Ask Headmaster Ken

Hi Ken,

I may have a problem on my hand. First let me tell you that I have signed a contract with a recruiter instead of a school plus I will tell you the whole story at a later time.

It all started when I was winding up my teaching at a middle school in Liuzhou located in Guangxi Province this past spring semester. I asked my boss if i could work a summer camp job - finding one on my own or if he could help me get one. He said that I could look for one on my own and that he would do his best to help me find one. It was implied in my contract that they don't normally place teachers during the summer for they specialize in public primary, middle and high schools because my monthly salary drops to 2000rmb per month. Anyway, he told me that he found a summer teaching position at a private language school in Cangzhou located in Hebei Province. He even told me that they wanted and my new boss to meet at his office in Jinan located in Shandong Province. So I purchased my train ticket. Since our meeting was set for the same day as my paydate, I asked him if I could pick up my salary at the meeting since I have already closed my bank account. He said no problem. Then all the same day about six hours before my departure to Jinan, I was told that the meeting was cancelled. I was told a lie that all summer sessions in Hebei province were shut down due to swine flu. Then I called the headmaster in Cangzhou to find out this was true. He said he heard or knew of no so thing from the Provincial Government of Hebei Province. Well, I asked if he was still interested in my teaching at his school then I will gladly work there for him for the summer session. I called my Recruiter to let him know that I have found a job on my own and that I will work for the school they recommended in Cangzhou. Then all the sudden they were very angry and threatened to sue me for breach of contract. Well, I told that the private language school has spent alot of money advertising my teaching there and plus they wanted me to work there so I accepted the job. So I bought a train ticket and went to Cangzhou to teach. After my arrival in Cangzhou, I told them that I have opened a bank account and would like my June salary deposited into my account. Again they threatened me again for breach of contract and at first refused to pay my salary. Then I learned from my headmaster that his school is not licensed to hire foreign teachers and that the meeting in Jinan was cancelled because his school would not purchase 500 English textbooks from my recruiter's company. This is the first I have learned that my recruiter works for like an English Education Consulting Company. Now I know the real reason why my boss and his company are so angry. They lost face and I caught them in a lie. I contacted my recruiter and told him that at the very least they owe me my june salary. I told him it is his fault that I am in this mess. He cancelled the meeting in Jinan, he tried to set me up with an illegal school, etc... and I have learned that I am now illegal in China because my residence permit became invalid once I left Liuzhou. So he finally agreed to pay 2/3 of my monthly salary and will pay the rest when I start work again for him for the fall semester. To make a long story short as mentioned earlier, as of now I still have not been paid and they will not pay me until I pay the breach penalty first. I have just booked a ticket to go back to the US and for some stupid reason, I contacted him and told him that I was going home and hoped that they would pay me the rest of my june salary. Again, they said pay the breach penalty first. Then they said that they will sue me for breach of contract and that will prevent me from leaving China. Is that true or possible? Again, I have left out lots of details. I kept telling them that you breached first by not paying my june salary plus all the trouble they have caused me by cancelling that stupid meeting in Jinan. When I became illegal, they did absolutely nothing to help me. They said it was not their problem because I am working for the school in Cangzhou. I will tell you one thing about this private school in Cangzhou. It got busted hiring a foreign teacher and it made sure that I did not get in trouble too. The headmaster managed to get me a temporary residence and helped me with all the other problems caused by this wolf of a recruiter. This headmaster of the private language school in Cangzhou is the nicest and most honest person I have dealt with in all my years in China. He treats me like a brother because my wife is from Hebei. He says my wife is like a sister and will protect/help me because we all in Hebei must help each other for we are like family. Again, can they keep me from leaving china by threatening to sue me for breach of contract?

Richard

PS - There is so much more to tell and I will tell more in the future after my return home to the US. My current headmaster is worried about applying for my visa now that I have booked my ticket for he fears that they may force me to leave before my flight date. I am leaving in early September.

Thank you for posting quite the cautionary tale.

Our position on this board is to encourage job seekers to contact employers directly.

Using a middleman can be costly, in terms of reduced wages, unmet expectations and uncertain communications.

Contacting and negotiating with employers is not terribly difficult. We just don't see the need for a middleman.

Your story simply reinforces our belief in this position - that most job seekers don't need a recruiter.