Korean Job Discussion Forums

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:40 pm Post subject: Sick days?

have you ever been fired for using your sick days (at a public school)?

and if u have, did they use that as the official reason or find some other?

thanks, i appreciate any useful responses

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

It is highly unusual, but I have heard of two occasions when foreign teachers were fired for using an excessive amount of sick time. As it turns out one of the people was simply playing hooky from school and the other one was legitimately sick. Both filed a grievance with the labor board, and both were denied any judgment because the schools provided a better case than the foreign teachers. That is my only knowledge of such things regarding the use of sick time. I have had to use sick days for the past two contracts while I was in the hospital and nothing was ever said to me regarding this. Fortunately I am not that sick very often. One hospitalization was for surgery to correct a problem, and the other was the result of a serious accident that was out of my control.

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:03 pm Post subject:

excessive? how much is excessive?

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject:

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Doesn't matter what she thinks.

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:40 pm Post subject:

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:52 pm Post subject:

thanks guys!

fromtheuk · Joined: 31 Mar 2007

nomad-ish - I cannot believe what you said, I mean about your co-worker having the audacity to tell you to get dressed and go to work, because you're not sick.

I now realize if you are assertive with these people, they do back down, their attitude is all an act.

Here are some ideas for you to consider. Explain that you are genuinely sick and that you'd like to know how to file a complaint with the labor board about harrassment. That may shut up the scumbag.

Tell her you are also thinking of contacting your embassy about this treatment, because back home (wherever that is) we trust people, until they are proven guilty of something.

You could also ask your co-teacher to help you write a complaint against her in Korean, to make it easier for you to submit to the labor board, and please make sure you have an awful, fake smile on your face as you ask Laughing

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: Sick days?

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

It's best not to take sick days unless you're so sick you require hospitalisation. I once almost took a 'sick day' so that I could miraculously recover at 8.30AM and teach my classes instead of going on a provincial waegook parade field trip, but thankfully we found a legitimate excuse to get out of it.

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:44 pm Post subject: Re: Sick days?

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject:

I hope anyone who was fired for using their sick days made their principal and VPs' lives hell with the Labor Board.

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007