Job Discussion Forums

[Backchannel Veteran]

Who: Mr. Gou, apparent mastermind; Ms. Zhou Shu Hua (alias Annie), facade puppet; Michael: Annie's right hand, translator; Hillary: office henchman.
What: A"government-funded, licensed company"? Al'right. Let me take you for an inner view ride, though. What they basically do is use one the typical scam tactics: lure foreigners in with high pay and benefits and forget to mention they are not going to deliver. But let me take it 1 step at a time. Since it allegedly a gocvernment-funded company, you'd expect them to be at least in the "gray" area of managerial (mal)practice. Well, they forgot to mention that it's probably an illegally funded government agency. Apparently, the HJD group (aka. Liaoning Beishaonou Culture and Education development Co.) id\s Mr.Gou's side project for which he is backchannelling government money, making a nice profit for himself.Hence, a shady private school-type of management/treatment with a "government" facade. Well, here are my reasons not to fall for their promises.
FACT 1. When you're signning a contract with them, it says 26-29 hours per week with a monthly salary of RMB 7,000, which places an hourly wage at about 60RMB/hr. What the HJD guys will omit is that they probably will fail to fill your schedule for one of the days. Hence, you're automatoically getting docked RMB 1,000.Now, with an average of about 4 classes per day,this makes an hourly wage of RMB 62.5. Not much of a difference? Well, there's a lot of a difference between RMB 6,000 and 7,000 if you look at Fact 2.And what about the "salary" thing?It's not your fault they can't fill your classes. Well, I personally know of 2 guys who got stiffed like that. HJD guys will also have you sign 2 different salary forms when you're getting your dough (each for RMB 4,000), claiming thet it's "for your protection".What reimbursement do you think they get when they submit 2 forms for each teacher instead of 1?That's right, they just made a quick thou off each teacher they employ.
FACT 2. What they will not mention is that apart from teaching your regular classes you will HAVE to report to school at 7:30 am and stay there until 4:30 pm no matter what.Office hours, UNPAID. Go figure.
FACT 3. Remember that daywhen you probably won't have classes, for which you get docked?Since you don't have classes that day AND you;re not getting paid for it, you'd expect it to autokatically become your day off, right? Wrong. You still have to go to school and sit there for 8 hours, unpaid.
FACT 4. They WILL try to lay their hands on your papers (passport, green book and Foreign Experts Card) and not to return them to you. Motivation? Some obscure "Educational Bureau" regulations. Might work if have no idea what it's all about. Remember: your papers are YOURS to keep and it says in plain ENGLISH on the back inside cover that you have to keep them on you at all times in case of inspection. I was aware of that and that's why that scam didn't work. But boy, did they ever try.
FACT 5. They will promise you an airfare bonus, hald after the 1st semester, half upon completion of contract. This is NOT going to happen.
FACT 6.They will forget to mention that since they work with elementary and middle schools you will be forced to take a 2 months vacation every semester. They are supposed to be paid, but hey... turns out that there is a 4 week paid vacation once a year.Paid uponf completion of the contract, of course. What it mean is that middle-schoolers start taking their mid-semester exams in the beginning of January,after which they proceed into Chinese New yeart vacaytion which lasts until the end of February. So you're off work for 2 months. No work, no pay but you still will probably have to stick around unable to travel, because you counted on that promised paid vacation plus first part of the bonus. All of this you're not getting.
So, suppose you decided to stick it out for whatever reasons. YOu report back to office at the end of February. You go back to work but tehy pay you only at the end of month, so you're facing another month without pay.
FACT 7. They WILL be late to pay you every month. Anywhere between 5 and 19 days.
FACT 8.They will try to squeeze in some private classes for some kids at one of the office personnel houses on the day you don't have classes.
FACT 9. In you school (wherever that might be) you WILL be under constant supervision by other Chinese teachers, who will evaluate not your professionalism but rather all of your qtraits, including your looks. They will report on you to the principal daily. I personally was given some grief, because I wasn't "friendly enough" and didn't chat with my co-workers. Well, my Chinese is still very limited, besides I find talking to rats very disgusting. I also was personally informed by Michael (translator) that one of the principals didn't like the way I looked.
Fact 10. You will receive absolutely NO help from your Chinese co-workers, 90% of whom can't speak English anyway.

Here are my reasons why I bailed out ASAP and why you maybe shouldn't go for it. Heads up.[/b]

[Ger]

Very sorry to hear of your mistreatment at the hands of your Chinese employers. You took assertive action by moving yourself out of there. Well done for warning the rest of us about the place as you experienced it.

What lessons have you learned from your experience and how would you advise us to avoid getting into such a position?

[Backchannel Veteran]

From now on, I will always check the work schedule and will ask direct questions about what months I will be working, how many hours I will be working and in what way I will be compensated. And if something seems fishy, I will ask them to put all they promise on paper. What do you guys think I could have done differently?

[Ger]

http://www2.tes.co.uk/Your_Career/Working_abroad/

[ChinaMovieMagic]

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 9:27 pm Post subject: Web-based ChinaSchoolBlacklist/Greenlist--Seeks evaluations

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