Guilty?

Anything to do with the traditional world of get a degree, get a job as well as its alternatives
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Viktor K
Posts: 364
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:45 pm

Guilty?

Post by Viktor K »

So I tend to be hella long-winded, but I will try to condense.

We (the girlfriend and I) came to China outside of hiring season. Our only option was a training center through a staffing company.

We had a feeling we wouldn’t want to work there past summer, but would give it a go.

One month in, we knew we weren’t going to be happy, and we realized how much money we were missing out on. I.E. the opportunity costs became more apparent, and the hourly wage was ⅓ of our market rate.

We told our company, who agreed to find us a public school (lower opportunity cost, and higher hourly wage). The plan was to work through the end of summer.

Our company dragged their feet, so we looked elsewhere, and found a new company with a public school with a better contract than our company could offer.

Somewhere around here, our training center announced a summer schedule. 57 hour work weeks, Monday-Saturday, for 6 weeks. Each teacher could choose 2 of the total 6 week period to have off.

We put in our resignations with our company. Since we are actually switching companies, we can’t wait until the end of summer, because it takes a month or more for our visa to be transferred to the new company. Thus, our last day will be at the end of the week 2 of the 6 week summer session at the training center. That is unfortunately just how the timing worked out.

Here is where the guilt is being thrown:

Each of 12 teachers right now has 2-4 classes/day for 6 days straight during the summer sessions. Each class is either 1.5 hours or 2 hours and 10 minutes long. Since we are leaving, and the schedules have already been made (and vehemently complained about by all teachers), the training center will need to now find a way for the other 10 teachers with already crazy schedules to pick up the classes that we were supposed to teach for session 2 (week 3 & week 4).

So, and probably rightfully so, the training center people, who we notified today (our contract is with the company calls for a 30-day notice, we gave the training center notice today which is our Monday, 26 days out (which we weren’t obliged to do, but thought it was best)) are pretty angry with us. They’re hurling lots of judgements about our morality and such.

Anywho, I didn’t say much today since I could understand why tempers were hot, and didn’t feel like explaining myself in such a situation. I feel it is readily defensible, but they’re not too happy.

Things they have said include statements and questions such as, but not limited to:

“Was this your plan all along?”
“Why didn’t you tell us when we hired you?”
“How could you do this to us?”
“The recruiting agencies are all a bunch of crooks!”
“You can’t trust them!”
“Do you realize what this means for the other teachers?!”
“Is there anyway you can stay on past the end of session 1 (week 2)?”


My girlfriend is feeling pretty guilty and bad. I feel a little bad for them, it is a pitiable situation they’re in, but I don’t really feel guilty. Part of me thinks we should actually be starting a mass exodus from the training center, who doesn’t even offer the other teachers overtime pay for the summer sessions, because they are contracted directly by the center and their contract is crap.

What do you think? Are we in the wrong? If you think we’ve done something wrong, what would you have done differently?

Did
Posts: 693
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:50 am

Re: Guilty?

Post by Did »

Notice periods work both ways. I'll bet you have known a few teachers who have been laid off. If the abuse continues politely ask them to stop. Sure the timing wasn't ideal but you you can't control when opportunities arise, and they were on notice you weren't happy. If it remains hellish stop going in to work. Call it stress leave if you need to.

Riggerjack
Posts: 3180
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:09 am

Re: Guilty?

Post by Riggerjack »

Never feel guilty about actions not your own.

You went to work, it sucked more than the pay justified.

You made your discontent clear.

When they chose to honor the deal as is, you looked for a better deal.

You kept your original terms of the deal that was good enough for them last week.

What have you done to feel guilty about?

Now, if you had broken your contract, or if you forced the other teachers to teach your students, that would be different. But, you kept up your end of the contract, and gave enough notice for them to find a replacement. I assume they wrote the contract, so if they are unhappy with the terms, they should address that in the future.

slowtraveler
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: Guilty?

Post by slowtraveler »

+1 RiggerJack
Businesses regularly have people simply stop showing up. No notice. Such is life and they make do without. The people who work harder and longer get extra pay.

Your contract says a 30 day notice and you acted honorably in that you've stuck to the contract. They have a lot of time to find replacements.

Based on my experience with Asian cultures, shame is often used to encourage conformity. It sounds like they have effectively used this as a strategy to trigger guilt and hopefully guilt you enough so you stay in worse conditions than you've found elsewhere.

You have a high value to offer, there is no guilt in earning the most with your limited time.

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