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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Working for another institution during vacation (already have Z Visa)?
Hi everyone,
I'm an English teacher with a Z Visa and I'm bored to tears during the vacations. I tried to book a holiday overseas but had credit card problems and CTrip is extortionate compared to Western flight blucket shop websites (so my RMB are useless).
I've been offered a week's work at another school which would be awesome experience. I'd also love to help students in a foreigner-free tier 4 town! But my admin contact at my current school says I can't go.
Is it legal to take a short contract when you've already got a Z Visa? The internet says it's legal, illegal or legal but you need your employer's permission. I'm in Zhejiang if it makes a difference.
Apparently it is legal for the builders next to my dorm to work 24 hours a day, but obviously as a foreigner I have to be extra legit!!!
Sick to death of this frigging country and thinking about bailing out (again).
6 years 13 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
Rather do not work during the winter vacation. I have to but I am used to it. A couple of years ago my friend took a part time gig after work and taught this student in his apartment. He quit the gig and told the parent that he was going back to Ireland. The mother came and looked for a replacement teacher at our school and found him here. She was furious and the school found out that he was doing part time work without their knowledge or consent. He was fired that same afternoon. He went to the TV news reporters and the whole situation played out on TV. The reporters stated his side of the story and our school's side of the story. Bottom line was that we should respect each other's cultures and each other but we should respect the contract and agreement that both parties have signed and agreed to first. You on the other hand, have already asked your school if you could do part time work for the winter vacation so they already know what you are up to. If you go ahead, they will find out because here in China everybody knows everybody.
Stiggs:
Your last sentence there, that really rings true for me.
It can be very hard to keep secrets in China. It's just the culture I think...bragging, showing off, face, trying to win favor with your bosses, gossiping... it doesn't take long for a moonlighting teacher to get sprung.
I worked at a school where a teacher was giving private lessons to students at the school after hours, and the owner of the school told me one day that they knew he was doing it but were turning a blind eye to it because it wasn't hurting the school's interests yet. The moment it did he would have been history. I'm sure they would have known.
How did they know? Gossip. The parents of at least two of the students were bragging to other parents at the school about how they were getting private lessons and of course those other parents went straight to the school with it, maybe they thought their kid would get preferential treatment because they snitched, or maybe it was just out of spite, who knows.
The neighbors where he lived knew about it because he was doing it at his school provided apartment and they of course mentioned it to the landlord who told the school. Probably everyone in the neighborhood knew and were gossiping about how much he was making, how many students he was teaching etc.
I think he told me this as a kind of warning, if you decide to teach outside of the school they will know. I actually already knew about it (acted surprised when he told me though) because the teacher, who was a good friend, told me what he was doing. He also said he'd told the parents to tell nobody because it could mean his job and of course they swore it was their secret. Just goes to show, don't trust people to keep your secrets.
The school also knew things like who was sleeping with who on staff, who was banging hookers, who stayed up all night drinking and who had a girlfriend or stream of different girlfriends.
icnif77:
I took slightly different approach when I had a chance for part-time at different kindies or Schools:
'I told everybody at my primary job I moonlight and I am not free, especially at Schools where they often like to re-arranged the working schedule.'
I am working for Resident permit sponsor at arranged schedule, rest is my free time and I am free of the obligations as per Contract!
When Contract stated, I cannot work at other Schools, I always renegotiate and change that stipulation with my guarantees I will always respect working schedule at my prime job. That includes visits at my apartment for one-on-one classes.
I signed last Contract with that stipulation on, but Contract was with 25 classes per week and I didn't really want to look for any extra work ....
But, keep in mind, all part-time is illegal by Chinese law and they can put you in trouble anytime they want.
However, lack of foreign English teachers in China with huge number of Chinese English students kind of smooth it out illegality of part-time.
ambivalentmace:
If you teaching on the side, you obviously have to consider how easy word travels.
I have done part time gigs the next city over on a fast train. If they ask what you do in the next city over tell them a University that you don't work for , they are going to ask and talk about you.The sponsor school you have gets told your visiting a girlfriend in another city, so the Chinese assistants all think your a playboy, the men are jealous, everybody stares at you, but nobody thinks your teaching in another city.
You simply take their petty games and insecurities and give them back to them in spades.
It also helps if your an older conservative working with naive younger foreign teachers because they all hate you and will tell you they hate you, love this shit, like I am weak peer pressure, please like me kind of guy, they actually think I should care what they think of me, what brainwashed dribble, being the hated alpha male by the foreigners and the playboy by your Chinese colleagues keeps everyone from figuring out you actually making money all the time and the Chinese assistants that have had their heart broken by previous young foreigners at the school will come over announced to provide you fwb support. I got tired of the extra work and extra benefits after about 3 years and settled down, but if your young, it's the bomb.
No, it is not legal for you to work for another company. The Z-visa/FEC now Work Permit is only for the company that applied for it on your behalf.
The permission "rule" is more them not taking issue/rating you out, because again they are the ones that applied for the Permit (got the permission) for you to work in China.
It is also not legal for a builder to work 24 hrs.
Yup, it's illegal. If your school didn't care it might not be a big deal but since they do it could get messy if you try your luck by doing it anyway.
The credit card thing can be a pain in the arse. I had problems with mine too but if you have a debit card with a visa logo on it that works too. Or if you have a friend with a working card you can ask nicely if they can help you buy a ticket.
Oh, and f**k the 24h builders! I've been through those sleepless nights trying to develop my jedi mind powers to the point where I can give them all hideous diseases before... after a week of it the neighbors were rebelling and calling the police and whoever else on them but it didn't make any difference. I guess if you have the connections you can be a selfish bastard.
icnif77:
I guess, builders in China make noise 24 hours a day, 'cause they receive payment as soon as they finish the project ...
If you have WeChat wallet/alipay use it to pay for a flight. Boredom solved.
Illegal. Give it a try if you like though.
Alternatively you could buy a train ticket to a port and take a ferry to South Korea.
Thanks all. Yeah school says no which is really disappointing as it's freezing cold, raining and there's only so many times you can watch every episode of Game of Thrones.
As always it seems Chinese people can do whatever the hell they like but we can't.
As for the credit cards - yeah I messed up my phone verification with one card, the other card flat out refused to go through. It's actually pretty hard booking flights in the UK using a card as it trips all their anti-fraud systems.
I had very little time to book and what if I had the flights then couldn't book accommodation? Yeah a real mess lol. And CTrip prices are 50% more than UK low cost websites!
There are flights from here to South Korea (cold) and Japan (expensive). Flights back home are still cheap, but that's cold as well.
Really stuffed up Chinese New Year but at least I'm getting paid for going mad in my room.
The builders are a nightmare, but I had the same problems in the UK. It's especially annoying as the Chinese excavator guy seems to cure his insomnia by doing a bit of digging.
mike168229:
Don't worry lad, first time I came here I had only been in country a couple of weeks then got abandoned for spring festival. Cooking gas ran out (out of a bottle then) and I spent three weeks on a diet of instant noodles or maccas. Nobody to talk to and nobody to drink with. You'll survive.
icnif77:
I got similar thing in Xinjiang in 2013/14 except-o my electricity was disconnected ... at Christmas holidays ... gas bottle was still full, buTT ... it worked only in the dark ....
You have a work permit/resident Permit. NOT a Z-visa. Please don’t confuse them.
Which low cost UK websites are you using? Ctrip isn’t actually too bad and saves having to pay ban transfer fees to send money back to pay off my UK credit card.
Z visa expires in 30-days of entry to China (or 90-days) and it's replaced by the Resident permit.
Get Chinese buddy, who can purchase stuff online and make her/him book your ticket (or anything else) for your refund in cash.
I practiced that 'policy' all the time I lived in China.
Anyhow, wise people don't travel during Chinese New Year ....'cause whole China travels ... You don't want to experience that!
Please leave and you'll find your problems traveling with you.
Grow up and take responsibility.
It clearly states in your contract and the law that you are not allowed to work for a company other than your visa sponsor. So you can't whine about them not giving you permission.
Now a grown up would be smart and work PT without opening their big fat damn mouth. A grown up would do this with the understanding that there are serious risks to doing this and be willing to take responsibility for their choices.
A grown up would get their bank accounts in order and be able to use websites other than Ctrip (and ctrip's price are not high in comparison)
What you're crying about is something you knew from the fucking door and decided to sign on the dotted line so honor your contract or find a grown up to replace your pathetic ass.
Teachers like you who can't read a contract and constantly break contracts simply because you wake up one morning and decide they can't accept the terms of the contract and blame the school.
When China is wrong I say so, you're in the wrong loser.
icnif77:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=109763
Last post on page 1:
theoriginalprankster Joined: 19 Mar 2012 Posts: 780 | ||||
I have always worked illegally here for other jobs in summer and definitely winter break, no police are working during the winter break to check any paperwork.
The only caution is don't make any body important pissed off at you, don't talk about your visa, don't have an accident or incident at the school your not suppose to be at and everything will be fine. Never tell your school your doing anything, they are responsible for your safety and security in the contract, so this the excuse they give for not allowing you to work somewhere else. Never let a school put money directly into your bank account that is not on your contract, cash only, no paper trail. Always remember the Chinese idiom " the nail above the floor gets the hammer," blend in and don't say much or rock the boat.
ambivalentmace:
Most large training schools have a preferred account with travel agencies and you can get the ticket delivered to your school and pay them cash. Also Cebu Pacific online direct with Union Pay has great rates to get out of China.
Rather do not work during the winter vacation. I have to but I am used to it. A couple of years ago my friend took a part time gig after work and taught this student in his apartment. He quit the gig and told the parent that he was going back to Ireland. The mother came and looked for a replacement teacher at our school and found him here. She was furious and the school found out that he was doing part time work without their knowledge or consent. He was fired that same afternoon. He went to the TV news reporters and the whole situation played out on TV. The reporters stated his side of the story and our school's side of the story. Bottom line was that we should respect each other's cultures and each other but we should respect the contract and agreement that both parties have signed and agreed to first. You on the other hand, have already asked your school if you could do part time work for the winter vacation so they already know what you are up to. If you go ahead, they will find out because here in China everybody knows everybody.
Stiggs:
Your last sentence there, that really rings true for me.
It can be very hard to keep secrets in China. It's just the culture I think...bragging, showing off, face, trying to win favor with your bosses, gossiping... it doesn't take long for a moonlighting teacher to get sprung.
I worked at a school where a teacher was giving private lessons to students at the school after hours, and the owner of the school told me one day that they knew he was doing it but were turning a blind eye to it because it wasn't hurting the school's interests yet. The moment it did he would have been history. I'm sure they would have known.
How did they know? Gossip. The parents of at least two of the students were bragging to other parents at the school about how they were getting private lessons and of course those other parents went straight to the school with it, maybe they thought their kid would get preferential treatment because they snitched, or maybe it was just out of spite, who knows.
The neighbors where he lived knew about it because he was doing it at his school provided apartment and they of course mentioned it to the landlord who told the school. Probably everyone in the neighborhood knew and were gossiping about how much he was making, how many students he was teaching etc.
I think he told me this as a kind of warning, if you decide to teach outside of the school they will know. I actually already knew about it (acted surprised when he told me though) because the teacher, who was a good friend, told me what he was doing. He also said he'd told the parents to tell nobody because it could mean his job and of course they swore it was their secret. Just goes to show, don't trust people to keep your secrets.
The school also knew things like who was sleeping with who on staff, who was banging hookers, who stayed up all night drinking and who had a girlfriend or stream of different girlfriends.
icnif77:
I took slightly different approach when I had a chance for part-time at different kindies or Schools:
'I told everybody at my primary job I moonlight and I am not free, especially at Schools where they often like to re-arranged the working schedule.'
I am working for Resident permit sponsor at arranged schedule, rest is my free time and I am free of the obligations as per Contract!
When Contract stated, I cannot work at other Schools, I always renegotiate and change that stipulation with my guarantees I will always respect working schedule at my prime job. That includes visits at my apartment for one-on-one classes.
I signed last Contract with that stipulation on, but Contract was with 25 classes per week and I didn't really want to look for any extra work ....
But, keep in mind, all part-time is illegal by Chinese law and they can put you in trouble anytime they want.
However, lack of foreign English teachers in China with huge number of Chinese English students kind of smooth it out illegality of part-time.
ambivalentmace:
If you teaching on the side, you obviously have to consider how easy word travels.
I have done part time gigs the next city over on a fast train. If they ask what you do in the next city over tell them a University that you don't work for , they are going to ask and talk about you.The sponsor school you have gets told your visiting a girlfriend in another city, so the Chinese assistants all think your a playboy, the men are jealous, everybody stares at you, but nobody thinks your teaching in another city.
You simply take their petty games and insecurities and give them back to them in spades.
It also helps if your an older conservative working with naive younger foreign teachers because they all hate you and will tell you they hate you, love this shit, like I am weak peer pressure, please like me kind of guy, they actually think I should care what they think of me, what brainwashed dribble, being the hated alpha male by the foreigners and the playboy by your Chinese colleagues keeps everyone from figuring out you actually making money all the time and the Chinese assistants that have had their heart broken by previous young foreigners at the school will come over announced to provide you fwb support. I got tired of the extra work and extra benefits after about 3 years and settled down, but if your young, it's the bomb.