I have over the years had my wages, for small jobs, delayed despite definite agreements as to when I was to be paid. The delays were explained usually as I have not been paid by the person hiring me to hire you so I cannot pay you yet. This seems to be a perfectly acceptable explanation from the person I worked directly for in China. To my way of thinking I do not work for this third party or have any control over them. Its not my problem, pay me on time as agreed. To my Chinese employer it seems this is a perfectly valid reason not pay me because they have not been paid. This creates endless conflict. What do you think and why?
This is not as uncommon as you think. I've heard of this too. If you are living 'paycheck to paycheck' this really is a BIG problem. The bills don't stop coming. I feel your fustration. If this has happen more than once my suggestion is to find another employer if you can. Good Luck! Many employers think 'laowei' have money up their ass. They think we all have money.
I think this is very common. Not living paycheck to paycheck but if you are its a big problem. I understand its probably cultural but are there any solutions to avoid this sort of endless conflict until payment for work completed. I have done, pay up front than I do the work, but this conflicts with do the work and pay you after thinking, by most employers or agents here.
no, i was being sarcastic. this is not acceptable. and this is another dark side of the culture.
there is no solution that i'm aware of. either tolerate it or fight with them, in which case they will either give in or won't do business with you anymore.
Not unusual for employers to be living from check to check. Unless the clients pay them on time, they may not have the money. Most employers will be overstretched financially paying for the Merc etc. This shouldn't be your problem. But 'me and mine first' seems to be the prevailing culture.
Me, Myself and I Incorporated.
Indeed a particularly strong negative tendency in China, but by no means unique to China. I don't think it can be put down simply to capitalist greed/desire for profits etc. because it seems to be prevalent among insufficiently-responsible bureaucracies generally (e.g., including state-run ones, such as universities). A solution might come in the form of people having the power to force 'their' bureaucracies to behave responsibly, but this might involve certain dem@#atic rights that are not presently...
So in the meantime, folks, good luck!
I hate that "I haven't been paid yet so I can't pay you" logic, and it's unfortunately not limited to China. I always pay my people when they've finished to my satisfaction, not when the client pays me, but I digress...
You can work out provisions in your contract which stipulate that payment is due XX number of days after delivery, and not after all payments have gone through. There are penalty percentage scales you can work in (XX% tacked on per week of delayed payment, etc) This has the added bonus of communicating your expectations to the client.
I have some of these worked into many of my contracts. It usually works, but not always. Sometimes I just have to decide if it's more important to get paid now, or to keep the client.
