Our reporter Su Xiaoming and trainee reporter Deng Qi learned that recently some Internet users have reported that on some university forums, there are people selling "Employment Agreement Books for Graduates of Higher Education Institutions in Beijing Area" (hereinafter referred to as the "tri-party agreement") for the purpose of breaking contracts. A relevant person in charge of the Student Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission stated yesterday that according to regulations, students are not allowed to buy or sell tri-party agreements, and universities should strengthen related management. There are significant risks associated with graduates buying and selling employment agreements.
The reporter searched on Tianya and a university forum, finding three posts offering to transfer tri-party employment agreements, all of which were highly followed. The sellers all claimed to be students at Beijing universities who did not need their tri-party agreements and thus wanted to transfer them, with prices ranging from several hundred to several thousand yuan. One seller who posted on Beishida DanDan Wang said he would study abroad after graduation, so his tri-party agreement was useless and he wanted to sell it for 800 yuan. He sent over pictures to verify the authenticity of the tri-party agreement and said one could go to the university's employment guidance center to confirm its authenticity.
During the conversation, this seller was very cautious, only agreeing to sell after the reporter sent over photos of a student ID. He told the reporter that having multiple tri-party agreements could make it easier to "break a contract." This seller explained that since each person only has one tri-party agreement, if you've already signed an agreement with one company, you can use it as a "bottom line." If you find a better opportunity, you can directly use another tri-party agreement to sign with another company, saving many procedures.
■ Official Response
Signing with two agreements puts graduates at risk
Yesterday, a responsible person from the Student Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said that the tri-party agreement is not allowed to be bought or sold. The commission strictly controls the distribution of agreements. Agreements are distributed per capita to each school, then to graduates, and each agreement has a unique number. Employers can check and verify at the university's employment guidance center. "If you sign two tri-party agreements, the first agreement will not automatically become void, and the second agreement will not take effect. Graduates who want to break a contract by signing two agreements will bear significant risks," the responsible person said.
The reporter called the employment guidance centers of multiple universities in Beijing. Relevant responsible persons all indicated that the tri-party employment agreement is very important in the student's employment process, and schools manage the "tri-party" agreements very strictly. Moreover, each student corresponds to one tri-party agreement, and the school will carefully verify the number and keep good records.
A teacher from the Employment Guidance Center of Beijing Normal University said that if a student is dissatisfied with the job they have already signed, they should apply to the original employer to terminate the agreement, then apply to the employment guidance center to obtain a new tri-party agreement. "If we find any students buying or selling tri-party agreements, we will deal with it seriously," the teacher said.