{"id":3460,"date":"2026-08-09T20:58:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T10:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=3460"},"modified":"2026-08-09T21:00:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T11:00:47","slug":"new-teacher-orientation-must-haves-international-schools-learning-get-reimbursed-meeting-business-office-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/new-teacher-orientation-must-haves-international-schools-learning-get-reimbursed-meeting-business-office-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"New Teacher Orientation Must-Haves at International Schools: Learning how to get reimbursed and meeting the business office staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image by Shaun<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this blog series, we will talk about the ins and outs of an excellent new teacher orientation programme at an international school.\u00a0 A new teacher orientation programme can really play a very important part in the start of your new school, in your new host country.\u00a0 What are all the must-haves then?\u00a0 Check out our blog series\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to read all about the ones that we have discussed so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must-have #13: Learning how to get reimbursed and meeting the business office staff
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes so much money to move yourself from one place to another. \u00a0Now add in the fact that you are shipping boxes and whatnot halfway across the world, and the cost just gets higher and higher. Many times, international school teachers need to pay for these shipping costs upfront. \u00a0Hopefully you are getting a relocation allowance (not all international schools offer this though), as there are also many other things that you will need to pay for upfront (e.g. the flight, extra baggage, visa costs, etc.). \u00a0It is a tough time financially, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you finally get to your new\u00a0school in your new country, you almost want to make a beeline to the business office to immediately get some of your money back! \u00a0It is not that easy, though, at a number of international schools. Helping new teachers get reimbursed should be as easy as pie, but at For-profit schools (for example), it can take a loooong time and much paperwork to get your money back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two ways to get reimbursed at an international school: the easy way and the hard way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easy way,<\/strong> of course, is the preferred way. \u00a0You go in, hand in a receipt\/reimbursement form, and then you either get paid right there in the local currency (e.g., cash), or they\u00a0make a bank transfer that is made to your local bank account, and you either receive that money that same day or the next day. \u00a0 You might say that the goal of all international schools should be to make sure that getting money back to its teachers is as easy and as quick as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To also make things easy, the dream would be that somebody would take you to the business office and introduce you to all the important people in the business office, all within the first week at work. Word of advice: go in with a huge smile on your face and your hand extended out to shake everyone’s\u00a0hand; also remember to say many thank yous and make some friendly conversation to get\u00a0to know the staff more personally.\u00a0\u00a0Because\u00a0every month or so, in your first (and second, third, etc.) year, you will be walking into that business office wanting some money or some assistance with several financial issues, and you will need to have a good relationship with these guys. So make sure that somebody is there during your orientation to get you started on the right foot with the business staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hard way<\/strong> to get reimbursed is every international school teacher’s worst nightmare. \u00a0You don’t want to be worrying about getting money back from your new international school (or even worrying about getting your salary paid on time!). \u00a0It is stressful, that’s for sure. \u00a0Also, it can\u00a0distract you from doing your job at times. In some countries, though, it is not the school’s fault that\u00a0makes getting reimbursed a difficult task. \u00a0The country itself can have certain laws and regulations that make the reimbursement process a difficult one for expats. It can be very confusing to some new teachers, so how nice if there is somebody straight away who will “show you the ropes” during new teacher orientation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The business staff plays a huge part in the wellbeing and staff morale of an international school. Knowing the business staff’s names and getting introduced to them as soon as you start working there can really have a positive effect on your experience starting at your new school. Also, make sure to take\u00a0a few notes during your orientation week\/days about how to get reimbursed for things the correct way at your school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

******<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, on International School Community, we have a new comment topic that specifically addresses this issue of getting reimbursed. \u00a0It is called:\u00a0What is the process of getting reimbursed for things?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have 356 comments so far in this topic on our website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American International School of Lusaka<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0–<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
“Pretty basic. Show receipts, get paid. Flights can be a bit of a hassle in terms of dealing with the business office and its interpretation of “cheapest, most direct.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western International School of Shanghai<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0–<\/strong>
“All receipts must be kept and submitted with a filled-out form to the director who then signs and returns them to the finance office. From the day of leaving the forms at the director’s office, it might take 4-6 weeks to see any money back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you currently work at an international school or have worked at one in the recent past, share the information and details about getting things reimbursed. You can find easy access to all international schools on our Schools List<\/a> page.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

******<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, does your international school have an easy, confusing, or difficult way of getting reimbursed for things?  Please share your experiences!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this blog series, we will talk about the ins and outs of an excellent new teacher orientation programme at an international school.\u00a0 A new teacher orientation programme can really play a very important part in the start of your new school, in your new host country.\u00a0 What are all the must-haves then?\u00a0 Check out 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