Job Discussion Forums

[antonita]

hai every one
i am kinda lost here. i have finished my classes on the 15th and is still waiting for my air fare to be reinbursed. i had travelled to china on a one way ticket cause i was not sure as to how long i would be staying in china and where i would be returning to. as per the contract the university is required to pay me 7000 yuan (that is the maximum that they pay).
the director now wants to see the return ticket with the fare on it. when ever i bring up the topic of the ticket he asks me to show him the ticket. he very well knows that the ticket cost more that 7000 but is playing up.
i also would like to know if it is required by law that they pay us the vacation pay.
regards
antonita

[tw]

[tony lee]

Since you are finishing now it sounds as if you had a 10 month contract, in which case you should have been paid for the winter vacation (I'm talking about government schools here. Private language schools may not give you any holidays unless it is in the contract) but you will probably get nothing for the summer vacation because it is outside your contract.
The vacation travelling allowance is the same -- just paid for the winter vacation unless you are signing on for another year (in which case you will sometimes get paid for one month of the summer vacation..

I'm not certain that schools are obliged to part with the money for airfares unless you actually travel somewhere. It is intended as a relocation expense reimbursement rather than part of your salary. Of course many schools are pretty accommodating about the airfare but that doesn't mean that all schools MUST be.

The whole problem is the idea that there are certain things that MUST be provided regardless of whether they are in the contract and I believe this is rubbish, The standard contract is very short and mentions salary and a disputes procedure and very little else. All the really good stuff is supposed to be in the annex to the contract and I know schools that don't have such an annex. Trouble is that most teachers don't know enough about the system to realise what is missing.

[kev7161]

My advice is to pull out your contract right now and have a look. Go ahead, we'll wait for you.

Hmm, hmm. Anyone heard any good jokes lately? Did you know I'm moving to Suzhou soon? Oh, you do? I must've mentioned that before. I guess I'm going to be reduced to buying a bootleg copy of "Batman . . .

Oh, you're back. Good. Now find the place where it talks about airfare reimbursement. Most contracts should have an area where the details are listed. Most schools, to reimburse you fully (or "up to" a certain amount), will require you have a receipt of purchase. Perhaps the unused page of your ticket (since it was a one-way) will do. Do you have that? In other words, do you have proof of purchase? Schools have to have all the paperwork in order for their own accounting purposes. If you don't have it, then most schools will either give you a pre-determined amount (say, 5000rmb) or will buy your one-way ticket back home. Sometimes schools give an end-of-the-contract "bonus" in lieu of a plane fare reimbursement. This often equals one month of your regular pay. Take another look at your contract . . . let us know, won't you?

Vacation pay is not "required by law". Again, your contract should probably cover what they will or will not pay for holidays. If you didn't sign a 12-month contract (as Tony Lee said), then there is little doubt that you WON'T be paid for the summer months. It's still not too late to find a summer camp job if you need the extra cash.

[antonita]

thank you for the suggestions. this is where things get more confusing i am a new zealand resident with an indian citizenship, and prior to me coming to china i had visited india so my ticket was from india and at them moment i plan to visit india for a holiday and then travel to NZ since we have winter there at this time.
there is nothing mentioned about the air fare in my contract instead they have printed on a piece of paper the sentence given below
"reimbursement of return airfare for up to 7000 yuan". the director had sealed it and signed on it. ( hope this paper is legal )
well i spoke to the other techers in this uni and they have told me that "eventually they would pay". i wonder if eventually happens after some threathening . any ways i am keeping my fingers crossed.
shall tell you guys what happens after i submit my one way ticket.

[englishgibson]

[tw]

[tony lee]

There is no point in alarming the OP unecessarily.

Take the bit of paper as meaning what it says -- and that is they will reimburse your fare up to a maximum of 7000. Reimburse is not the same as "give"

It does mean that if you don't have an airfare to reimburse, you MAY not get reimbursed.
If you total verifyable travel expenses are 7000 or more then just assume that you will get 7000. Assuming you are going to get dudded is a recipe for getting dudded because of the ill-wiill that is there before the talk even begins.

Go and talk with the FAO. Tell him your situation. Take the documentation proving what you paid for the original ticket (and what is printed on the ticket is usually double what you paid for it so you may need better proof) and get the process started. If you are that distrustful, get a photocopy of the documents before you give it to him.

The point we sometimes miss is that shonky verification of expenses is not good enough in the west so why should it be acceptable in the east.

[Zero Hero]

Most if not all employers in Mainland China will only reimburse an airfare to your point of original departure. That is, if you came from London they would only provide a flight back to London. Do not expect them to finance you to go gallivanting around the globe.

Obviously if your ticket only cost 3,500 Yuan they would only reimburse that sum. The 7,000 figure in your contract is the maximum, not a default payment (hence the words 'up to'). Also, do not necessarily expect them to hand you over actual cash. Many employers will purchase the ticket for you, and believe me, they will get the cheapest one available � do not expect a buckshee trip.

[englishgibson]

[tw]