ROY
- 2009-04-28
against the employer,you can have your own voice that your holiday has been engaged in you time table unless you are willing to attend the outing. or you may consult one of your close chinese friend who works with the same school. the gentlest and most successful strategy is to tell them you are sick(at least psychologically).
Turino
- 2009-04-27
As a rule,don't expect to be treated in a just way by Chinese employers.By the way,the poster who initiated this thread did not say he had previously agreed to go on the May 1st holiday trip.Furthermore,if he thinks not going for the wrong reason,in the eyes of his employer,will lead to some kind of retribution later,maybe the loss of a financial benefit due him,he'd be better to tell a lie.He has already more or less stated that he's working for an employer who has adopted sharp business practices,and one whom some of his fellow FT's have fled from.I don't see what's wrong with telling a white lie in that kind of situation,as he's in the right. The trouble is that his employer might very well not see it that way.Anyway,he's not a little boy.And he's immersed in the situation there,unlike us.Let him make his choice as to what to do.
4perusal
- 2009-04-26
There have been a considerable amount of posts here that decry the dishonesty of employers in the field of EFL China. Perhaps even you have bemoaned the truth of that; after all, it is obvious to anyone that has been here for awhile. Nevertheless, you advise another poster to lie. That being the case, aren't you justifying the lies of employers and suggesting that lying is a useful means to an end?
I'm not trying to take the higher road here - I'm as fallible as the next guy; however, it would seem to me that if we expect honesty, we should exemplify the same by our own actions. I would, therefore, advise the poster to tell the truth. That truth being: "I don't want to do it, so I'm not going to do it." On the other hand, if he/she has at a prior time agreed to take part in x amount of outside activities, be it a written or oral agreement, then there is an obligation to do so.
Liars when they speak the truth are not believed.
Aristotle
Turino
- 2009-04-26
As your employer is wily,you should be wily too.Just say that you have diarrhea,so you'd better stay in your flat.Apologise candidly for not being able to attend the gathering while using one of your hands to pat your belly.Of course,you should look distressed!
Hello all,
I'm working for an ESL school where the owner sent out an email lately in which she politely asked the native teaching staff if they would attend a field trip this May 1st. I understand that both May 1st and 2nd (3rd?) are national holidays over here.
Admittedly, I feel crappy about being asked to 'volunteer' my time on even one of these days because the staff and I have to work Saturdays as it is, and the holidays we are allowed to take seem few and far between, indeed, about 10 in total over one year.
The owner and admin have been known to weasel their way out of paying up teachers under varying guises from a teacher not having an appropriate receipt to warrant a paid sickday to said teacher not having signed a given paper with a particular time-date stamp to justify being given paid holiday time issued to other teachers.
In fairness to the admin and ownership, they may legally be able to justify their actions, but perhaps the results speak louder than legalities: every one of the full-time teachers at this particular campus either left before completing the contract, or of the few which did, didn't sign up for a second go.
Now on to my specific question, which is in the event that I'm told to attend one of these public gatherings on a national holiday, what action should I take that will allow me to both thwart a crafty attempt to make me work on a nat. holiday while at the same time not angering them enough to get myself in the doghouse (I'm pretty close to finishing the contract)?