Breaking Your Contract in China: New Consequences for Pulling a “Midnight Run”

It's a scenario that has become all too familiar for many who have worked in China, especially those within the ESL field. You show up to work ready to start your day only to be met with an atmosphere of utter chaos and confusion as you notice how frantically desperate attempts are made by one or more senior colleagues trying desperately hard via phone calls from multiple telephones simultaneously at hand held high above their head but alas, no answer comes through - just a hollow silence that seems almost deafening in your ears. It is then when the reality hits home and becomes apparent: Your colleague did not show up today to work nor will they ever be seen or heard again within those walls as an employee because most likely it’s been another day where someone simply got away with pulling off what has come now infamously known amongst expats living in ESL field “the midnight run” – meaning one final grab at your paycheck and then leaving the company before said contract ends without so much telling a single soul. In days of yore, such actions were met by hardly any repercussions nor indeed was there very little being done but that all changed once new government measures kicked into effect - now those who do break their ESL contracts “at gun point” are forced to suffer newly instated penalties designed as an effective deterrent against these sorts of behaviours. This is just the beginning for a story about what has been happening with regards your contract whilst living in this far eastern land, it’s not simply one small issue but rather multi-faceted and indeed there exists many different reasons why ESL teachers are running away from their contracts which now face stiff penalties on those found guilty of doing so.

In the wake of these new measures being introduced to prevent foreigners pulling off what has come known as “the midnight run” - a term that is thrown about by people in China, having become synonymous with leaving one’s employment without telling anyone nor providing any form notice – it poses an interesting conundrum for those who find themselves looking at the prospect of losing their job and facing penalties over something they can’t control or didn't plan to do. So many have ended up taking advantage of a system that offers them certain guarantees - namely being given “the run” which has been so heavily discouraged by local authorities now introducing new deterrents for those wishing pull off such shenanigans, but the ESL teacher is caught between needing work and following rules about not breaching contracts. To put it into perspective consider this thought experiment: if you were working in a company where all your colleagues had either completed their notice period or decided to just “pull the plug” without warning anyone then imagine how that would feel for those who stayed behind - an ESL teacher is placed squarely within said category, though times have now changed since new measures came into effect.

In such cases we find ourselves asking what happens when you pull a midnight run on your employers – which some of us may already know from experience or perhaps even as the consequence itself. It’s worth exploring and if that doesn’t grab attention then maybe this will: “I was in deep trouble, said my boss after I left him hanging with an important project mid-way through - simply because one ESL teacher had vanished into thin air” – a phrase which could strike fear right away at many levels as they face the wrath of having their whole life thrown off kilter by such actions from those who have done this “midnight run”. At times like these, we wonder if it’s all worth risking to lose everything for what amounts really just an ESL contract - especially considering that said contracts now carry hefty penalties.

You probably recall a certain joke often bandied about: Why did the man go into hiding after pulling off his midnight flight – well because he “took-off” in more than one way, but these sorts of actions are not to be taken lightly as there have been those found guilty by ESL employers for such misconduct - having pulled off that fateful night without forewarning anyone or indeed notice period. This sort comes with many moral questions about the implications behind pulling a midnight run – leaving colleagues high and dry in addition plus more than likely feeling utterly frustrated from being left to pick up where their colleague had so thoughtfully provided no insight into beforehand, thereby also causing undue stress upon those said employees back home or ESL offices - meaning even though times have now moved forward since then what was considered a “small matter” is anything but as we follow one of these story's threads through.

In the wake and with growing concern over such midnight escapes – that do carry certain financial penalties which may also apply towards your person, it might not be worth taking said risk nor does anyone end up on better terms than just simply honouring their ESL contracts - this being a warning issued now since times have moved forward slightly. However if you look at those who pull off what has become known as “midnight runs” – where an individual decides to walk out and thereby breach the legalities of that contract then such persons may

Categories:
Midnight,  Contract,  Pulling,  Contracts,  Penalties,  Notice,  Simply,  Without,  Anyone,  China,  Become,  Colleagues,  Through,  Because,  Leaving,  Actions,  Indeed,  Measures,  Having,  Certain,  Teacher,  Since,  Worth,  Especially,  Field,  Comes,  Colleague,  Likely,  Living,  Meaning,  Company,  Telling,  Changed,  Effect,  Sorts,  Story,  Found,  Guilty,  Thrown,  Multipl, 

Add Comment