Korean Job Discussion Forums

Rapacious Mr. Batstove · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Location: Central Areola

I have been at my school since March, enjoying the fine cafeteria cuisine every lunch time.

My handler comes to me today and says "We forgot to tell you, you must pay for lunch, heres a bill for 350000 won."

I told her that I refuse to pay it.

In my opinion this is the schools fault for not telling/charging me.

What would you do in this situation?
What is the best argument for my defense?

SeoulShakin · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

That bloody sucks.

Same thing happened to me, but I was only 3 months into it when they decided to drop the bomb. Now I have to pay monthly.

Good luck fighting it out.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

Yo could say, "Well, since you forgot to tell me about it, we'll consider what I had already a gift. I'm no longer eating here."

But I think a better plan, since the Korean teachers also have to pay for the lunch and meals are not included in your contract, is to suggest that they pro-rate the 350,000 won over the remainder of your contract.

Since I'm vegetarian, I ensured my school financial staff was fully aware that I would neither eat at the cafeteria nor agree to any deductions from my pay. When they told me they could prepare vegetarian food for me, I laughed. No, they can't.

Lesson learned: Check the box for or write on the "special dietary needs" blank of the job application, "Cannot dine at school facility."

MarionG · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

350,000 won? How many years have you been eating there? I pay about 2500 to 3000 won for lunch, if 1 paid 3500, that's 100 lunches, or 50 weeks.

I doubt you'll get out of paying it, and I think you should pay it. If you were in your home country, and the phone company (electricity, whatever) forgot to send you a bill, do you think "it was a gift" would fly? I doubt it...but proration might be helpful.

And of course, they're just going to take it out of your next check, so I'd go for the proration...

MarionG · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

Oops, a little math problem in that prior post...

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

Reminds me of the situation in the UK where the Benefits Office overpaid me entitled benefits to some error in calculation. I had to pay 170 quid back bacause of their error. Happens the world over.

The Perfect Cup of Coffee · Joined: 17 Jun 2007

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

They should have told you to pay from the get-go.

Also, what's this "handler" stuff? It sound slike you are a circus animal, since you have a "handler". No one "handles" me...hehehe

isthisreally · Joined: 01 Sep 2007

if had to pay for my school's lunch i would never eat it, i barely touch the stuff now it's so cheap and mostly nasty, i don't think i would be able to handle a school lunch back in my home country either.

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

Does your employer provide you with pay receipts/paystubs that clearly state the nature and amount of ALL deductions, taxes and salary?

bejarano-korea · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Ask them for reciepts for every single meal you had had there. It is hardly the same as not paying a phone bill, when I get a telephone fitted at chez bejarano-korea, I know I'm going to pay for it and subsequent bills.

It looks like they have plucked a figure from the air - demand proof that you have eat 350,000 wons worth of cafeteria slop.

CasperTheFriendlyGhost · Joined: 28 Feb 2007

Dude, pay for your lunch. Stealing is just wrong.

Thomas · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

I had the same situation (years ago)... I ate lunch everyday with the other teachers and students and a few months down the road they asked
me to "pay up". I had assumed it was "one of the perks" but found out that all of the teachers paid for lunch if they ate there (but they paid ahead of time, at the beginning of the year... it took them a while to ask me).

I paid what I owed, mainly because I enjoyed great relations at the school and didn't see it as worth hurting relations over it (although I also felt I should've been told ahead of time). At 3500 won per meal, I didn't think I wanted to continue, so instead I began eating off campus at a local shop for the same cost or less after letting the school know I wouldn't be paying the "monthly rate" anymore... but that I may come through once in a while and "pay as I go". They have the monthly rate as a convenience for the teachers.