times because its for the "experience". They then wonder why they only get back-packers accepting these sorts of positions and also wonder why the quality of the education provided is poo.

If I read correctly you said they only worked there for 4 months? So there would be little incentive for the employer to give a paid summer unless they've proven themselves. It's always a difficult situation to start in the middle of the semester as it makes things awkward for negotiations such as summer pay. The standard at universities is to always have paid winter/summer holidays. If they aren't doing that then it is time to find a new school. Let us work out the math of a 10 month contract vs. 12 month contract...

12 month contract = 5500+1500 housing = 7000RMB x 12 months = 84,000RMB a year. The 10 month one gives you only 70,000RMB / 12 months (no summer) = 5800ish a month to work in China (pay/hours equivalent to flipping burgers back at home part-time.. yikes). If the winter break is unpaid too.. oh god. The standard for re-signing a contract = paid holidays. I always sign a contract that has them paid upfront with no exceptions. It is not worth taking a risk and being at the mercy of an employer who is sponsoring your visa, they exploit it to their advantage. They will sometimes even be bigger douches and try to make it difficult for you to get a letter of recommendation/release letter unless you accept their crappy terms. This is why its important when signing a contract to make sure all of this stuff is taken care of!

edit: spelling (doh!)

[Deats]

More and more unis are not paying summer pay compared with a few years back. It's a disgrace. For my most recent interviews I simply worked on the basis of looking at what I expected to earn during my contract rather than what they offered per month. I.e I think 72,000RMB a year is the minimum someone should accept (breaks down to 6000x12 or 7200x10). If you aren't being offered that then you are being screwed.

It's funny that they want a year of your life but only want to pay for 10 months - usually teachers will never be able to find / or want to do jobs for the 6-8 weeks of the summer break. The re-location costs, visa headaches, wanting to see family + friends, break from China to stop you from going insane are things why you need/deserve a paid summer break.

[dakelei]

I sent you a PM about this. You should read it.

[Non Sequitur]

"The standard at universities is to always have paid winter/summer holidays. If they aren't doing that then it is time to find a new school"

If anything the opposite is true.
Sure they pay winter because it falls in the 10 month contact but summer is usually only offered as an inducement to re-sign.

[KidfromBrooklyn]

All legally employed Chinese teachers get paid for summer months. It is preferential treatment for foreigners to be lied to and not paid.

If you agree to this....its your problem.

[Non Sequitur]

[ghost]

The issue here is that the teacher in question was due to start in September 2014, but for reasons beyond her control, she was only able to start in March 2015. 4 months later, the summer will start, and she will not be paid for the summer. However, if she stays for the remaineder of the 2015 - 2016 contract, then she should, in all likelihood, be paid for the summer of 2016, provided she re -signs for the 2016 - 2017 academic year.

The teacher assumed she would be paid for the summer, since she has planned to sign a contract for the 2015 - 2016 academic year, which runs roughly (September - end December) and (March - end of June). Essentially the teachers at that school work two 16 week terms, although the contracts are longer.

Ghost in China

[Non Sequitur]

'Reasons beyond her control'
Unless the school put her off then find it hard to see any issue with non-payment of holiday.
One accumulates holiday entitlement. You don't accumulate a full summer of pay after 4m work.
Pro rata maybe but she would need to negotiate that.

[doogsville]

At my uni the contract finishes on the last day or term, and if you sign for another year the new contract starts the next day, so you get paid for the summer holiday as well as the winter holiday. I think that's fair. The OP's friend is in an uncommon situation however. I can see the uni's point in not wanting to pay her since she's only been there a short time, but I can also see the wisdom of paying her for the summer in order to keep her.

At the end of the day it comes down to their need for a teacher versus her willingness and/or ability to find a better employer for the next academic year. Where I in her shoes, I would be looking for another job.

[Deats]

The person doesn't deserve full summer pay, cos they haven't worked a full year. End of story.

If the uni wants to be fair then they could offer 1/3 or 1/2 summer pay.

The person should expect no more than this.

[Non Sequitur]

[Deats]

Yes, agreed.

Otherwise, nothing.