Job Discussion Forums

wawaguagua · Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Posts: 190 Location: China

The school dropped the ball with the other hired FT's visa (I guess that's what happens when the FAO only has one employee and that employee going on vacation during the summer holiday effectively shuts down the whole office). It's the end of October and he still hasn't arrived yet, though he hasn't given up interest in coming as long as they get his paperwork done.

In the meantime, the English department has asked me (or, rather, told me) to fill in for his classes until he gets here. That will double my teaching schedule. Not a big problem as long as there's overtime pay as stipulated in my contract. As far as the contract is concerned, however, the rate for overtime pay is simply, "negotiated between both parties". It isn't a concrete figure.

I went to the English department to ask them about how much I'd get paid to fill in for the extra classes, and I was told I'd be paid 60 RMB per class. That's 60 RMB for every two hours of overtime, or 30 RMB for each hour. That seems painfully low (despite the department chair's insisting that he gets paid half of that for overtime classes).

What do you get paid for overtime? If this rate is really standard, do I have the right to refuse to work the extra hours (because it definitely isn't worth my free time)? I feel that if I agree with this, they will have no incentive to hurry up with the other guy's contract (why pay an extra teacher a full salary when you can just pay me peanuts to do the same work). I already told them that the workload is too much for me and they asked me to wait until the last day of the month.

Luckily, the other guy's classes are freshman classes, which haven't started yet due to military training. The end of the military training period is fast approaching, however...

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

In the US, overtime is generally paid at time and a half (i.e., your hourly rate X 1.5) per each additional hour. For example, if your regular salary is the equivalent of $10 an hour, that comes to $15/hr for overtime. However, if you're expected to put in twice the amount of work, then you should receive double your salary.

wawaguagua · Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Posts: 190 Location: China

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

From an Internet search:

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

Who cares how the US calculates overtime? It is irrelevant here.

That being said, the rate your school quoted is extremely low. I would definitely not accept it. My university pays 100 per hour for overtime.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

Figure out what your hourly pay is in general and then make them pay more for it. Should be around 150-200 an hour. Otherwise, tell them there are more profitable ways to spend your time.

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

Be sure that they mean "a two-hour lesson" when they say class. I find it very confusing when people in Chinese universities say class, when they mean a 45 or 50 minute time period. Even so, 60 yuan is too low for one hour.

Your department chair seems untrustworthy. Does s/he drive a car? At his or her paltry salary? Someone will make decent coin from your agreeing to teach at that pay, but you probably won't have access to the books.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

My school pays 80 per class hour. So I should receive 160rmb per "two hour lesson".

donkeydonkey · Joined: 01 Aug 2015 Posts: 73

60 rmb seems very low to me. I make 100 rmb per hour/ 200 rmb per 2 hour class session for overtime. I am at a university in central henan. It sounds to me as if your FAO is trying to figure out how to do without the other foreign teacher at a discount.

doogsville · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 924 Location: China

Work out your hourly rate and work for that. Assuming the missing teacher is on the same pay rate as you, that's what they would be paying them. Why should you work for less? In fact you should be paid more since it's overtime.

JB140767 · Joined: 09 Aug 2015 Posts: 135

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

The schools I've taught at regard overtime as time in excess of the contract max ie 20 contact hours pw.
Adding class hours because of the absence of the regular teacher (up to a max of 20) is a change of schedule not o'time.
As this happens suddenly ie illness* or midnight runner I expect to be asked before I take on the extra classes.
Extra classes aren't so bad early in the semester, but later when you are scheduling assessments it can be difficult.
*This was the situation I was caught up in.

wawaguagua · Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Posts: 190 Location: China

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Factor in the fact that you are doing the o'time on campus.
Travel is a big unpaid component of going downtown on Saturday mornings to a language school.

JB140767 · Joined: 09 Aug 2015 Posts: 135

Firstly I wouldn't sigh a 20 hour a week contract, 16 is a more acceptable norm these days.

Another way employers might try to screw you is to say 'but you had a weeks holidays, at national day so you owe us those hours' or 'you had a day off for tomb sweeping' or whatever. Not so, the contract probably talks about hours per week, tho some sneaky employers try to get around this by changing to clause to 70/80 hours per month or whatever.

If you have a 16 hour a week contract and in one month you do 0,20,20,20 you are still due 12 hours overtime pay.

I fell afoul of this in my greenhorn year, and have been wary of it ever since. When the same stunt was attempted in the second year, I refused to sign, said thanks for the offer, but I cant accept this clause, so I'll be one my way, no hard feelings. They scrapped the clause on the spot.

What I have learned is that a lot of Chinese bosses will exploit you, if you allow it, if you stand up for yourself, they will back down, usually, and will probably even respect you a little more