Korean Job Discussion Forums

fromtheuk · Joined: 31 Mar 2007

After reading nomad-ish' thread, I'd like to ask people on this forum, with certain knowledge on sickness issues in GEPIK public schools some questions.

1) Public schools can't fire you for being sick, if you haven't exceeded 15 days (I read in the GEPIK contract any time after that is unpaid, but not a fireable offence). Right?!!!

2) If you call work to notify them you're sick, you don't have to go to the hospital or see a doctor, because you don't need a sick note until you pass the 7 day mark. Right?!!

What a sickening thread!

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

They can fire you for anything they feel like.

Once they do, are you really prepared to go through the hassle of waiting around before finally taking them to court 2 years and millions of won in expenses later? If labour decides to take your case that is... often.."theres nothing we can do".

if you want to avoid such silliness...my advice is..just realise the ways the koreans mind works, and play the game accordingly to keep something over them. Don't expect to fall back on a piece of paper. means very little here.

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

^Sound advice....I just finished my third term at PS and only took one sick day (out of 3 terms) due to overdoing it at a mens club meeting....way to much dog soup and soju. But, even that one day made me feel guilty for about a week, and it won't happen again. Wink

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Any public school will certainly consider number of sick days used when determining if they want to hire you back. Use them freely & I'd doubt your chances are good.

nomad-ish · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:02 am Post subject:

i was initially really worried because of a recent post (and some stories...) and the fact that cold/flu season is underway, but the more i read on here, the better i feel.

i haven't taken many sick days (and i was honestly sick...i swear korea has somesort of super cold/flu virus strain..), and i'm starting to think my school is lucky to have a foreign teacher at all. it's in one of the biggest cities in korea, and yet i'm only their 2nd FT. does that strike anyone else as strange? i know many rural schools are on their 1st FT, but for a school in the 3rd largest city, in a busy part of the city as well, isn't it odd that they only got an FT about 2 years ago?

i personally think it has to do with the financial status of my school and the fact that it's in a low-income neighbourhood. i'm assuming when u sign your contract with the school board, they assign FTs to schools that they deem worthy.... is this a correct assumption?

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

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

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

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

If cold weather makes you sick you must sick every time you walk out your door. WEAK!

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

I've taken only 1 sick day. All the other times I've been sick I've come into school anyways. They usually make me rest in the nurses office. My school has seen me literally drag myself to school in the mornings I'm feeling like crap so when I actually had to call in to miss, they didn't give me any crap. They just said to rest up and I could miss as many days I needed to get back to 100%.

Needless to say, I only took that 1 day. I could've taken more, but I knew I was well enough to teach and my school wasn't going to make me overdo it in that condition.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

If you want to take your sick days then take them. Don't let some Korean master of all he surveys worry you. Even if you aren't sick, they're called personal days.

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

You guys make it sound as though you've joined some sort of mafia or military organization. Laughing

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

fromtheuk · Joined: 31 Mar 2007

It's good to hear your views, but would you say if somebody used all 15 sick days, they woud be fired at a p.s.?

My co-teacher was talking to another Korean English teacher recently, her native teacher had been off sick more than 15 days because of T.B. I remember my co-teacher saying people can be fired for that, but when she heard it was because of T.B. this was an exception to the rule.

As regards contracts, whenever I refer to it on any issue, my co-teacher respects it, so if you're at a public school and use the no. of sick days stated in your contract, surely you can't be fired?!!!

I thought that kind of thing was for hogwans only!

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!