Mouser
- 2010-05-13
As for complaining, it's quite possible that will result in a dastardly reaction from your employer - it's all too easy for him to get his own back by resorting to fault finding with your teaching when there isn't really a problem with it. It would be easy enough for him to fabricate that some students are dissatisfied with the quality of your teaching in order for him to get his revenge.
I agree on this, but find it's the Chinese who don't like the laowai to be a "tall poppy" and stand out. I am also fairly sure the reason for the late payments is that the accounting office is working the stock market, saving on bank fees, or accruing interest through a bulk payment into the bank. Then each teachers salary is siphoned off to their individual accounts. Hey, it's China, if they are gonna make a profit, whhy not make it out of paying OUR GODDAMN SALARIES!!! GRRRRR!!!
Sometimes it's better to be as pigheaded and stubborn as the FAO, otherwise, you just become a doormat as someone else said in this thread.
Reconciled
- 2010-05-10
Gotta agree with old timer about the scum bags. In my time here I've learned to be a lot more weary of the foreigners than the Chinese. These folks you worked with sound like real scum bags indeed. Only out for themselves, could care less about anyone else. That's part of, a large part of why the pay here doesn't increase, and things remain largely the same. Foreigners like that annoy me greatly. I've met too many here myself who care only about themselves, and will act in their own self interest even to the detriment of others.
Ratter
- 2010-05-10
We are expected to adapt to their way of doing things, yet they make no such adaptations? Not that asking to be paid on time is even an adaptation really.
Unfortunately, late pay can be the stark reality in China. As for complaining, it's quite possible that will result in a dastardly reaction from your employer - it's all too easy for him to get his own back by resorting to fault finding with your teaching when there isn't really a problem with it. It would be easy enough for him to fabricate that some students are dissatisfied with the quality of your teaching in order for him to get his revenge.
I have rather a lot of foreign currency in a bank account here, to be used in case of emergencies that may arise. I can use some of it to keep me going in case of late payment, no problem. That does not mean I won't complain if need be, but only if I find myself compromised by my employer's non-obeyance of my contract. I can assure you that I'm not another paper tiger of a foreign teacher in China, unlike many foreign teachers I've come across here who are absolute crawlers - I have caused my Chinese employers big problems in the past, and have made them lose face bigtime as and when necessary. I'm like a coiled snake, ready to strike at a moment's notice, and being sent to Coventry doesn't bother me in the slightest! I don't need their pretence of friendship.
Oldtimer
- 2010-05-09
A true story for you: In 2006 I was teaching at a state college alongside an Aussie male and a Filipino. We were continually being paid late. I had quizzed the FAO why, only to be told the accountant was the reason, and nothing could be done about it, a feeble excuse! After 3 months, I decided to arrange a meeting with my two foreign colleagues to threaten strike action. You see, we were being paid between a fortnight and a month late, month after month, totally unacceptable imo. But my two colleagues refused to act in unison with me. They wouldn't even attend the meeting I had set up. The Aussie said he was not short of cash coz he had gotten a second job, without informing the college, by the way, which was contrary to his teaching contract. I said that we should think of those who would follow in our footsteps, and get the late pay problem solved. But they wouldn't hear of it, a pair of wimps. I sorted it, by telling the FAO the Aussie was trying to arrange a strike meeting. Well, we were paid the next day, and the Aussie wimp was let go at the end of his contract, though he had wanted to extend it. The Filipino, who wouldn't say boo to a goose, was the only one of us kept on. I didn't ask to be kept on, I knew my goose was cooked in any case, as I'd been teaching there without a Z visa and an RP for two terms! Then again, I didn't want to stay there. This may be an extreme case of late payment, but I kid you not, it did happen! I'm sick of meeting so many self-serving grovelling weasels among the FT's I've met here in China. They do annoy me, in truth they're scumbags!
Reconciled
- 2010-05-09
I honestly can't agree with your analysis, mainly because I am not Chinese, Yes this is China, however we are not from here. Also, I do not accept that because we are in China we should as foreigners accept late pay. Especially when Chinese employers will not accept such things as late employees, who do not show up for work. It's the same thing, and I really don't brook double standards. It's OK for them to breach your contract, but not OK for you? I don't think so. Yes, call me a stickler for wanting to be paid on time, yes I'm funny like that. Though I am sensitive to another persons culture, and will bend over backwards to adapt in most cases, I will not in this one, and no one should. I am also not concerned that, since it is done like this everywhere in China, that it is accepted practice, hence I should ignore it. If people didn't ignore it it would not happen. Hence, I won't ever be ignoring my pay being late, that's absurd.
"Pay being late a week is ok, but any longer and you'll complain"
My friend, even a day late and you should be complaining. This kind of attitude is part of why they treat us like crap and take advantage so often. We are expected to adapt to their way of doing things, yet they make no such adaptations? Not that asking to be paid on time is even an adaptation really.
No, your mistaken. The type of attitude you recommend is one which would make a person a permanent lackey and slave to their employer, constantly at their whim and whimsy. I prefer to have some control over my life, and not be at the whim of an unreasonable employer. I'm just funny that way.
Oldtimer
- 2010-05-08
Chinese employers tend to treat their employees rather shabbily in some respects, unlike the exemplary and contract-abiding way that most western employers treat theirs. We should realize that this is their culture, and be prepared to go with the flow to some extent so as to maintain good relationships with our employers here. Pay late by up to 7 days is not a major inconvenience and can be overlooked, even if occurring on a regular basis, in the interests of preserving good employer-employee relations. But any later than that would be regarded by many foreigners as taking liberties, and rightly so, in my humble opinion. Unfortunately, some FT's here do not share ny view, and will say nothing about it! It's then that I've had to act alone. By sticking my neck out on said issue in the past, I've made myself unpopular with my employer. But I feel there's only so much I can tolerate, and if my employer steps over the line by too great a margin, I'll not let it go! Being deemed a troublemaker for that is a necessary though unavoidable consequence of the application of my sense of fairness, which is much more accurately defined than that of many Chinese people or by some of my foreign colleagues who have embraced crawling to their Chinese bosses, even having developed it into a fine art!
Reconciled
- 2010-05-08
Pfft, your kidding me right? Yeah you should say something. If you were late for class or missed a day of work, do you think they would just say "Ah, this is normal here, just let it go". Hell no, they'd be at your place in a jiffy banging on the door, wanting to know hat the hell had happened to you.
You don't let such things go, even for a day. This tells them you've got a door mat mentality, and that in the future they can screw you over even more. Don't be lulled by the crap way Chinese often do business here. Demand your salary on time, and make a fuss. If you don't, your a fool waiting to be clipped, and they will take advantage, trust me.
So my school was supposed to pay me on the 27th (As it is stated in the contract)
They are now a day late. My school has been pretty on time with everything else and I'm not too worried that I will never get payed. My question is however, should I say something? I know I'll get payed by the end of the week so is it worth saying something. Also does not paying me on the day that is written in the contract considered a breach of contract? Cause I know there is a penalty amount for breach stated in the contract as well.