Job Discussion Forums

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

I'm sure this has been addressed, but I can't find a specific reference to my situation. Has anyone ever walked out on a contract? Dumb question, of course they have! What were the consequences? Were you ever able to work in China again?

XiGua · Joined: 13 Dec 2009 Posts: 91 Location: Hunan

So you wanna pull a runner? Just up and leave and not tell anyone? I guess you can. People do it, not much really happens to them as far as i'm aware. Maybe you get "blacklisted" which doesn't mean much, MAYBE it's difficult to work in that province in the future. But I wouldn't be that worried.

Why do you want to do this anyway? Even in China it's pretty messed up imo.

esl_jimi · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 35

The consequences will depend on the pull of your employers, but wouldn't exceed being blacklisted in the city, or even more unlikely, the province.

How they could obtain a break of contract fee from you, I don't know. But, if I were ditching on a job, I wouldn't hang around in that city long enough to find out.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

That's the idea, sneak out. I DO have a good reason, I'm going to drop off a letter explaining my actions to the president of the institution as I'm enroute to the airport.

esl_jimi · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 35

You have no desire to stay in China to find other work?

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

Yes, I do want to find other work, but my residency permit is with this particular school so I would have to "flee" to Hong Kong.

esl_jimi · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 35

Do you mean your working visa? I could be wrong, but I would have thought you could just get a new residency permit for wherever you end up moving to.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

No, not the working visa. I could be wrong, but the residency permit is specific to the place of employment, I think.

jamesmollo · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 276 Location: jilin china

I have been in this situation before. Yes, the residence permit is sponsored by the school that obtained it. To legally (whatever that means) change it over to another employer i.e cancell the previous one and issue a new one, you need the release letter from the school that issued it, but not always. In my case, I went to another school that just cancelled the existing one and issued me a new one.
When you go to another school you should have a photocopy of the foreign expert's certificate and release letter from your previous school, this enables them to smoothly deal with your paperwork and avoid bribery, which, of course costs money.
There is nothing much they can really do to you. somebody mentioned a blacklist, there is no such thing to my knowledge and i've been in China for 4 years. What they can do is cancel your F.E.C online but not your R.P.F unless you give them your passport.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

What happened to just giving notice, with whatever reasons you care to give, when you want to leave a job mid-contract? Pulling a runner is for (1) inexperienced FTs who don't know how to get themselves out of situations they've gotten themselves into, and (2) schools that make a habit of beating up or otherwise seriously intimidating their employees to keep them in an impossible situation. If you intend to work in China again, you will probably need a release letter from this employer. So, unless the school has serious underworld connections, I'd suggest it could be in your interest to start talking to these guys. If there are contractual issues, you might try bringing in SAFEA. Pulling a runner just makes it more difficult for those who follow you. And, since you've said you intend to return, that someone could be you (following in the footsteps of another screw-up).

Lipps · Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Posts: 45

MOD EDIT I can only hope that your school blacklists you and reports your breach to the public security bureau. Good luck finding another job in China without a letter of release. You may have better luck leaving China and getting a new passport.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

I sincerely appreciate all of the replies and the help from everyone.

A'Moo · Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:09 pm Post subject:

I agree. Many of us on here work for unscrupulous connections, but when the time comes to tell them greener pastures are elsewhere, I do it face-to-face. Man up.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

Once again, thanks to everyone for their helpful and insightful comments.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

I was hoping somebody would notice.