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Social insurance quietly not paid
HIGH
What happens
The employer claims foreigners are exempt from mandatory social insurance. They are not. You often discover it only when asking for proof — by which point months of contributions are missing, which affects your right to stay and to claim.
✅ How to protect yourself
Ask for monthly proof of contribution. If they say it is optional for foreigners, that is a red flag and grounds to terminate without penalty.
Real cases (2)
chinalifer/chinalife · Shanghai · 2026
I found out that the school hadn't been paying my mandatory social insurance. I raised this with the school several times and was basically told that they didn't have to pay it for me because I'm a foreigner.
Poster resigned on this basis; school then threatened to deduct a month's salary for short notice.
shanghair/shanghai · Shanghai · 2026
I discovered that the school had not been paying my mandatory social insurance. When I questioned it, I was told by the owner that social insurance for foreign employees was optional
Poster has audio recordings of the owner's statements.
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