Korean Job Discussion Forums

[twavelingteacher]

I will be teaching a winter camp at my public school. It is 8 classes a day for 5 days a week for 2 weeks. To me, that signifies that I should be getting paid 18 hours above the 22 per week. My school seems to be computing it this way: I will be in school only 6 hours 20 minutes a day and so I should only get paid for 8 extra hours above the 22 (6 times 5 equals 30 which is 8 above the 22 alloted before overtime kicks in).

Who is right?
This is public school, gepik, and although some people say 20 is the max during vacation period I don't see that on my contract. I only see 22 on my contract. Where do some people come up with 20 hours?

thanks

[aarontendo]

you work 22 "class" hours a week, not actual hours. They need to pay you OT for 18 classes. Also, seems like they're being jerks for making you do so many classes in one day.

[twavelingteacher]

well, they wanted me to work three days of it for free too. i said no.

[nomad-ish]

[twavelingteacher]

I can't just refuse; it will mess everything up. I can't figure out why they would compute it differently just for winter camp. They don't make me teach 22 actual hours during the week, so why change now? I am so tired of having to fight for stuff like this. Really.

[nomad-ish]

[nobbyken]

They get revenue for camp. So instead of being stuck with a finite budget, they will try to take in as much money as possible.

Did you ask this question before?
I can't remember who your contract is with?
How much time does it stipulate you work during vacation time?

[twavelingteacher]

THIS is with gepik
I asked them ahead of time if I would get paid extra and they said yes
Then when I saw the winter camp budget I noticed the pay was for 30 hours a week even though I am teaching 40 40 minute classes a week
They asked me to give some of my vacation time back and teach instead because they said the contract was 21 days vacation not 21 working days
So they are making me feel guilty for standing up for myself all the time

Sorry my puncutation marks aren't working on my computer

[wylies99]

[sjk1128]

This kind of thing is very common, even at public schools in Korea. Someone is always skimming off the top in the office and the accounting office. They work together to "make the most" out of your being there.

This doesn't bother me unless it causes me more work or the skimming starts dipping into my pocket. You do not have to put up with that. Be polite but firm. If that doesn't work, make it clear that you are willing to report what they are doing to the program, the Labor Board, and to the Korean press. Don't feel like you have done something wrong if you haven't. This is one of the most frustrating things for me about living in Korea. Someone at your job frequently tries to steal from you in one way or another. It's a huge social problem that you did not cause and will not fix. BUT, you can stand up for yourself and often get what is legally yours.

As you do so, remember that it's not personal. They do not see you as a friend or feel compassion for your situation. It's all business, regardless of how smiley and friendly they seem at work. They see themselves as entitled to this kind of "bonus pay" and do not expect you to resist because they are used to employees needing their jobs so badly and having mindless, slave-like respect for authority. However, you need to remind them that they need you more than you need them. You can have another job tomorrow, but it may take them months to find another foreign teacher. Meanwhile the revenues will dry up entirely. You don't have to say all this directly. Just casually mention that the position is becoming so "stressful" you've begun to consider another one down the street. Say that you'll be happy to help them look for another teacher in that case, but that it may take months because you've heard how hard it is to hire teachers. Everyone will lie to you. There is no value placed on the truth here. There is great value placed on everyone important retaining - at least fake - respect (face).

Good luck.

[wylies99]

OP- Stand up for yourself. Do it with the knowledge that they need you in order to make money. You hold the cards.

[Thunndarr]

It also needs to be mentioned that any kind of ambiguity in the contract is always interpreted in favor of the employer. After all, they are the ones doing the interpreting.

21 days vacation becomes 21 days in a row, or 3 weeks, rather than 21 working days or just over 4 weeks, which anyone with an ounce of sense realizes is completely ridiculous.

22 hours (which really means class hours) becomes 22 sixty-minute hours as soon as camp season starts or overtime needs to be calculated.

The list goes on...

Be careful though if you stand up for yourself, they may try to get you back in some other small petty way. I once discovered that my employer was deducting severance pay from my salary every month. When I pointed this out to them, they were A) very embarrassed at being caught doing this and B) quite spiteful, in that they offered me the choice of letting them continue deducting severance or reducing my vacation time.

[nobbyken]

[twavelingteacher]

my contract says 21 working days but that's not in question now.
what is is the 22 hours. so are you saying that 22 hours during vacation time is 22 real hours not vacation hours?

[nomad-ish]