Korean Job Discussion Forums

[philipjames]

Last year when I worked at GNB in Incheon I was sicker than I had ever been in my life. I was freezing cold and boiling hot at the same time. I had the shivers, sweats and was throwing up. I thought I had malaria, because I had never been so sick. I was hit by this on a Friday and it got incredibly worse over the weekend, so that on Monday I had to phone in sick. On Tuesday I got lectured on how, under no circumstances, was I ever to phone in sick. I told them the extent of my sickness. They said I still had to come to work, because "the parents wouldn't understand." I told him that he was being highly unreasonable given my state, and it was irresponsible for me to expose the children to whatever I had. He said the children would not get sick, and besides, I was in Korea. "In Rome do as the Romans." Koreans come to work sick, so I should do too. Not a word of compassion for my condition, just a lecture that I must never phone in sick again. Never!

[teachingld2004]

Of corse hands have to be washed frequently. But being in a room with 2 sick kinder kids for 2 hrs, and them rubing their eyes, noses, and sneezing, its hard to get away from that. And they always want to be held. How many times can you actually go out of the room and wash your hands? And when they cry and want you to hold them, what do u do? You get sick of corse.
Also, this does not affect me, but there are 6 cups and the kids in the school all use them without them being washed. I know we dont live in glass bubbles, and we cant prevent getting colds, but the parents here do not think kids are sick if they have colds.

[manlyboy]

I took one sick day during my last contract. Nobody seemed too upset about it, but when I got my pay slip that month I noticed that they had docked me TWO days pay ! When I asked for an explanation I was told "You lose one days pay, and you must also pay for the teachers who covered your classes. It's in your contract". I responded that this was not in my contract, and that as there was no overtime for substituting classes, that money was not going to the teachers who subbed, but straight into the bosses pocket. They were actually making a profit off of my being sick . Supervisor says "talk to the Coordinator", Coordinator says "talk to the Office Manager". Every one of them is telling me "It's in your contract". Finally I walk into the President's office, contract in hand, and eventually I get the deduction down to one days pay (the contract actually said nothing about sick days). Losing the money wasn't what bothered me, it was about not being taken adavantage of. None of them gave an explanation, and sure as "beep" didn't give an apology from them.
My new job has 15 paid sick days !

[lush72]