The place to ask China-related questions!
Beijing Shanghai Guangzhou Shenzhen Chengdu Xi'an Hangzhou Qingdao Dalian Suzhou Nanjing More Cities>>

Categories

Close
Welcome to eChinacities Answers! Please or register if you wish to join conversations or ask questions relating to life in China. For help, click here.
X

Verify email

Your verification code has been sent to:

Didn`t receive your code? Resend code

By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .

Sign up with Google Sign up with Facebook
Sign up with Email Already have an account? .
Posts: 371

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Q: Have you ever been told not to tell your foreign colleagues how much you earn?

I have in some schools. After negotiating the salary I desired they told me that and looked worried about it. Then I thought....

"wait a minute. What if it is because I earn less?"

Don't let yourself get caught in such a trap. These are Chinese mind games.

12 years 29 weeks ago in  Teaching & Learning - Lanzhou

 
Answers (7)
Comments (1)
Posts: 423

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Yes the Chinese use this in reverse.... a couple of teachers told me this.

Report Abuse
12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1006

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

They always say that and everyone tells each other in the end (Chinese teachers will both hate and resent you for making more than them) usually when a local asks how much i make I inflate the hell out of it at least double, then add paid summer holidays (2 months) full wage AND 3 weeks annual leave they're almost suicidal after, it's so cute! Then they go back to their nap.

Report Abuse
12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 5539

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

thye do it because they dont want teachers knowing how much the school should reallypay them and dont tell unless it is someone you trust . some foreigners are more of a snake than chinese (which is not easy) they will go back and make a big stink about it and in a subtle way make the school know you were the source which could violate your contract if it's in the contract

Report Abuse
12 years 29 weeks ago
 
Posts: 12

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Do not EVER tell how much you earn to Chinese teachers. The resentment is awful.

The resentment in general is awful. I am used to cutting my hair every Spring and did so last May (I'd only been in China for 2-months at that point). You would have thought the sky was falling. Many of the Chinese teachers at the school ran to the administrators to complain that I was allowed to wear my hair short while they were not. An administrator actually approached me to suggest that I not cut my own hair again.

Later, that same month, I was informed, in a round about way, that my earrings were inappropriately too long. The story being passed around the English office concerned a native teacher who dared to wear long-ish earring (I saw them, all 2-inches of them). It was expained to this native teacher that she would not be allowed to wear those earrings in school and she was accused of trying to look like me. Needless to say, I was too done.

Adding money earned vs. the wages of the native teachers would only intensify the situation. Never disclose your earnings.

Njord:

Never, I repeat, NEVER allow them to dictate your appearance in fact when they make a suggestion, make it a priority to double your efforts to continue doing, wearing whatever they said not to do or wear... Think Children... Give them an inch, they'll take a mile. I was told, no showing tattoo's I've never worn a long sleeve shirt since (My arms are full sleeve tattoo's , then close my top button and wear a tie, it's open now and I lost all my ties, no jeans, i wear black and beige jeans daily now, I stopped wearing my slacks all together, they leave me alone now. They need us WAY more than we need them. be polite smile and say things like "right" or "like that's going to happen" and laugh pleasantly as you walk away. Also been told no eating in the office a million times, I always laugh and say I keep hearing that but I manage to eat here everyday! and stare at them as i eat my sandwich they look perplexed and go away... They're silly they are... It's a power trip, DO NOT EMPOWER THEM!

12 years 26 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
12 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1932

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

It's specifically in my contract not to tell anyone, and I'm happy that way. No one at work has ever asked, and I wouldn't tell them.

When random strangers ask me, I tell them 800 a month. Some have a sense of humour about it, and others immediately lose interest leave me alone. It's a nifty trick to filter out people I don't want to talk to.

Report Abuse
12 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1006

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Every job tells me this and it's one of the first things I do, including telling the local teachers... But I do it ever so cleaver, I make like I don't understand something in my contract and ask someone what they think it means of course they happen to notice how much I make as its right there on the page... Wink I never told them... technically...

As for the resentment from local teachers... They sleep more on the job than I've EVER seen anywhere in my life and jack around all day and play the whole "I'm hard done by" routine, no sympathy from me... I often say "HEY! I found a job in India looking for Chinese native teachers to teach Chinese!!!" 1 year contract, 40 office hours and 25 classes per week you interested?? They ask how much!!!! I tell them 3500RMB! They ever so fast say "NO WAY!" Then I say why not?!? They say that's what they make here it's not enough... I then tell them I make less here than I made back home. Then they say but we'll be away from our friends and families!! I say so am I... They say but India is a 3rd world country! I say so is China... I tell them now you see what we get paid what we get?!? They grumble and get quite then it starts over the next day how it's not fair the foreigners get paid so much... they're a simple bunch... Cool

Report Abuse
12 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 68

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

some schools ive worked at had a policy where no one should tell anyone their salary, most of the people in these schools have stuck to it...

Report Abuse
12 years 26 weeks ago
 
Know the answer ?
Please or register to post answer.

Report Abuse

Security Code: * Enter the text diplayed in the box below
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <br> <p> <u>
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Textual smileys will be replaced with graphical ones.

More information about formatting options

Forward Question

Answer of the DayMORE >>
A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change from student to labourer visa is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77