Korean Job Discussion Forums

[logan2003]

sometimes it is just what needs to be done.

If you do not then it will result in a lot more stress.
About the other co-workers....come on if they want to stay in appalling situations regarding pay, teaching conditions, and living arrangements then let them. That does not mean that I should do the same.

I had to leave a situation like that. Trust me it was stressful to do it the legal way. They lied about me and my wife and it was much more stressful.

Come on in Korea things rarely go by the book. And I am American and he tried to take my passport.....in extange for my payment.....I nearly killed him. I calmly told him that he had better hand my passport over to me. (how my old boss got the pass port is a long story.)

But sometimes it is needed. I fully sympathize if the reason is a good one.

[Homer]

This is what I said Logan.
Running is justified when its the last solution and other avenues have been exhausted.
Its also justified if the situation is TRULY horrible which is not so in the majority of cases I have heard of.

You mention stress...well thats a poor excuse. Unless you could elaborate on what this "stress" is.
I had to resign once and it was not easy . My boss refused to pay up and give me my release. I went to the the labor board and it did nothing at firts. Then I went again and insisted, talked to a labor lawyer and magically my boss yielded. It took some effort and was "stressful" at times but hey it ws the right thing to do. I am not better than anyone else, I'm just your average teacher here. This job deteriorated over the course of the 3rd and 4th months. I tried to imporve things from the inside until I could no longer tolerate it then I gave him my notice. I could have ran. My resigning helped the other foreign teachers on staff there as they all (all 2 of them) resigned legally and trouble free.
It would have shafted them to run and now my fomer bosses hagwon has closed. It was on the rocks to begin with and now its out of business.

[davtayl]

Hello,
From what I experienced given doing the midnight run is not a bad idea. I gave my boss 30 days notice and she made my life a living hell. She also tried to hold back pay.
I don't blame people for doing a runner. If Koreans treated us better then we wouldn't have this problem in the first place.

[PigeonFart]

I worked in a big hogwon. Over my 12 month contract, 3 teachers did a midnight run and 1 teacher gave his one month notice to quit.

Those 3 teachers who ran really didn't have a good reason to run. The work was fine, housing was good, pay was always on time. They just found "better" opportunities in another country and went for that. It was cowardly in this instance cos the boss and job was OK. (Sure there were minor issues, but none too serious). We had to cover their classes. The honest thing would have been to give 30 days notice.

The guy that quit did so cos he just couldnt take the lack of resources, and the last minute effups and changes that happened everyday (but sure isnt that hogwon life in korea).

If the boss or job is really horrible (and you were lied to about job/housing conditions) then you have the moral right to do a midnight run. But in my case with a fair school, their run was cowardly.

Of course, the previous posters had valid points about employers turning nasty after being told their teacher will leave in 30 days. But for the guy who gave his 30 days notice in my school....the boss was great. It depends on the individuals and circumstances involved.