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JeannieAbroad
Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:26 am Post subject: Friend got fired yesterday for not being "loving enough |
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So here is the deal. I made a new friend about a month ago. I don't know her too well, but she seems like a decent, hard-working teacher. She's not a member of Dave's so I said I'd post this for her.
She works for a large Hagwon and was called in to the director's office yesterday. She was told she was being let go because they had received some complaints from parents that she was "not loving enough toward the students."  What? Who measures that and how? 
That being said, she is naturally, devastated. She's been in Korea for three months now and was finally starting to meet friends.
I read on another Dave's posting about persistent coughs. http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=104943&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15 My friend did mention to me that she has been sick a lot since she arrived in Korea. I have no idea if she missed any work days, but could this be the real reason? She's had bronchitis a few times, and several colds.
Also, I told her that my director was looking for another native speaker. I spoke to him tonight and he even said that the reason for her firing was weird, at best.
My next question is if my director interviews her and likes her, then calls her old school for "the real reason," and doesn't believe them, can they just transfer her visa for my school as long as they don't report her
Also, she has a vacation coming up, which her school knew of and approved to go to another country for a week or so. She heard of a teacher at her school in the past that left the country and then was "blacklisted" and not allowed back in to the country to get her things. Is this a real possibility? I told her she could keep her things at my place until she got back from her vacation, just in case.
So now she is still teaching in her old school until next month, and pretending nothing is wrong. Help anyone?
Last edited by JeannieAbroad on Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| With these new visa regulations that are about to take place in Dec., she is playing with a real serious time game here. Any advice you get now could be bad advice depending on the outcome of the new visa regs. Everything is expected to change here very soon. |
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JeannieAbroad
Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| Vicissitude wrote: |
| With these new visa regulations that are about to take place in Dec., she is playing with a real serious time game here. Any advice you get now could be bad advice depending on the outcome of the new visa regs. Everything is expected to change here very soon. |
Exactly! With everything up in the air as far as new regs, I'm worried for her, especially if she wants to stay here. She has to stay at her old school until she leaves for her vacation in mid December. |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:46 am Post subject: |
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| JeannieAbroad wrote: |
| Vicissitude wrote: |
| With these new visa regulations that are about to take place in Dec., she is playing with a real serious time game here. Any advice you get now could be bad advice depending on the outcome of the new visa regs. Everything is expected to change here very soon. |
Exactly! With everything up in the air as far as new regs, I'm worried for her, especially if she wants to stay here. She has to stay at her old school until she leaves for her vacation in mid December. |
When she leaves in Dec., she should take all her stuff with her and plan for the worst. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:59 am Post subject: |
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Sadly newbies often don't fully understand the game here and whats expected of them. Its not about teaching or results, its quite simply about keeping the kids happy and being popular.
Sympathies though and i'm amazed they could afford to actually fire a teacher. Must be plenty of people available to replace her at the moment? |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:03 am Post subject: |
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It sounds as if it was a firing without justifiable reasons. Pursuant to Korean labor law, the employer cannot fire an employe without justifiable cause. Complaints from parents don't constitute a justiable reason. Your director is aware that he/she is commiting an illegal act and will make life extremely hard on your friend by taking advantage of the new E2 Visa regulations. Many teachers have found themselves in your friends shoes. Perhaps, she could get a letter of release. If she does get one, she needs to submit it on her own without her employer. And if your friend goes down that road, make sure she moves into a goshiwon the night before she goes to immigration.
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Goshiwon
Last edited by garykasparov on Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Atavistic
Joined: 22 May 2006
Location: How totally stupid that Korean doesn't show in this area.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:06 am Post subject: |
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| garykasparov wrote: |
| It sounds as if it was a firing without justifiable reasons. Pursuant to Korean labor law, the employer cannot fire an employe without justifiable cause. |
I'm pretty sure they can before 6 months. |
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JeannieAbroad
Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:08 am Post subject: |
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| garykasparov wrote: |
It sounds as if it was a firing without justifiable reasons. Pursuant to Korean labor law, the employer cannot fire an employe without justifiable cause. Complaints from parents don't constitute a justiable reason. Your director is aware that he/she is commiting an illegal act and will make life extremely hard on your friend by taking advantage of the new E2 Visa regulations. Many teachers have found themselves in your friends shoes. Perhaps, she could get a letter of release. If she does get one, she needs to submit it on her own without her employer. And if your friend goes down that road, make sure she moves into a goshiwon the night before she goes to immigration.
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Goshiwon |
Sorry, I'm a newbie, myself. What is that? |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:08 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Its not about teaching or results, its quite simply about keeping the kids happy and being popular. |
Sometimes that might be true. Most of the time it is about both: teacher/results and keeping students happy.
In fact you could make a solid case that to be an effective teacher anywhere you need to keep your students in a positive frame of mind and happy simply because that creates a better learning environment.
As for the OP...tough situation!
She should get her LOR asap and she can land another job quickly enough if indeed she was let go through no fault of her own. |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:13 am Post subject: |
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| Atavistic wrote: |
| garykasparov wrote: |
| It sounds as if it was a firing without justifiable reasons. Pursuant to Korean labor law, the employer cannot fire an employe without justifiable cause. |
I'm pretty sure they can before 6 months. |
It's written in labor laws (article 30 of the Korean Labor Standards Act) that your employer cannot fire you without a justifiable reason. It doesn't matter when you're fired. On the other hand, an "Advance Notice of Dismissal" is another issue. Perhaps that's what your talking about. Your employer is required to give you an Advance Notice of Dismissal 30 days prior to dismissal or wages greater than thirty days shall be paid to the employee. However, there are exceptions as stated in Article 35 and Article 32 of the LSA. |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:22 am Post subject: |
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| JeannieAbroad wrote: |
| garykasparov wrote: |
It sounds as if it was a firing without justifiable reasons. Pursuant to Korean labor law, the employer cannot fire an employe without justifiable cause. Complaints from parents don't constitute a justiable reason. Your director is aware that he/she is commiting an illegal act and will make life extremely hard on your friend by taking advantage of the new E2 Visa regulations. Many teachers have found themselves in your friends shoes. Perhaps, she could get a letter of release. If she does get one, she needs to submit it on her own without her employer. And if your friend goes down that road, make sure she moves into a goshiwon the night before she goes to immigration.
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Goshiwon |
Sorry, I'm a newbie, myself. What is that? |
Goshiwons (motel) are cheap in Korea. Prices in a goshiwon will range from 200,000 to 400,000 won per month. |
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JeannieAbroad
Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:25 am Post subject: |
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oops sorry, I'm wicked tired and didn't see the link you posted.  |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:40 am Post subject: |
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| garykasparov wrote: |
| Goshiwons (motel) are cheap in Korea. Prices in a goshiwon will range from 200,000 to 400,000 won per month. |
They are basically tiny dorm rooms at those rates. They can also go by the day or the week. I've seen them as high as 750,000 per month. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| "The parents complained" is one of the standard hagweon director lies. Don't believe the lousy director. Do your best to get a Letter of Release and a new job. After you have your new visa, file with the Labor Board. Even if you got fired the day you got here, you can still hassle the boss by filing with the Labor Board. Your case may ultimately be dismissed "for the reason that you had not been employed long enough," but you will still have caused a hassle for the boss. And it costs you nothing to file at the Labor Board. The Labor Board must accept your filing. |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| wylies99 has been through this BS, I believe. I hope he posts what you should do. |
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