Job Discussion Forums

[wawaguagua]

I just changed jobs for the first time, moving from one city to another city to work in a different university. In my first university, my contract was a full 12 months with a fully-paid summer holiday. My new contract seems a bit stingy in comparison, paying only for the 11 months worked and nothing for the month of August. I wasn't happy about it, but I thought it was worth it to work in the city I wanted to.

Now I'm started to get aggravated. I remember when I first arrived in my previous university, they paid me my first month's salary almost immediately, but I can't remember if that salary was for August or for September. Here in my new location, it's almost October and I haven't been paid anything. I just got off the phone with the director of foreign affairs, who seems to think I shouldn't receive my salary for September until the 9th of *next* month. That seems incredibly late and stingy to me, especially after spending nearly two months living off my own savings and considering all of the relocation expenses.

So, what about you? Do you get paid for 11 months or a full year? Which is more common? Do you think the first month's pay should be paid within that month, or half a month later?

[doogsville]

I only get paid for the summer holidays if I sign on for another year, then my new contract starts the day after the current one finishes, which is usually the end of July. I also don't get paid until the 15th of the following month. That means new teachers staring in September don't get paid until October 15th. That's very late, and when I started it was the 10th of the month and they decided to change it.

[wawaguagua]

[doogsville]

[wangdaning]

I think pay coming later into the next month is down to lazy or understaffed accounting offices. Especially at universities these offices are responsible for the pay of all employees. Once you have worked your month, they then get record of your work. It is not just you though, it is everyone else, too. They get everyone's information processed, then go to the bank and do all the transactions at once. Not saying it is right, or fair, but just trying to shed some light as to why. You would think they would organize it better, but that is not a characteristic I have noticed much here.

I would also review your contract, and see if you actually agreed to something like this. Mine says they will pay on or before the 7th working day of the following month, which for October will not be until the 16th because of the holiday.

[hdeth]

Plenty of staff at my school but they do it the same way. One of the new teachers started working towards the end of August and won't get paid until october 10. I think my uni contract was 11 months. It sucks having to blow through some savings but nice to get a big lump (along with airfare) at the end of the contract.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

Check your contract. If you work for a public university, you are (or should be) working on an SAFEA contract which should specify when you will be paid.

My experience is that the FTs are paid on the same day that the CTs are paid. If you are on speaking terms with any Chinese teachers, just casually ask if he gets paid the same time that you get paid.

Undoubtedly, you'll be asked when you get paid. Say that you get paid the first week of the month for the previous month or anything plausible. That'll probably get him to tip his hand.

Laziness isn't always the reason for continual late payment.Sometimes it's an expression of resentment. I worked for a college for two years and was always paid on the tenth of the month. There were two or three exceptions: when the bimbo FAO and her lackey were out of town for pay day, and another staffer took over the job and paid us on the first of the month.

If a recruiter helped you get the job, he may be familiar with the school's pay schedule. Ask him/her about it. If the recruiter knows that you're not getting paid on time, he may make a call to the FAO to read her the Riot Act.

I wouldn't contact the City FAO about it, not even to ask anything about pay unless you're prepared for living h*ll for the duration of your contract.

[Simon in Suzhou]

The reasons for paying on the 15th of the following month are not just laziness or petty resentment. It is also a plan to punish people who run out on their contracts. Essentially, anyone who pulls a midnight runner would forfeit AT LEAST half a month salary.

This is often a sign a school has had problems with teachers not finishing contracts and running (which is in turn usually a red flag about how teachers are treated at said school). Or it is just a paranoid control freak in management who read somewhere that this kind of policy is a good idea...

[buravirgil]

[buravirgil]

Wait a minute...no one had done that on this thread...nevermind.

[doogsville]

It's not just universities nor foreigners though. My wife is Chinese and has several jobs since we've been together and she's always been paid about half way into the following month.

[wangdaning]

Last year we had a different pay arrangement here and I was actually being paid half a month early. This year it is clearly within the first 7 working days. For me that means middle of October next month because of the holiday. November should be before the 10th.

I do believe most of the problems, besides special cases, are organization and staffing issues. Like I said, processing the paperwork for potentially thousands of people at once, not just teachers either, and having a limited staff means it will take some time after paperwork is submitted at the end of the month. They could have an accounting department for each department in the school, which would cut down on the time, but require more employees. Not surprising that this probably will not change. Those who can change it could give a poop about when you get paid.

[3701 W.119th]

10 years working in the UK financial sector, and I was always paid the 15th of the following month (19th for a short time). I thought this was standard? If you don't have the funds to last you 6 weeks into a new job, well that sounds like a pretty miserable existence. Hand-to-mouth stuff.

On the contract terms, surely they'd only pay you 12 months if you resigned for a 2nd year? Again, is this not standard?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound condescending, at all. I genuinely thought this was entirely common, and reasonable.

[ymmv]

Training companies tend to pay the following month. (from my experience doing part-time work with them). Every university I have worked for here (7 in 17 years) has paid within the current month ranging from the 7th to the 24th (my current one). Extra work I do for them outside the contracted hours gets pushed to the next month.

I've had 10,11, and 12 month contracts. I've agreed to them, as hinted at by the OP because of my desire to work at a particular university or location. In every case where I initially agreed to a 10 or 11 month contract, the following year I was offered a full 12 month contract and paid through the summer.

Think they offer these initial 10-11 month contracts just to see if you'll stick around.

You can ALMOST take it to the bank that if you sign such a contract initially and agree to stick around another year, your new contract will be 12 months/ paid thru summer.

Plus it locks in your housing for the summer if you want to travel/go home.

So many FTs jump around from school to school and city to city looking for TEFL nirvana jobs. If you find a place that treats you reasonably well, stick with it instead of going in search of "greener pasture" or "other mountains" as the Chinese say.

Stick around and see what develops. The uni will probably treat you better/offer you more, and the local community may get to know you better, opening up more opportunities for you.

anyway, its worked out that way for me in 17+ years here. All uni teaching, and annual contract renewals.

As always on this forum,
YMMV

[wawaguagua]