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Nigtmare Schools

If your boss screws you over….

What to do when your boss has your passport.

The story so far…

This is a story that has been going on forever in China since foreigners started teaching English here, and unfortunantly will keep happening for a while yet.

A friend of a friend arrived in Daqian, Heilonggang last month. While in Canada she was promised 6000rmb a month, plus accommodation close to the school and only 25 hours of teaching a week. The school also has 5 other foreign teachers working there so she can easily fit in. Nice deal, so she took the job and happily came over.

This is when it gets messy…

Once arriving at school she finds the apartment (albeit private) is old and dirty and a 30 minute taxi ride from the school. And the other teachers have ‘left’. Hmm.

Once at the school she is told that since all the other teachers have left, she has to work their classes, unpaid for (as in ‘oh, this is the unpaid training period for you’).

And suddenly that salary of 6000 a month somehow became 4500 a month.

So after two weeks our friend realizes she is being duded and wants to leave.

BUT… THE BOSS HAS HER PASSPORT.

Now this is where she is in the poo. After asking for her passport back the boss says if she breaks the contract she has to pay him 500rmb A DAY.? After finding out from me that there is NO LAW STATING this, she asked her boss again for the passport. NOW the boss says all he wants is for her to write a letter of apology and tell the other teachers that she is bad for leaving the school. She doesn’t want to do this (because she is worried if she writes down that she is wrong then that may come back to bite her in the bum). SO the Canadian consulate gets involved.

And then? Well nothing really. The consulate in Beijing calls the boss and now he is really pissed, and wants 10000rmb from the teacher. OUCH!!!!

She is now calling foreign affairs/PSB to find out what to do.
Adding to all this is that she is in a small town in China, and to get anywhere else she needs her –you guessed it- passport!

Okay, what to do!

Well there are a lot of things she should have/shouldn't have done. Its easy for me to say this at home on a computer, but I remember how it is to arrive here, everything is a bit disorientated, you are a bit lost etc. but here are some things to remember.

1. Only give your passport to your boss/manager when you are comfortable with him and the school. This can wait nearly two weeks before they have to take your passport in order to get the visa done. The whole visa process doesn’t take more that 3 weeks so you MUST have it back by then.
2. When you arrive in China, jetlagged, thinking ‘where the fuck am I?’ don't give your passport to your boss. Settle in for a few days then discuss your contract etc.
3. If you arrive and something isnt right (like, not getting paid) then don't sign a contract! Once this girl saw that the accomodation wasn't right, and the pay etc wasn't right she shouldn't have signed the contract, let alone give away her passport. If the boss wont help you once you arrived then why in the world would he help you once he has your name on a contract?
4. If you really want out of the school you cant run in and shout and yell at him. That will make it worse (as in this story). Lose your ego and admit you made a mistake, tell him he’s a great guy etc. he doesn't lose face this way and? you are much more likely to get your passport back. (but good luck with any money he owes you).

So the boss has your passport and you want out…

Ive heard bosses threatening their foreign teacher with money, jail, deportation and worse. However they are empty threats that usually are a desperate attempt by them to get some money. Here are some ones that I heard that are just LIES!!!

1. 500rmb a day if you leave the job. This is rubbish. Unless you sign a contract stating this you don't have to pay him or the government 500rmb a day.
2. Deportation: some bosses threaten this but if you don't have your passport how can you get a plane?
3. Fine: The only fine with your visa/passport is if your visa lapses. Then your up for 5000rmb a day!

What you could do…

1. few things. If you have burnt all your options and cant get your passport back, then maybe just write it off. Any big city has your national consulate they can issue a new passport, visa etc.however this obviously is expensive and a pain in the ass. But at least your free to start again.
2. Your consulate. Generally people don't have much luck with their consulate, and generally there isnt much they can really do. Don't expect the Canadian mounties (or US marines, or Scotland yard) to come and get it for you. They may place a call but not really sure how much that helps.

“If I were you…!”

I know you hate it when people say ‘if I were you’, but here is what I’d do:

If I had my passport I would run from there!
The boss has my passport: I’d try to keep a cool head and keep asking him (I know how hard it is but in China its really important).
If he still doesn't give you the passport and all your resources are done, then maybe you can do a runner. In a small town and need to get a train You have to have a passport, but I think if you smile, maybe have a little cry they will just let you on (Ive done it before)
You can bring in police, consulates etc but Ive never really found that helps too much. Just some common sense will go a long way. After a while you will have a network of Chinese friends and they have friends, who have friends, who have friend…

Paul Gibson