u/acute_paper_0x

I'm a foreign teacher working in China. The salary is great for the cost of living, but the catch is that your work visa is tied to the company you work for. Many schools exploit this point to hold you hostage. They can make your life hell if you think about changing jobs, by hiding your transfer documents or not giving you good references, even though the labor law there is supposed to be good. But as a foreigner, it's very difficult and a huge effort for nothing.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, HR suddenly called me into a meeting. They told me my contract would not be renewed after the summer break, and then they pushed some papers in front of me to sign - things related to me not taking any legal action against them, and all those shady moves we know about. They told me that if I cooperated, finished my work until the end of July, completed a full handover, and returned all school property, they would 'graciously' help me with the visa transfer documents for a new job.

But what they didn't account for was my response. I simply told them, 'Okay, no problem,' because I was already fed up and felt absolutely no support from them. Then I dropped the bomb: I told them I wouldn't need their help with any transfer because I'm not looking for a new job right now. My fiancée is from here, so I'll be getting a spousal visa and taking a full year off to study and decompress. And when I'm ready next year, I'll find a job in a much better place.

The room went completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. They thought they had me backed into a corner for the next few months. The only thing they can still pressure me with is the reference letters, but I've planned for that too. I'm going to write them myself and make them sign and stamp them as a prerequisite for a proper handover. Honestly, I'm completely done with this place and can't wait to be rid of it. Their level of unprofessionalism is beyond belief, and the HR lady is genuinely one of the most toxic individuals I've ever encountered in my life.

So yeah, about 5 weeks left until I collect my final paycheck and that sweet paid summer holiday bonus. No income after that, but I've saved more than enough to live comfortably for a good while. The plan is to finally finish my Master's in Education, get my teaching license sorted, and take a real break for once in my life.