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What should I do?
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Sucker



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:32 am    Post subject: What should I do? Reply with quote

I don't know what happened to me.

After working at my hag-won for 10 months and 2 weeks this happened.

On Saturday my boss was very kind to me. She said she would extend my contract for another year.

Then on Monday (after work) she yelled at me for 1 hour in front of children and staff, she said she might fire me - no reason was given.

The next day I gave her a letter of resignation (to finish on the 28th of Febuary). I gave the reason of unpaid overtime, working outside of agreed upon timeframe and no medical insurance (which was promised in the contract). I said I would work for 3 more weeks (as the contract sai I must).

This morning I went to work but my phone has been cut and my boss will not let me teach and will not talk to me.

What she did is against the law (I think) and against our contract.

I went to immigration - but they can not help me untill they see her.

I went to the Labour Board (Lawyers) but they do not speak English.

I will return to the Labour board tomorrow with my Korean friend.

I do not even know if I am fired?

I am worried about my visa though. I don't know if my boss will report me and I don't know what happens if I am reported.

Does anyone have advice or suggestions?

Thanks
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Captain Obvious 2.0



Joined: 09 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:41 am    Post subject: Re: What should I do? Reply with quote

Sucker wrote:
Then on Monday (after work) she yelled at me for 1 hour in front of children and staff, she said she might fire me - no reason was given.

Could we get the uncensored, unabridged version of this paragraph please? Otherwise known as the truth.

Thanks.
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Sucker



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

During my final class a Korean teacher told me to see my boss when the class was finished. This was not an unusual request.

I went to talk to her in her office. It started off simply enough talking about various students.

She then bought up the fact that I don't bow or say "annyong-hi-hasayo" - this was when she first lost her temper (at this point I had no idea what to think). I have never been asked to bow before and I usually do give a slight bow or nod - not consciously, just because I have been here 10 and a half months and have picked it up. I always say hello - but usually in English.

After a while she yelled at me for not having enough boys in my class (she distributed the children not I - I had no choice over who I taught and neither did the children).

This conversation was interupted many times by phone calls - I waited as politely as possible. I had very little to say during the conversation - most of it was her talking. I gave reasonable objections "not in our culture to bow" and that she chose who attended which class. All of my responces seemed to make her more angry until she was fully shouting.

In the end the conversation finished when she had to go and teach middle school students. She said that she would talk to me again the next day and that I may not be working with her for much longer.
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Nelson606



Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find these horror stories totally mindboggling. If this is not fiction, you are a truly pathetic human being. Why do you people subject yourselves to treatment like this. What ever happened to self respect. Some of the stuff on this board just amazes me. It must be fiction. Good story.
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Sucker



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow - two replies in 10 minutes.

Yes it is true.

Yes it is mindboggling. On Saturday she was very friendly to me and then on Monday she was an irrational monster. Today she is openly hostile.

It was my self respect that prompted me to offer a letter of resignation (as complied with my contract).

It was my self respect that got me to the Labour Board (and will send me back there tomorrow).

Try finding out about your legal position when you are in a country where you only speak a fraction of the language and your boss is unwilling to speak to you and being openly hostile for no reason that you can understand.
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Sucker



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well - I am going to the Labour Office today.

I hope that something happens - right now this lumbo is very worrying.
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Sucker



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

limbo
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Mr.NiceGuy



Joined: 03 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't know what to tell you, but me thinks "Why not finish that contract and get your bonus?" Man, I would submit no matter what.
Yeah, it sounds like typical business-as-usual at the 'O'l farm,' the hagwons, so you won't get anywhere. Wake up.
If you can, get a sweet, Korean female intermediator. Tell them you want to stay. See where you're wrong. And if it comes down to it, reinforce it with the law(It's against Korean law to break contracts for an unspecified reason.)
Cheerio!
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captain kirk



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

korea stipulates a one year contract, nothing less. to me this is a long time, but that's the minimum. after about ten months the boss is looking at paying the hard working teacher, whether good or bad, severance and air fare at the twelfth month. at the tenth month the wonjonim could strategically get severely displeased 'out of the blue', dispose of the teacher, and get some new talent. it's cheaper (no severance, air fare reimbursement) and the school gets some 'fresh meat'. you could try to get a letter of dismissal. i've heard that after ten months one is 'in the clear', anyway, and able to start another job. hopefully you've saved some money to switch jobs. please don't take it personally. the hogwan is 'all business'. the flak your boss gave you about not knowing korean ways of greeting and so on is probably just free-associated black icing on the boot to the rear they're giving you, 'out of nowhere'. again, please try not to take it personally. just because one is a 'teacher' and has functioned with their best effort it's still 'temporary labour' to some especially 'effective' bosses. what works for them doesn't always work for you in the end, close to the end.
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Tancred



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Upon a mountain in unknown Kadath

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i find these kinds of things mindboggling also. I'm not saying that it's fictitious or anything...i have no idea, but i have no real reason to suspect that people on this board would go out of their way to lie...although maybe they just don't give the full story. Nevertheless, i tend to give the benefit of the doubt in these cases...we are kind of all in this together and i appreciate hearing other people's stories.

In my case, my boss is a truly nice guy...we go out for dinner, exchange pleasantries...he "suggests" things to me rather than ordering me to do things, and i always do what he "suggests". It's this mutual respect which i think has kept things going so well at my hagwon (although i am starting to tire of this whole "teaching" gig...but I'll certainly see through to the end of my contract).

Anyway, i often wonder, after reading the horror stories of people on here who have had sudden changes in their formerly "kind" boss' personality, if my boss will also do an about-face. I really can't imagine it. But I think if something as seemingly ridiculous as the things i've read on here happened to me, i would just lose it. I have little patience for petty people and if someone would want to risk their reputation and a friendly bond just for the sake of saving return airfare and severence...i think i would just completely lose it...i mean like screaming and threats and God knows what else. My temper has never been my best attribute and in outrageous situations such as those i never seem to think logically enough to think things through. I hope it never happens to me...as i hope it never happens to any of you, but really...after reading some of these posts, i have no idea.
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slothrop



Joined: 03 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

edit

Last edited by slothrop on Tue Apr 17, 2012 9:27 am; edited 1 time in total
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captain kirk



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

haha, you haven't done that yet? i tossed the kimchi cheegeh at the secretary the day i arrived from the airport. they wanted me to take my shoes off at the door and walk around the school in socks all day. and i have flat feet! someone had to pay!!!!!!!!!!!! Evil or Very Mad
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The Great Wall of Whiner



Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Middle Land

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 10:28 pm    Post subject: I understand... Reply with quote

Your boss wants to let you go early so she doesn't have to pay your end of one year bonus. It is pretty common.

I know all about crazy hogwon owners.

My boss did not may for my medical nor overtime. My school was going down the drain, as there was too much competition with so many hogwans on the same street (I counted 9 in a 3 minute walking distance).

And I know the frustration of not having medical insurance.

So I got sick and tired of having to pay 60,000 when I slashed my arm on a metal railing, 80,000 there when I went to see the doctor over two seperate food poisoning incidents and another 30,000 to "cure" my rather harsh case "flu"..or whatever it was.

Not being paid over 3,000,000 Won in overtime is not nice either. They try to do voodoo accounting and run a million numbers and re-adjust figures when they explain "No overtime! No overtime! 50 minute class is not one hour class! Holiday is not real holiday! Sky is not blue. It is green! Jinjja!". No wonder the Korean book-keeper quit her job!

I up and left.

Something I told myself I would never do, as I believe in upholding your end of the deal as best as possible.

But from what I have heard, giving notice can give you headaches. Such as unpaid final wages, abuse from bosses and staff, etc.

Now my former boss e-mails me constantly and threatens to kill me. "Some titles include: Your life should end, I will be killing you, soon your life will be ended, mafia to you..." etc.

Real entertaining reading, but scary nontheless.

The most recent e-mail was "You break your water boiler and it's all your fault. And you must pay for visa trip to Japan. And airfare to come to Korea. You must pay 4,500,000 Won into my bank account or I will call Interpol".

Funny. I do not recall ever breaking my hot water boiler (or even seeing it for that matter!).

I don't mind if they call interpol. I still have a copy of my contract. It says after 6 months I do not have to pay for my airfare.

Worse come to worse, they can deduct all the "money" I owe them from all the money they owe me.

My ex-boss simply does not understand that if he had abided by the contract and the law of Korea, I would still be there working for him.
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william beckerson
Guest




PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I had to sum up any advice I could give to someone working in Korea, it'd be this:

"Bring lube"
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stalinsdad



Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Jeonju

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

These Koreans keep on about duty and custom, what I have seen is a bunch of back stabbing wimps, they are so weak, not surprised Japan have kicked their ass. They lie to your face, rip u off and then smile as if it's ok. I have never met an honest Director yet and I never will. They are a bunch of leeches as William has said. If your Diretor is ok, good, bt it's only a matter of time before they shaft u.
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