Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sophocles]

I have a co-worker who has discussed the prospect of running. I work in a pretty small hogwan. They're not espeically nice bosses.

However...

here's my question:

Has a co-worker ever pulled a runner? What were the consequences? Did you suffer any adverse effects of his or her actions?

[Smee]

Yes, at my old hagwon we had 9 runners in 9 months (spread over about 5 campuses, though). The remaining foreign teachers had to pick up his/her scheduled classes for the next few weeks, which is always tough and unpopular. And I heard comments from bosses and directors like "how can we ever trust the foreign teachers now?" Though runners served to highlight the problems we foreigners saw in the hagwon, any message was lost on the Korean teachers and administrators.

[alabamaman]

[Smee]

Avalon, in Bundang.

(sorry for the hijack)
Causes for runners usually boiled down to 3 things: (1) tension between workers and management, or (2) found a better job elsewhere (usually a result of 1), or (3) culture shock. None of those who ran were necessarily getting a raw deal . . . I guess they just had enough, and didn't want to give notice.

All this transpired between 2005 and 2006.

[SHANE02]

[ilovebdt]

Yes, but not because of our boss. He was just a little mummy's boy who could hack interacting with other people and expected everyone to hold his hand.

It meant extra work for me for a while, bit not too much.

ilovebdt

[some waygug-in]

Yes, and eventhough it meant extra work for me, I completely supported the runner in her actions. She was completely justified and the school was giving her a raw deal. I would have run too.

I don't advocate this course of action, by the way, unless you feel that there are no alternatives and you are tired of being shat upon.

[Sophocles]

[Sophocles]

[faster]

nope

[kigolo1881]

People run for a few good reasons, but because of many bad reasons, if you didn't like a job, then just run/quit. What matters is how you approach the situation, turn in your resignation as professional and mature people would or take the easy exit and leave your fellow coworkers hanging.

Of course if you are getting shafted on your pay or other things, then you have to minimize damage on your behalf.

As for the remaining coworkers (FTs) if your korean counterparts are complaining that they cant trust foreigners anymore, then tell them straight out that the runner thought he/she was not being treated well or whatnot problems exist in your workplace.

[Donkey Beer]

I had a guy do a runner during the first week of my last job. As a result, the two new teachers and i were strapped with 10 class days for the first month.

The job never got better and a result the three of us ended up quitting during mid contract.

[mrsquirrel]

I ran years back.

Living in a shared shit hole. Five of us. Shit school, pay started being late, other teachers at the boss's other school were being paid in order of who was the favourite. Boss nephew used to come in and sit in the apartment and watch TV. Found him trying to find my passport. They wouldn't give my degree back.

On and on. I ended up getting drunk all night and going to work feeling like shit. Decided that it was either my health or risk becoming an alky.

I told them that I was going to quit first but they got angry. I lied and said i would stay lulled them into a false sense of security then fucked off at the start of winter intensives.

[jmbran11]

I ran many years ago, for a very good reason. However, my colleagues paid for it. They were interrogated about who knew my plans and who helped me. They were dumped with lots of extra classes (my Korean colleagues, who didn't get overtime pay), and the hogwan closed a few months laster, so they all lost their jobs. I still feel quite guilty. I was justified personally, but management will never assume that it's their fault, and others pay the price.

[mgafunnell]

i pulled a runner and there were no consequences. i'm not sure if i'm banned from korea or not, though.

i pulled a runner because i couldn't have been matched with a crazier roommate, girlfriend or employer.

in the throes of drunkenness, my roommate pulled a knife on one of his colleagues'. tried kicking down our neighbour's door several times, tried cutting off my thumbs, trashed our apartment twice, had been arrested multiple times, started several fights with the locals in onam-ni, was slung out of every bar in itaewon and had an affair with a married woman.

i had problems with my employer because he insisted on hanging out in *beep* houses and even argues with me to get a perm, even interrupting my classes on several ocassions.

my korean girlfriend was an alcoholic who had had two abortions, was stabbed by her mother and watched her grandmother commit suicide. she also pulled a knife on me and caused almost 700 000 won damage to my bathroom.

i was in and out in less than seven months.