Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chickenrun]

When is a free health check MANDATORY?

Is it true that Korean companies do health checks every other year for all staff and since when is a free yearly health check in my contract mean mandatory? As well as having to give samples

If it is true well so be it we are in korea, if not then????

excuse my sceptical nature but once bitten twice shy in Korea.

Some people here are alittle concerned as well Korea and privacey doesnt seem to be a thing that goes hand in hand.

But if anyone else has had this experience would be interesting. Some here are wondering is it just a drugs screening?

[schwa]

Public school jobs require medical checkups up front, & if you recontract, every year or 2 again after that, same as Korean employees. The first one's on your dime, but it should be free after that (unless you opt to undergo a more comprehensive battery of tests, which they subsidize). They dont check for drugs. Your health status is revealed to your supervisor who may or may not keep it confidential -- Koreans tend to be quite chatty about their & others' inner workings. Mandatory, yes -- part of the job.

[VanIslander]

i know public school teachers in gyeongsannamdo who never had to give anything medical or police check or anything of the sort

what is law, rules and common practice varies in this country, is "fluid"

[spliff]

I had a rather complete "free" one two months ago, completely painless...what's the big deal?

[chickenrun]

NO big deal for me, I dont have anything to hide happy to sample away if they wish.

But I am working in a private institute and not a public school I didnt realise they did this.

as said im not trusting of my korean employers any more been bitten once and now well I question

[Big Mac]

I had this free physical a few weeks ago. We were also told it was mandatory. The doctors came to our school with all the equipment and there was a bus in the parking lot where they took a chest X-Ray.

As I understand, the physical was provided as part of our coverage with the NHIC. Apparently they do this once every two years.

I have nothing to hide, but I was concerned about the lack of privacy of the whole thing. The results were printed out on a piece of paper (completely in Korean) and given to my boss first and then handed to me. The results were not in a sealed envelope and my boss was free to read the results of all of his employees as he pleased. Confidentiality doesn't seem to exist in Korea.

If I had a condition I wanted to hide from my boss, such as a mental illness or something that would show up in a blood test, I would have kicked up more of a stink about this thing. As far as I'm concerned my health is none of my employer's business.

[marlow]

The annoying thing is that if you did have an undiscovered problem, you'd be told about it by your co-workers. "Oh," says your co-teacher, "You seem to have stomach (lung, liver) cancer. Sorry."

[chickenrun]

Well the health check was all good for me, no mysterious diseases i didn't know I had, though one teacher did vanish quickly and why ??? I don't know.

But I have left Korea and been traveling for a year now.

If anyone is considering Wall Street Institute they are a very reasonable business to work for, i had a great time there. Everything is done by the book, working conditions are good no split shifts. Decent pay, I even got a trip to the phillipines out of it.

It is a global franchise, so it seems that they are much more concerned with their image and are probably checked up on by the parent business often a we had the CEO visit( i've never seen Koreans go so gaga over someone because the have power lol), hence they follow the rules, pay you on time, pay you fairly and pretty much i had no real issue with them at all. And the were pretty helpful when i needed help on something like getting furniture.

You work under a western manager also which is a good thing as well as there being other westerners higher up on the food chain also.

So if you are IN Korea looking for a new job they are a possibility. and one that wont screw you over.

Such a glowing review compared to my first school.... "LEL Siji Daegu" evil i say evil

[Colorado]