Site Search:
 
Speak Korean Now!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

How to Legally Hammer your Hagwon Boss Into Submission
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Job-related Discussion Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
bdurrani



Joined: 19 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:42 pm    Post subject: Avalon Reply with quote

Hi, I need some advice about an issue of release. So, my owner tells me that they have financial issues and can only keep 1 out of 2 foreign teachers. They asked if I wanted my release at the end of November. They told me this November 9th which gives me less than the 60 days promised in the contract. I told them about this and said they either need to give me the 60 days notice or give me my severance pay. I have 3 months left on my contract and would like to finish it so I can work at a public school.

Do you think I should contact the Labor Board? I don't want to get fired but I also don't want to get ripped off and not have a job in December. I haven't signed anything yet. Thanks in advance.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
EZE



Joined: 05 May 2012

PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Young Frankenstein wrote:
The hagwon boss I had sued was previously jailed for not paying the debts on his previous hagwon.


That sums up working in the South Korean educational system: provide a clean criminal background check from your homeland so you can qualify to work for the crooks and criminals running the schools in South Korea.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
untouchable_88



Joined: 05 Jun 2011

PostPosted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:35 pm    Post subject: My hagwon boss has financiallly cheated over 30 teachers Reply with quote

To anyone who can help me:

My hagwon boss has always paid late. It takes an average of about 3 weeks after payday to be fully paid. He has been sued through the labor board over 30 times and has NEVER been actually forced to pay money he owes to employees. All he does is pay his current employees in small installments and then at the end of your contract he doesn't pay your severance, flight or final paycheck either. I am very worried about not receiving those final benefits.

Does anyone have any ideas or how I can be helped?? (keep in mind my boss has been through the labor board process many, many times and plays those useless people like a fiddle)


TIA
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jaysong



Joined: 15 Oct 2014

PostPosted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are many ways to resolve employment/labor conflicts but in general, there are two major ways to consider: one is through court judgment and another is through administrative remedy by labor authorities.

Getting through court procedure takes time but it is by far the surest way in settling disputes as judgments by court are directly enforceable. And it can handle almost everything such as airfare and housing which are not the subjects of remedy in administrative procedures with labor authorities. However it also takes time for employees to get paid when hagwon refuses to comply with the judgment. In this case, the employee concerned should seek compulsory execution by the court and it can be time consuming as well. All in all it could be multiple years from the start to the end. Anyone wishing to go through a court procedure is advised to contact Korean Legal Aid Corporation, which offers legal representation for free or at least for minimum service fee.

Administrative remedy by labor authorities is separated into two steps depending on the circumstance. This may not be exact description, but roughly employees in trouble with wages should contact local labor office and employees who have been unjustly dismissed should contact district labor relations committee, which is known as labor board in other countries.

Employees whose wages are illegally withheld can file a petition with a local labor office within three years from the illegal holding of wages took place, since wages claims are subject to the statutory limitation of three years. Labor inspectors (they are police officers) will conduct investigation immediately upon the receipt of a proper petition and should conclude the case within 25 days. The deadline may be extended by another 25 days if necessary. If the labor inspector finds hagwon responsible, it issues the hagwon an administrative order to pay up. Failure to comply with the order within 30 days will be followed by prosecution. In this stage, the hagwon owner is indicted and should face a court trial which will eventually leave him/her with a criminal record for violating the labor law and impose fine penalty unless otherwise they present strong evidence in support of them. Hagwon owners may be imprisoned depending on how serious their wrongdoings are. Employees on the other hand can ask the labor authority to issue an official letter confirming the amount of withheld wages and take it to Korean Legal Aid Corporation for legal procedure against the hagwon. In case of hagwon’s insolvency such as bankruptcy, employees in trouble are eligible for government help fund called “Chae Dahng Geum”. The money is available without regard to whether the employee is on unemployment insurance. Employees on unemployment insurance can also receive unemployment benefits in addition to Chae Dahng Geum money.

Employees who are unjustly dismissed can file a remedy application with labor board within three months from such dismissal took place. A hearing will be held within 60 days from the date the application is received, where the committee makes a decision on the case. If the board finds the dismissal unfair, it will issue an administrative order to reinstate the employee to his/her original job and make back-pay that the employee could have earned if he/she had stayed on the job. If hagwon does not make proper actions in accordance with the order, the labor board will impose penalty money of up to 80 million won in the following two years on the disobedient hagwon owner. For those who do not wish to return to previous jobs can choose financial compensation instead of reinstatement.

Often people complain that administrative remedy with labor authorities is not helpful in fixing problems but in reality, many employment/labor disputes are resolved through administrative procedures. It is more convenient, faster than court process and doesn’t require any money throughout it. Some teachers might not have enough time to go through all that or they may not be patient enough or their claims are not worth the trouble, but personally, I don’t see it as a waste of time. Seeking help should not be discouraged.

As you can see, I’m not a fluent English speaker so I’ll put it in Korean as well so anyone good with Korean can translate it correctly.


근로관계에서 발생하는 문제를 해결하는 방법은 여러가지가 있겠지만, 일반적으로 법원을 통한 방법과, 행정기관인 노동부를 통해 구제를 받는 방법이 있습니다.

법원을 통한 방법은 시간이 오래 걸린다는 단점이 있지만, 상대방을 사법적으로 강제할 수 있다는 측면에서 가장 확실합니다. 항공료나 거주지원 같은 사항은 행정적 구제에서는 다루지 않는 것이지만 법원은 이들까지도 해결할 수 있다는 점에서 장점이 있습니다. 다만 민사판결을 받더라도 상대방이 이를 따르지 않을 때 강제집행절차를 거쳐야 하는데, 판결을 받기위한 과정만큼이나 마찬가지로 시간이 오래 걸립니다. 전체적으로 몇 년이 걸릴 수도 있습니다. 법원절차를 거치고자 하는 경우에는 법률구조공단에 문의하시면 무료 혹은 매우 낮은 비용으로 지원을 받을 수 있습니다.

행정기관인 노동부를 통한 구제방법은 일단 두가지로 나눌 수 있습니다. 아주 정확한 분류는 아니지만, 일반적으로 1. 임금 등을 못 받은 경우라면 노동청에 진정을 하는 것이고, 2. 부당하게 해고를 당한 경우라면 노동위원회에 구제신청을 하여야 합니다.

임금채권의 소멸시효는 3년이므로 문제가 생긴 지 3년 안에 진정을 하여야 구제를 받을 수 있습니다. 노동부의 근로감독관(경찰관 신분입니다.)은 진정서를 받게 되면 즉시 조사에 착수하여 25일 내에 완결합니다. 단, 사정에 따라 1회에 한하여 연장할 수 있습니다. 학원이 임금을 제대로 지급하지 않은 사실이 확인되면 근로감독관은 학원으로 하여금 미지급한 임금을 지급할 것을 명령하게 되는데, 이를 온전히 이행한다면 그 자체로 사건이 종결됩니다만, 만약 불응할 경우 검찰로 사건을 넘겨 형사절차를 진행하게 됩니다. 이후 학원사장은 기소되어 재판을 받으며 별달리 반증을 제시하지 않는 한, 형사 전과가 남게 되고, 보통 벌금에 처해집니다만 죄질이 중하다면 징역에 처해질 수 있습니다. 만약 학원이 망해서 임금을 못받는 경우라면, 정부에서 일정 임금을 대신 지급하는 제도도 있습니다. 이러한 금원은 체당금이라고 하는데, 고용보험 가입여부에 관계없이 적용되며, 고용보험을 가입한 근로자라면 이와 더불어 실업급여도 받을 수 있습니다.

부당한 해고를 당한 경우에는 노동위원회에 구제신청을 하게 되는데, 해고가 있은 날로부터 3개월 내에 하여야 합니다. 구제신청이 접수되면 60일 내에 심문회의가 열리게 되는데, 심문회의에서는 위원회가 사건에 대하여 심리하고 결정을 내립니다. 만약 부당해고로 판정되면 원직복직 및 소급임금 지급을 사용자에게 명령하게 됩니다. 한편 학원이 노동위원회의 명령을 30일 내에 이행하지 않으면 위원회는 총 2년에 걸쳐 8천만원에 해당하는 이행강제금을 부과합니다. 만약 근로자가 원직복직을 희망하지 않는 경우, 원직복직 대신에 금전보상을 선택할 수도 있습니다.

노동부를 통한 절차가 실효성이 없다는 이야기가 있는데 현실에서 많은 노동관련 문제들이 행정절차를 통해 해결되고 있습니다. 법원 절차에 비해 훨씬 편하고, 신속하며, 일체의 비용이 들지 않는다는 점에서 큰 장점이 있습니다. 일부 강사들은 시간이 부족하거나 또는 인내심이 부족해서 아니면 사건이 사소해서 도움을 구하지 않는 경우도 있지만 이는 결코 시간 낭비라거나 또는 도움을 구하는 것이 의미 없는 것이 아님을 알려드리고 싶어서 글을 씁니다.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
asa47



Joined: 07 Nov 2014

PostPosted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:49 am    Post subject: Advice Reply with quote

Hello, I need some advice about the hagwon I am currently working at and will soon finish. I started work at my current hagwon last year. For the first two months, I had no problems, as this hagwon answered directly to the head office located in Seoul. However, my third month there, it became a franchise, so the old manager was forced to quit and be replaced by a new manager, the one who had bought my current hagwon from the head office. Since then, there have been many problems. First, the manager did not make us native English teachers a new contract with her until about a month and a half later. Had we not kept bugging her about it, she probably never would have even bothered making it for us. Second, both my health insurance and pension were cancelled once the new manager took over, and despite informing her of this problem, she did not resolve it until two months later. As a result, I was forced to pay almost three times what I should have for my appointments with clinics, pharmacies, etc. during that time frame, as well as 3% in taxes rather than the normal 1.1%. What concerns me even more is that when she finally applied for the health insurance, she took out money for health insurance for the months I didn't have it in addition to the month that I did. Then, she later informed me that I cannot get my money reimbursed for my appointments with clinics, pharmacies, etc. because it was already past the allowed time period. When asked whether she would reimburse me for the amount she took out for the two months I had no health insurance, she said she “might” give me back the money she took out for the first month at the end of my contract, but she will not do so for the second month because “we both took a loss,” and she supposedly applied for health insurance at the end of the second month. This is inexcusable, as it was her responsibility to ask the health insurance company in the first place whether I could get my money back from health visits and prescriptions I received from them before she actually took money out to pay for those two months. The past is past; she should have asked to make sure, and now I am owed an extra 140,400 won that I will most likely never get. Why should I pay for something I did not have? Even if the manager also took a loss, it was her own fault, not mine. Hence, I should not be penalized for her own mistake. Even worse, she has been exploiting me since she first started work at our hagwon. She gave me more work than any other native English teacher, having me teach as many as 11 classes in one day without a break and do evaluations and give and grade tests and other assignments for a large portion of all elementary-school students attending our hagwon (without extra pay), while the other native English teachers were given much free time and only had to do 10 evaluations or less for students. Considering how at the first get-together with teachers, the manager made the comment to me that she hates America because it negatively influences Korea, it may be an act of discrimination. Even more shocking, recently, she opened a confidential envelope addressed to me by my future workplace, read its contents, and even admitted it when I asked her face-to-face. This is an invasion of privacy, and from what I have heard, this is also illegal. Lastly, the manager refused to honor the airplane ticket portion of the contract, despite past teachers of YBM ECC Noeun receiving that part of their contract. Considering that, I worry that I will not get back my housing deposit or get my attendance bonus or severance either, even though the contract states I should get them all after completing my contract as well. My question is how should I handle this? Is there anything I can do to get the money back that I am getting cheated out of? I know it is not as bad as other people’s cases, but still, it is not right…In fact, it infuriates me that she can get away with it!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
talentedcrayon



Joined: 27 Aug 2013
Location: Why do you even care?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 8:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It seems like no one really answers people on this thread. Maybe, ask questions on the main board. That will probably get you help faster.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Fallacy



Joined: 29 Jun 2015
Location: ex-ROK

PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From an article in the KT:
Quote:
The government and a group of lawyers plans to expand a free legal counseling service ― so far limited to Korean citizens ― to foreign residents from this week, officials said Sunday.

The Justice Ministry and Korea Bar Association said they would run the neighborhood lawyer service for foreigners as a trial project from Monday. The service will be launched first in 10 communities in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province with large foreign populations. This includes Daerim-dong, Gwanghee-dong and Hyehwa-dong in Seoul and Seonbu-dong in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

Introduced in June, the neighborhood lawyer service offers free legal counseling in remote areas. The service, available by phone, fax and online, has been limited to Korean nationals. A total of 57 lawyers will participate in the trial service, the ministry said. Before applying for the service, reservations must be made through the ministry’s call center at 1345. Twenty languages are available at the call center.

As of last year, about 12,000 foreign laborers filed petitions to reclaim overdue wages. The number of foreign nationals involved in domestic lawsuits reached 6,300 in 2013, the ministry said.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SatelliteMind



Joined: 04 Oct 2016

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone know where I can get free legal advice via email? Don't have a korean phone atm
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
perninex



Joined: 06 Jul 2018

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

the most important is that it is made of the best quality
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Job-related Discussion Forum All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Page 9 of 9

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

TEFL International Supports Dave's ESL Cafe
TEFL Courses, TESOL Course, English Teaching Jobs - TEFL International