Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dante57]

My boss told me that he is going to fire me on Friday, he didnt mention anything about severence or a flight, I have one week left on my contract. I told him I was going to contact the labor board and he told me that he already did and that they said it was ok, and he told me that he will be going to cancel my visa tomorrow at immi. Is there anything I can do? Is he right in his actions? My contract states that I get two weeks notice. almost 2 weeks ago he gets the staff together and says that someone is getting fired, does that count, when I officially knew that I was getting fired today?

help!

Thanks

(called the labor board, was told that he is supposed to give me 30 days and i need it it writing, however I have to call my regional labor board to file a complaint. Will continue to try and get through)
(got a friend to get thru for me, told me I need to go down and file a lawsuit, some shit went down now they are short a couple teachers and I'm on sick leave not sure if i should go in and talk about my contract or just call the boss and tell him about what I am going to do if he doesnt cough up my cash)

[kat2]

First, sit down with your boss and figure out what he means by "fired." Does he just mean he is going to let you leavea week early but still pay you your final paycheck, severance, and airfare? Or does he mena that he's letting you go for real?

If he's not planning on paying whats owed to you, then call labor immediately. Try to get something in writing from him about what he is planning or not planning to compensate you with. Do this ASAP.

Good luck OP. thats some BS.

[Sody]

DO NOT trust anything the director says. Contact the labour board yourself asap.

As for your questions, yes you are definitely right in your actions and he is wrong. He can't be vague and declare that he will fire someone in the future and then come back two weeks later and say "oh btw, it was you I was talking about." It makes no difference if he declared this at a staff meeting.


Sody

[sconner]

11th month, or in your case 12th month, firings won't fly with labor. If he is doing this in an attempt not to pay severance and airfare, file immediately. Then contact immigration and explain the situation. They will extend your visa if he has indeed canceled it.

[ilovebdt]

He cannot fire you one week before your contract ends for no reason.
He has to give you notice as stated in your contract.
Your boss obviously thinks you are stupid. There is no way that the Labour Board would agree that that was ok.

Call them immediately on 1350 and press 7 to speak to an English speaking person.

Honestly, these hagwon bosses the things they will do and say to get out of paying what is due to their employees.

ilovebdt

[Bingo]

Man, when I hear about stories like this my blood boils. Hogwan owners are the scum of the earth. Koreans claim to be so patriotic, yet their actions leave tens of thousands of people with very bitter attitudes towards Korea that often last a lifetime.

Scumbags.

[JoelCosmeJr]

i am a co-worker of the OP and just found out about this last night. The director did have a staff meeting about 2 weeks ago and declared that a teacher will be fired for some unclear reason. He said he would tell the teacher on June 12. So the director feels that the staff meeting in which he stated a teacher is going to be fired is a two week notice. He supposedly went to the labor board and they stated such an action is suitable and firing 'for lack of passion' is an adequate reason despite being only a little more than 1 week from completion of contract. I personally feel uncomfortable going to the hagwon now with this in the air. any suggestions for the OP please post.

[Big Mac]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If he thought you had a lack of passion he should have figured that out and fired you long before now.

He is obviously trying to get out of paying your severance and airfare. I don't think the labour board will let him get away with this. They shouldn't anyway.

To the other person who is also working at this hogwan....are you actually going to stay at this place? He's probably going to try to screw you over too.

[JoelCosmeJr]

i and my wife work here...my contract ends july 24... and wife in september...if he does try to screw me over, he will bring about the downfall of his hagwon. many mothers know me and gossip will spread like wild fire

[khyber]

[Whistleblower]

It states in the labor standards act that employers MUST give 30 days written notice for dismissal with a reason for dismissal. Also it is law that the employer must

Also please note below:

Article 30 (Restriction on Dismissal, etc.)

* (1)An employer shall not dismiss, lay off, suspend, transfer a worker, or reduce wages, or take other punitive measures against a worker without justifiable reason.


I also suggest that contact the Korean Tax office and pension office to find out if your boss has been contributing to tax and pension. Also could you tell us if you have Health Insurance. It is critical that you get your dismissal in writing stating the reason for dismissal.

Finally, contact the Korea Herald to also publicise this 12 month dismissal for your boss to not pay severance, etc. There are also a lot of people on this board which will help you.

Where are you located? Could you also PM me the name of the school? Thanks and good luck with your fight for your rights.

[Whistleblower]

[JD1982]

[philipjames]

I had a similar experience a few years back with GnB in Incheon. He asked me to dinner one night after work to discuss my work performance. He couldn't speak English so the director came along. He made some comments about my work, some good and some bad, but I defended the criticisms of my work. And the director agreed that I was correct and that the criticism was unreasonable. By the end of the meal the owner was defensive and backed down over his criticisms. He even said he would like me to stay for another year.

A month latere he fires me. He tells me on a Thursday that Monday is my last day and that I should vacate my apartment that day and leave Korea. I said that my contract demands that I receive a month's warning before being fired. The director and owner state that that dinner WAS my month's warning!!!

So a dinner in which every criticism of my work was retracted and the owner mentioned that he would like me to stay on another year was my
month's warning??????

As I write this I feel my blood boiling. This was five years ago and the resentment is still there. Koreans just don't understand how tarnished their international image is due to the ESL industry. When people erupted recently over that Daejeon situation it was because it was the last straw. Many ESL teachers have had such negative experiences with hogwans. And that banner campaign against us was just too much.

God Koreans can piss me off.

[Fresh Prince]

1. Labour board
2. Give us an update