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Q: If a child is injured in one of my classes, can I be forced to pay the student’s medical bills?
The boss of my school (who doesn't really like me) has hinted that this could be the case, if I can't control some of my classes. He said, in an intimidating manner, that if a student gets injured, he wouldn't be dealing with medical bills and angry parents, and that that wasn't a threat to me, it was a promise. This attitude really angered me.
Can the school deduct any possible medical bills from my salary or should the school insurance cover it?
Also, as a foreigner, what legal means would I have to protect myself from being forced to pay unjust medical bills?
3 years 35 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - Other cities
I'd suggest leaving that school as soon as possible.
What sort of boss says that to an employee?
An insecure one most likely.
Write an email to this boss saying something like.
"Can you please confirm that you will hold me financially lible should a student injur him/her-self?
What scenarios would i not have to pay medical bills?"
and other similar questions like that, but have something in WRITING as proof this is what you boss is looking to do with you.
NEVER rely on conversations as your boss will claim something different.
Your boss will look to blame you for anything so GET OUT as soon as you can.
there are so many questions:
how many students are there in your class?
are you not able to maintain disicpline?
basically, just LEAVE that school as soon as you can.
your boss is looking to screw you over - lucky you got a heads-up.
I'd suggest leaving that school as soon as possible.
What sort of boss says that to an employee?
An insecure one most likely.
Write an email to this boss saying something like.
"Can you please confirm that you will hold me financially lible should a student injur him/her-self?
What scenarios would i not have to pay medical bills?"
and other similar questions like that, but have something in WRITING as proof this is what you boss is looking to do with you.
NEVER rely on conversations as your boss will claim something different.
Your boss will look to blame you for anything so GET OUT as soon as you can.
there are so many questions:
how many students are there in your class?
are you not able to maintain disicpline?
basically, just LEAVE that school as soon as you can.
your boss is looking to screw you over - lucky you got a heads-up.
8 years ago you wrote about working with a boss who tried to intimidate you:
https://answers.echinacities.com/question/i-need-get-out-my-contract#answer113722
your words:
"So leave, and accept the (relatively insignificant) consequences and work at a place where you will be treated with decency and honor."
I would have thought you had the experience since then to know what to do with your above question.
just saying.
Ennius21:
Thanks. You’re right. And I think that I have learned from the past. I’m going to be honest, and tell you that this question actually refers to an incident that happened at my previous school that I was working at in 2011, to do with the same boss that threatened me with never working in China again if he fired me.
To be honest, since I’ve returned to China and have been teaching again, bad memories from my old school have resurfaced and have been upsetting me again.
And that “That’s not a threat. That’s a promise,” memory still stings, even though it happened 9 and a half years ago. I still feel weak and humiliated when I think about it.
I feel like I should have asked this question in echinacities 9 and a half years ago, and should have quit that school 9 and a half years ago. But better late than never.
I probably have some PTSD and unresolved trauma and I’m still depressed from my old school’s boss’s bullying all those years ago. And I’m just taking the belated actions now that I should have taken then. A part of my soul is still trapped in my old school. Still trapped in the past.
But at least my current school is quite professional and treats me well and I'm happy to work there.
Thanks again for your advice, which I wish I had had back then.
icnif77:
You c&p your comment from somewhere, Spellcheck or Grammarly, did you? 
Somebody with powers edited and turned yer comment into the readable font.
UserMod is so software savvy ... 
You're asking for an advice on the matter that happened 9-years ago ..??
Where are you from?
You must be from "9-years ago" ...
Ennius21:
Thanks. I did read through my post before I uploaded it. I like to write things out properly and express myself as clearly as possible. Yes. That BS happened 9 and half years ago. Probably time to let it go and get on with my life.
sorrel:
it is intersting that alias's created years ago are suddenly online and active:
Example
FaroukLucky:
created Dec 2014
Posts - 0
Comments - 0
And it is equally interesting that there are many 'post and run' alias's. And I notice that the 'Answer of the Day' is 'active' again (after over a year)
It is almost as if someone is hired to make the site look active......
that would never happen of course.
icnif77:
They would do anything to make Answers active, butT ... most laowai are gone, so trolls and several handles boots are active with stipud Qs ...
How they can pretend ... they are foreigners, if they really aren't?
I could never do that! ... not even as a challenge like some here are taking this pretentions BS.
I should be like: "My Chinese is so good that all mifans think I am mifan, too."
You should be forced to pay for the BS you are posting ... 
You should have stayed in the sheltered workshop bear your mother's home. Finding professional treatment and care for someone with your issues is expensive and problematic in China.
rug-rats are one thing,,, but if he brings up shelling-out the big bucks for broken writing instruments, that's a sure sign to head for the hills!
icnif77:
... listening to "Only Love" by Andra Day, very rhythmical sthick ..., so here's some TA (technical analysis) stuff:
Yes, they can take it from your pay. This is a situation most foreign teachers won't find themselves in but it happens infrequently. Student safety is taken seriously in China and foreigners aren't excempt from those responsibilites. I have seen a school deduct salary from a foreigner when a student injured his finger. This is not the most worrying aspect about your situation though as this is fairly normal practice. The most worrying thing is that it seems the school doesn't have your back. What the school can do to you is insignificant compared to what the parents can do to you. That's why it's often not worth it to pursue these matters. If the school decides to pin the blame on you the parents will eat you alive. I have seen foreigners given exit bans because of pending claims based on things like e-bike accidents. Unfortunately that does means sometimes people will ask for unjust medical bills but unless it's an extreme amount your best bet is to just pay it to make it go away.
Ennius21:
Thanks for your reply. Good to know. I think that if the school did deduct it from my salary unjustly, then I probably should just resign. Also, responsible parents should have insurance for their children to cover accidents. However, if push came to shove, I'd probably just have to accept the judgment of Chinese law and society, and deal with the legal consequences on my own, to the best of my ability. Shouldn't get too upset about things that I can't control.
