Since arriving in Taiwan I have heard good things about local employers giving good CNY bonuses. This has all come from Taiwanese people. Is it common for cram schools to give a CNY bonus to the foreign teacher?
Thanxs.
No, it is not common for a cram school to give a CNY bonus to a foreigner. Count yourself lucky if they give you anything more than your hourly rate for the hours you’re standing in front of a class. In fact, count yourself lucky if they’re not trying to rip you off in some way.
GuyinTaiwan is right.
It is not unheard of, but highly unusual. While many Taiwanese workers will receive what amounts to a thirteenth check, buxiban teachers aren’t afforded the perk.
At one buxiban I was at, they did hand over a red envelop though - but never with more than a few measly thousand. At least they made the gesture.
My school gave me $600 each year for my first CNY bonus… the 2nd year i got nothing and rang my director to ask if the school was unhappy with my teaching… they gave me a red envelope upon returning to school after CNY break… $600. needless to say, i’ve left that school for greener pastures 
a friend working at a different buxiban would get about $10,000 or so… roughly equal to the amount she would have earned had there been no holidays…
[quote=“WaltzingMatilda”]My school gave me $600 each year for my first CNY bonus… the 2nd year i got nothing and rang my director to ask if the school was unhappy with my teaching… they gave me a red envelope upon returning to school after CNY break… $600. needless to say, I’ve left that school for greener pastures
a friend working at a different buxiban would get about $10,000 or so… roughly equal to the amount she would have earned had there been no holidays…[/quote]
was your friend on a salary or hourly contract? Does a salaried contract (at a buxiban) usually include holiday pay?
[quote=“Hightop”]Since arriving in Taiwan I have heard good things about local employers giving good CNY bonuses. This has all come from Taiwanese people. Is it common for cram schools to give a CNY bonus to the foreign teacher?
Thanxs.[/quote]
The reason why you won’t get a CNY bonus is because you’re earning $700 an hour and the CTs are earning $70 an hour. Go figure.
Not quite. At many buxibans, including some of the big chains, the differential is only a few hundred NT, or a multiple of two or three, per hour. Anyway, that’s not the reason for not giving a CNY bonus as there must be plenty of large corporations here where many employees earn about the same as a typical English teacher. It’s a cultural thing, and it’s also because the laoban can get away with not giving the foreigner a bonus. What they can get away with is the bottom line.
In 5 1/2 years, I’ve never gotten a bonus.
Irrelevant. Taiwanese people earning high pay still get bonuses, right?
With the usual exceptions to any generality, we don’t get CNY bonuses because we are foreigners, outside the system. Business owners know it’s not part of our culture, therefore an expense they can easily avoid.
Anecdotally, one tech company I did training at who had many foreign employees in high-ish positions didn’t pay them bonuses, either. It wasn’t in their contract. You could argue that they were also higher paid than their local counterparts and they did get other perks like annual or semi-annual tickets home, but then that still doesn’t explain why people making more than those foreign employees or who receive other perks still get bonuses.
I confess, the CNY holiday period is very frustrating for me. As an hourly employee with a greatly reduced schedule for 2 months, I take a serious financial hit. Meanwhile, I have to listen to all my local friends talk about their annual parties (with prizes) and bonuses (1 - several months pay).
[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“WaltzingMatilda”]My school gave me $600 each year for my first CNY bonus… the 2nd year i got nothing and rang my director to ask if the school was unhappy with my teaching… they gave me a red envelope upon returning to school after CNY break… $600. needless to say, I’ve left that school for greener pastures
a friend working at a different buxiban would get about $10,000 or so… roughly equal to the amount she would have earned had there been no holidays…[/quote]
was your friend on a salary or hourly contract? Does a salaried contract (at a buxiban) usually include holiday pay?[/quote]
she was hourly contract… granted, she had been there for 5+ years, but they were fairly generous with most of their staff and it helped the morale at the school… something that other schools should pay attention to
Thanxs for the info. I won’t be expecting anything come CNY. Mrs Hightop on the other hand got a 2 and a half month bonus last CNY at her company and was disappointed that it was low due the the economic slow down. Here is hoping she is in a sharing mood this CNY.
[quote=“Hightop”]Since arriving in Taiwan I have heard good things about local employers giving good CNY bonuses. This has all come from Taiwanese people. Is it common for cram schools to give a CNY bonus to the foreign teacher?
Thanxs.[/quote]
You are a foreigner so you don’t qualify. Chinese culture. You may get a few hundred NT dollars though and a card at Christmas :roflmao:
Mind you I wonder if American Chinese get the bonus 