Korean Job Discussion Forums

[basplar]

Question for the Uni. teacher folks. Is it unusual for a uni. job contract to have NO sick days provided in the contract? According to the uni. I'm thinking about signing with, any missed classes have to be made up. Is this usual? I'd be inclined to think that they'd provide at least a FEW paid sick days, but maybe I'm wrong. Please reply ASAP as I'm supposed to go to look at the contract and possibly sign in 2 days. Thanks

[tzechuk]

No sick days - I rather like that, to be honest.

At our place, we teach 45 hours per semester per course... as long as you give them their 45 hours, you can do whatever you want (within reasons). I tend to think of it as a perk - they don't penalise you if you take 10 days sick as long as you make up the classes.

I have a child and this kind of flexibility really helps.

[Unposter]

My understanding is you have to teach 15 weeks of classes (45 hours for a 3 credit class, 30 hours for a 2 credit class etc...) by Korean law. You can teach them anytime but they have to be taught. This includes national holidays.

[bassexpander]

At my uni, our contract is very vague.

But if we miss a day due to illness, we can get it off, but we do have to make it up. We're pretty much left to our own choice as to when. Usually it's on a Saturday, and virtually no students come to the make-up day. But yeah, you have to make them up.

I've never missed a work day due to being sick, but my coworkers have done this.

[Hyeon Een]

At my uni there is nothing in the contract. If I couldn't make a class I'd probably ask one of my kind co-workers to cover it for me in return for dinner or me covering one of their's in the future. If I had to miss it and no one could cover it then I'd probably offer a makeup class.. haven't thought about it too much to be honest.

I've covered 4 or 5 classes for one co-worker (he went to a wedding in the US and then a long weekend in the Philippines) and in return he's covered one for me and bought me several dinners and lots of drinks with a clear understanding that he'll help me out if I have to be absent for any reason. He's awesome so I'm glad to help him.

The lack of sick days at a decent uni is a non-issue in my book if you're a responsible employee. If you're working at a crap uni with only 10 days vacation and lots of teaching hours you should have sick days in your contract.

If you're working less than 16 hours or so with lots of vacation you shouldn't feel too taken advantage of if you have to make up classes or negotiate deals with your coworkers to cover for you in the event of sickness.

[Billy Pilgrim]

[makemischief]

Mine has no set paid sick days in the contract. I can have someone cover, or call in and cancel class- but then I have to make it up sometime.

None of our schedules are really heavy so most people just tend to cancel and do a make-up class on a light day.

Given the already healthy vacation time and relaxed policy towards rearranging classes, I'd never given the lack of official paid sick days a second thought.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[basplar]

Thanks everybody. Good info for a uni. newbie. I appreciate it, one and all.