Bobby
- 2014-04-08
Having read the previous posts and can sympathize with you all completely.
I worked for then for nearly 6 months, I too had to travel long distances and teach more than the states hours and as such became I'll with a throat infection and other varying illnesses. I'm not normally one for being ill so this struck me as a job I needed to leave.
As it happens, I was fired anyway. I had just returned from a 2 week break following my marriage and honeymoon when they called me in to the office and said the schools I had been working for had been complaining about me being late and generally having a bad attitude (all lies) and they preferred the teacher who substituted for me and as such u had no hours to work and was subsequently fired.
Let me state that I have been teaching English for 2 years and all children and teachers are very happy with me, I've had many private tuition requests from my students parents. I am not a bad or lazy teacher and these were simply excuses used to release me. As it happens, another teacher friend of mine was also fired that day after also taking a holiday and the schools she worked for were also "unhappy with her teaching and attitude..."
This is simply a post about how I lost my job with this disputable company. I will leave the other complaints and problems be raised by the previous and later posters, such as wage issues, visa problems, schedule changes, poor planning etc.
Simply put, do not work for this horrid company!
San Migs
- 2012-03-30
I was just reading that the chinese will burn paper copies of ipads at the upcoming qing ming jie mourning days....perhaps we FT's could burn effigies of avaricious tc bosses outside their centres, lol.
The women you described must look similar to this, lol.
thestrappingyoungman
- 2012-03-27
I recently completed a 12 month contract with Cheery and I’m gonna add my two cents. This is a bit of an essay but the main point is this: the other posters are not lying; Cheery is horrible.
I wanna begin by assuring you that this isn’t written out of pure spite or bitterness – there’s a bit of that, and for good reason – but I want this to be a genuine warning to people who may not know much about working in Shanghai.
Cheery’s attitude seems to be that foreigners are ungrateful primadonnas who have naively wandered into this country expecting the whole place to fall at their feet. But Cheery has power over you through the visa process and they are gonna make you realise that you have none and you do what they say or else... You might think using words like “oppressed” and “exploited” sounds a bit dramatic but they’re the first words that come to mind when thinking about that year. As for other employers? I’ve been in Shanghai for about 36 months; I’ve worked for and known others who work for many other companies and let me tell you now: Cheery is horrible. I’ll mention companies I’ve had positive experiences with (almost all the others I’ve worked for) below.
I want to also point out that I’d been teaching for a few years before I started there and I take/took the job seriously. I never took a day of, I wasn’t late for a single class, I never complained about things I didn’t like (I’ll explain why in a sec), I never received any complaints about my work and knowing that I’d need a Letter of Recommendation when my contract ended (for visa purposes), I endeavoured to make sure that my relationship with the company was good. I honestly couldn’t think of any reason for them to treat me so badly or to have had any complaints about me (I even asked Sally this when I was trying to get my Release Letter; she smiled, said “hm...” and then silence). But let me complain about them.
Firstly, I’ll lay out the positives: well, actually, the positives are really just that they do fulfil their least obligations. They mostly pay on time, they provide you with a book to teach the class and a rudimentary schedule which is often littered with mistakes. When you read reviews on other similar establishments to Cheery, you’ll find all kinds of complaints but most are fairly petty; these are the sorts of things that you’ll have to deal with at most of these places and I won’t waste time going over every single little thing – there are plenty, but on the whole, the actual work environments weren’t bad.
I am, however, speaking from my own experience; some of the less-favoured teachers during my time did indeed confront some serious difficulties regarding schedules and payments. Several were effectively forced out by being sent to worse and worse schools, distances, etc, some were fired (possibly one or two of the above posters) but most simply had enough and left. At least 9 full-time teachers left during my year (of about 15 when I arrived) and each one of them (and apparently a few who left prior) left on bad terms. Several had to call for legal help in order to obtain payments and Release Forms, etc. I’m not lying; as I said, this is meant to be a warning: Cheery is horrible.
But my main complaints revolve around my visa. Cheery isn’t authorised to provide working visas (or at least, not more than a few) and this seemed to cause problems for me and many others. But let me say first that, to those of you who don’t know, when you finish a job/contract (teaching, at least) in China, you need a Release Form and you often need a Recommendation Letter in order for your next company to be able to get you a visa. I knew this all the while and although I wanted to leave after no more than a few weeks, I’d seen the trouble others had and was simply intimidated into deciding to lay back, take it, finish my contract and hope they’d treat me with some respect. They didn’t. The next few paragraphs may be a little boring but visas are important here and this is how they handled mine.
When I signed, they got to work on my visa application. The summer holidays came (during which there is no work and hence you don’t get any money) and since there was no work, called them every few weeks to remind them about my application. I eventually found that the woman in charge had quit and the new girl had let the application lapse. I was furious but to her credit, she managed to get it re-instated. However after this, I had to go back to Hong Kong again to complete it. They said they’d pay for the air ticket at the end of my contract but they didn’t. I’d been working there for 5 months by this stage (the contract says visa within 60 days – one of many contract breaches). I don’t think this is normal and I believe it’s something to do with the fact that they do the visas through an agent.
When the visa was done, I noticed that it was only for three months. This meant that the visa expired in Jan but I was contracted ‘till July. “What’s with this?” I asked. They said when it expired they’d get me a new one.
As that day approached, I called them many times to ask if there was anything I needed to do and how it was going. With a day or two left, they informed me that due to this and that they couldn’t get my new visa yet. I had to go to PuDong and get my own tourist extension, completely independent of them then they’d continue applying for my work visa. This was a hassle though because they had several forms I needed and weren’t going to put themselves out to get them to me. But I got the tourist visa, gave it and my forms back to them so they could get the work visa before it expired. They didn’t. The tourist visa expired a few days before they got the work visa application in and I had to go to the police for an official warning letter. If I over-stay a visa again, I’ll be in serious trouble and it was entirely their fault.
You might think it sounds like I mustn’t have been an employee that they were very keen to keep. But as I said, I doubt that was true and they certainly never gave me any other indication. But here’s the thing: they did finally successfully apply and the new work visa I received was valid until 7 months after my contract finished. When my contract did finish, they insisted that I re-sign because my work visa was with them and I couldn’t work for anyone else (bull...., of course) and that I’d have a very hard time finding a new job on account of this visa, blah blah blah.
So yeah, after all that, they had the gall to try to blackmail me into re-signing with them. I hence have to wonder if the 8-month delay on the visa was deliberate. I don’t know, but I didn’t re-sign and that was enough to piss them off and make my exit from the company maybe the least pleasant part of all. Moving to a new company is very simple but not with Cheery. I finished my contract, but getting the forms I needed from them was the most difficult and unpleasant part; yes they sure made it hard. In the end, about 6 months after I left, someone from my new company had to go there and threaten to call the immigration board and as I said, I know I’m not the first person who had these troubles. In fact, I think everybody who has left has had them. Cheery is horrible.
As I begin to wrap up, I’ll try to detail what I learned about the two women who you’ll have to deal with most if you work for them. I dunno what the rules are on this site, but just in case I won’t use their names.
The more senior one will smile and say “yes, aha, yes sure...” but her attitude seems to be as I described at the beginning. When you see how badly the company runs, you’ll think she must have trouble tying her shoes, but get talking to her – raise something with her if you dare – and you’ll find that this isn’t true. She doesn’t hesitate or stumble with her answers: You ask a question and bang, she’s answered it. She’s sharp and this makes her even worse. The treatment you’ll receive isn’t due to ineptness or incompetence; I honestly believe it’s all a deliberate, cunning, vindictive ploy to keep you under her heel. She doesn’t seem to like foreigners (anybody?) and having to deal with her will most often result in a loss to you. I’m not trying to dramatise; she’s horrible.
The other one is simply a revolting person, imo. Her attitude seems to be that all under her supervision are her enemies. I was as pleasant as I could stand to be to her but her true colours came out after my contract ended and I was trying to get my Release Form. Although I can’t recall having done anything to upset her, she insisted on treating me as some piece of filth who has outrageous demands which she has decided to just ignore. I’d call her and she’d just mumble “no... I don’t know... no we won’t do that...I have to ask Sally” and hang up. She simply refused to be reasonable and all I can conclude is this: She. Is. Horrible.
So there you go. This is an essay that’s been a year in the making and I must reiterate that this is not baseless hate-speech; this is a genuine warning about a company which, in my experience in Shanghai, is on another level of unpleasantness from any other. If I’ve dissuaded you from taking a job with them, I’ve done you a service. They deserve to go broke and I’m not afraid to say I won’t be upset if they do.
But speaking of others, I said I’d mention some good ones: Longman, K&H, CTV english and New Wave are training centres which I’ve worked either full or part time for and my complaints about each are minimal to non-existent. Each handles visas well, pays on time, etc. I know people who have/do work for PaciCan, Corneil and one more I can’t remember the name of (Pan America or Pan Pacific? I can’t remember). They are often complained about but I think most of the complaints are pretty petty and normal. I’ll try to check this thread regularly and I’ll reply to any questions or comments.
Anonymous_Expat
- 2011-05-07
Seriously, nobody should EVER work for Cheery English!!! They don't specialise in kids education at all, they only specialise in lying to all members of staff (chinese and foreign), sucking the life out of them all, not paying them correctly, changing contracts/pay/schedules last minute and then pretending not to understand when you are annoyed. I've seen staff get fired simply because they disagreed with something ridiculous.
They look nice and helpful when you first walk into their office, but underneath that shiny surface, they are blood sucking leaches. STAY AWAY!! No matter how much money they offer you, no matter how nice they seem, you will probably get fired anyway...
Russ
- 2007-08-06
Yes, I can confirm Cheery English's poor reputation and inability to follow contract terms. I was a teacher who worked for them in 2004.
Some good places to work in SH:
Adults:
Wall Street English
Only English
Web Intn. English
Children:
Shanghai Yuxin Training center
Neworld Baby Training Center
Happy Marian Education
Tracy
- 2007-08-03
Sorry about your horrible experience, and thank you for helping prevent others from getting stuck at that place! Could you tell me the names of the language centers you had positive experiences with?
Larrrie White
- 2007-06-08
You poor soul, I hope everything turns out ok
Larrie
"CHEERY ENGLISH" SHANGHAI
Company's ominous title says it all
This nightmare began a day before arriving when I was informed by email that I had to share a temporary apartment. Never mind that the boss "Amy" promised me a place near Xintiandi in the interview. It wasn't long before the Taiwanese head supervisor "Sean", who I was sharing the place with stumbled piss-drunk into my room in the middle of the night, urinated all over the bathroom, staggered to the foot of my bed (too drunk to notice me in his stupor) and passed out there. What a Cheery sense of welcome I got from these freaks!
Next: "I know we promised you that getting a working visa wouldn't be problem, but first you have to take a train to Hong Kong during your holiday time and obtain a visa yourself. We'll buy the ticket for you, but only only the cheapest one and don't expect us to help you out with accommodation."
"Okay," I conceded, "the other teacher's have got their visa, let me try to bear with you here. I'm sure you're doing your best."
Almost a month after arriving back: "Whoops, the company is under inspection, you have to go to the police station for an interrogation and hand over your passport for two months while they process it. Oh, and in case they ask, don't let them know your real schedule or the schools you really work at. Ta"
Shanghai's winter is miserably cold. I felt very trapped, alone, and scared. The schedule, (for they like to squeeze every minute of the agreed upon hours out of their waijiao and even more if you are unlucky enough to be Chinese) plus the 10 or so hours spent in transit 6 days a week, left me physically and mentally exhausted (no teaching assistant for me either). I think these factors may have been the cause of my health deterioration. I won't go into details, it was strange, sporadic, dragged on and on, and very painful.
I spent the next month dragging myself to classes, calling in sick, and going in and out of hospitals. Spending a decent amount on tests and useless, expensive drugs. It was hard for the company to get a replacement teacher when I was sick and obviously they were not happy with me. Nevermind the doctors who laughed at me for complaining of 'headaches' and a rapidly beating heart, then writing illegible notes on purpose to escape the possible charge of negligism if ever I was to die.
More than once when I told the school I couldn't teach: "You can't be sick, we need you to teach"
"I've had a fourteen hour migraine and my heart is beating at 180 bpm for no reason, I think I'm dying."
"What time will you get to your class?"
Around this time I got my passport back. With a soon to expire travel visa inside. Why did we go through all of that and not follow through for the working visa? Try as I might to get an answer it would not be granted.
I had had it. I was done caring about their opinion of me or teaching their classes. I was only worried for my health. I had good reason to believe something in my house was making me sick and wanted to get out. I had a Chinese friend in the next province over who was willing to take care of me (also a bit warmer there). I called up the company and spoke to the highest ranking person I could; "Sally" (been a Taiwan company, the bosses, Amy especially, are often not around, which is another cause of serious miscommunication). I told her that I needed to get away for at least five days to get well. She said ok but she needed to call Amy and ask her. You do that I said, but I'm leaving, and I did.
I went to my friend's house, took my medicine, did nothing, rested, started feeling good again for the first time in a long time. I came back to work on Christmas day. That evening I was called into the office and told I was fired (bah humbug). The command had come from Amy but she was in Taiwan. The acting boss "Alex" talked to me, looked at all my medical documents and told me he believed me. He said they would pay my salary plus the 7000 rmb travel allowance as severance. I should have taken the money and left right then. But I told them I would finish out the month while they found another teacher. I was angry. I told them they should pay for my next ticket to HK as my visa was about to expire and I felt they were responsible. I continued taking classes as normal. I was to wait for Amy to come back from Taiwan so I could 'talk' to her about all this.
After waiting for Amy more than a week I finally got to have a sitdown. She began by unleashing a torrent of accusations on me that were really surprising. Translated by someone of course. For although she is the head of an English education company that relies on native speakers, she cannot speak English herself (surprise).
Apparently I had been badmouthing the company to the other waijiao, funny, since I rarely even had any contact with the other teachers. Also, I had gone away to the other province to 'play'. I was not sick at all and the other teachers hated me too because obviously I was faking sickness and they had had to cover for me. I hadn't even told the company that I needed time off and had just left without a word.
I was dumbstruck, this woman had no idea, all her information reached her second and third hand. I tried to defend myself speaking through the translator. Pointless; Amy was in a fury. I sat there and listened to her call me names in Chinese.
The salary for the time I worked would not be paid. My deposits (close to 2000 rmb) would not be returned. My travel visa would expire in 4 days and I would have to take care of myself. I was DREAMING if I expected any kind of severance (even though that's in the contract too). On top of that, she proclaimed that I owed THEM 5000 rmb for 'breaking' the terms of the contract and I could earn it off by working by the hour. Never mind that they never provided a real visa or residency permit like the contract stipulates they must. Never mind that Amy refused to point out exactly how being ill breaks the contract. I'm the miserable little person that caused trouble for her and I would surely pay!
Penniless, and in China on a rapidly expiring tourist visa I felt powerless to fight them. I visited my embassy but basically they told me that unless I had the bucks to hire a lawyer I couldn't really do anything. Even going to the labor bureau would be useless in a country where accountability is not the norm.
Now, a discerning person might believe that I'm just another worthless ESL teacher exaggerating myself as the victim here. Certainly those kinds are out there. But I've been in China nearly 3 years and my record speaks for itself. While I have had the displeasure of coming into contact with these kinds of dictators before, my overall experience in China has been extremely positive. Before making the huge mistake of getting into bed with these freaks I worked for a year in a language center and never once had a problem. Since my humiliating conclusion with Cheery I've been working for a local language center here in Shanghai and they've been nothing short of outstanding. Both of these centers have been extremely happy with my performance and continue to offer me more work.
Yes. I was a complete fool to stay with Cheery as long as I did and I will always regret it. Cheery preys on well-meaning but inexperienced young people, working them like dogs and paying them peanuts. Please, if you have any dignity at all; STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS MORBID ESTABLISHMENT.