Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

This was the result of a poll started some time ago. The poll was deleted.

Poll: Have you been paid late in Korea?
Never - I must be lucky! 32% [ 48 ]
Once or twice - no big deal, minor annoyance.. 21% [ 31 ]
Several times - hate it! 20% [ 30 ]
Several times - but I understand the culture, doesn't bother me... 4% [ 7 ]
Many times - sigh... 16% [ 24 ]
WTF! I've never been paid on time! ARGH!!! 4% [ 7 ]
Total Votes: 147

[lastat06513]

RR- did you start that particular post?

I have known you to post articles that pertain to foreign teachers and the ESL industry in Korea, but I have never known you to post anything personal......

WOW!!!!

You're losing your objctiveness now....

[marlow]

It kind of paints being paid late as a common practice, doesn't it?

[KoreanAmbition]

I guess I'm lucky that I won't be going to Korea and forced to live pay-cheque to pay-cheque. I have money when I need it, and that's also why I don't care about housing as much because I plan to buy new furniture when I get there to at least enjoy living in the little studio they give me.

For me, being paid late will hardly even be an annoyance.

At the university I work for in Canada I don't even check pay stubs. I assume they put the money in correctly and I have NEVER looked. I know I'm naive but to be honest I just figure it's probably done properly.

Fast forward to when I get to Korea and obviously I'll change. I will keep track of my financial situation.

However, I can say in all honesty that I don't care if I get paid late... I care if I get paid.

As long as the money ends up in my bank account then I could care less. When the next month comes around and I still haven't been paid, that's when I start looking at what is valuable around the office that I'm going to start taking home at night. And spare me the criticism, I'll at least get something back if I'm gonna get ripped off.

If I'm lucky I'll work in a nice high-tech school when I'm getting ripped off. Maybe I can make more in stolen electronics than they can make from my pay cheque.

[Saxiif]

I was one of the "WTF! I've never been paid on time! ARGH!!! 4% [ 7 ] "
But now I haven't gotten paid late for the last three and a half years, which is a nice improvement. There's good jobs out there, they just usually don't hire newbies (like I was then).

[Atavistic]

[KoreanAmbition]

Atavastic,

How about NEITHER. You're weak man, or woman. Whatever you are.

Did you think I was joking in my post? Ummm, I've worked before and saved money. Are you like from another world? Do you think we all work at McDonald's for 20 years? Oh wait, now I get it. You think we all go to Korea because we have no life where we come from? haha

I have bank loans, credit lines, and RRSP's put away in case I ever have problems. You think I'd go to Korea if I was dependant on 100% needing the money some foreigner is gonna pay me and if I don't get that money I'm up siht's creek? If you're working there you must have a degree. What cracker-jack box did you get it out of?

I won't comment further, you're clearly from a different "wok" of life.

Cheers

[TonyAu]

KoreanAmbition, what happened to you?

You started out such a nice young man, and now you're as spiteful as the worst posters here on Dave's. I'd forgive you if you'd even been to Korea and been jaded by the experience, but I can't even do that.

Seriously, what happened?

[KoreanAmbition]

Tony...

I don't see why people took offense to my posting. I meant it with all sincerity and not to be rude in any way.


I really don't care about being paid on time. I care about just making sure at that some point in the next couple weeks I get the money no matter what. That is the truth.

I am going to Korea with some money reserved for emergencies and such, so I don't see why any one month I will require the money immediately on the day I'm supposed to get it.


Look at it this way. If you go to Korea and get paid your first 2 months then you should be able to have some money left over unless you are wasting your money bigtime.

With that said, your extra money should be enough to take care of your problems on any subsequent month if there is a problem. Is that unreasonable?

If the money is late I don't mind. I use my "other" money to foot the bill and wait a week or 2 for the owed money to arrive.

I did say that if the owed money doesn't reach me by the end of the month then I start looking to electronics I need for the home.


Tony, I am jaded to those that are rude to others and originally I tried to give friendly rebuttals, but have found that to be a waste of my time. I admit my tolerance has been tested lately because I am rather disappointed with the constant bashing I see on these boards.

Tony, take a look at the thread that was just started named "Couples" or something. A newbie posed a question and another newbie blasted him for not knowing the same thread started recently.

I have no problem insulting the second newbie for blasting the unknowing first. And then, I proceeded to write several paragraphs of information for the OP that I thought might help.

I have many people I communicate with in private that I get along just fine with. Those same people tell me not to pay attention to those on here that are jerks to others.

Possibly you are correct and I should hold my tongue more when someone is rude to me. I guess I'm succumbing to the brainwashing. Thanks for the heads-up.

Cheers

[bellum99]

KoreanAmbition is new kind of beast. He is a pre-newbie with an opinion. Every few months we have to endure this. At least a person should come here before they become an expert on every single thing.

[KoreanAmbition]

bellum,

How come I'm not allowed to have an opinion about payments? I have my opinion whether I'm in North America or Asia.

If you are in your SECOND year as a teacher in South Korea and have banked a whole year's worth of salary, why does it matter if you are paid on time?

Oh yes, 100's of you will say "It's the principle". Okay fine... your principles cause you stress and my principles don't because I say "Well I don't require the money to live off this moment, so just get me the money when it comes".

I agree that in some societies that attitude is weak, but I think we all know that Korean markets are not as ethical and legally monitored as in other places. Hence, I go to Korea knowing that things aren't going to run the same, and all I care is that I can get the money in the bank at some point.

That's a big part of my coming to Korea, and I don't see why it's not valid. I already budget that I could get my severance pay ripped off. I'm serious, when I plan my annual savings I usually don't include severance. If I get it, I will be THRILLED.

If I get my payment for 12 months of the year, then I will be HAPPY. If it comes a week or 2 late each month, I will know things could be better, but I'll ONLY care if I get the money eventually.

I don't think I should have to be in Korea to have that opinion.

Besides,

BELLUM,

Don't worry, I'm the pre-newbie who will come to Korea and most likely do everything wrong right? And you think I'll be pulling a runner within a couple weeks and never to be seen on these message boards again because I'll be embarassed.

Well don't worry, if things go wrong with me, I'll be posting honestly about the situations for others to hear about so they won't make the same errors. I don't care if people laugh at me. It's my life. I pay my bills, I live with the mistakes, so in the end I'm responsible for me.

I look forward to the challenge of coming to South Korea and I hope that a lot of what I learned from this forum will be very helpful. Because of that, I offer my opinions to others and if they like them, they do, and if not, they don't.

I love that I'm the new breed though.



"Pre-newbie". It has such a ring to it. I wonder if I can change my name from KoreanAmbition to Pre-Newbie just to sport this new nickname I've been granted.

[bellum99]

I hope you do. It suits you well.

[rumdiary]

Don't people contact foriegn teachers at the schools they apply to? I always get the email of a foriegn teacher at the school and ask lots of questions: Have you ever been paid late. Does your employer fix things in the apartment when they break. Are you ever forced to work overtime etc. I also wouldn't take a job at a school that hadn't been around a few years and employed less than 5 foriegn teachers.

If you're careful about the school you work for getting paid isn't a problem.

[The_Conservative]

[agoodmouse]

Today I asked why my severance and flight ticket monies hadn't been deposited in my last paycheck. (I've renewed my contract at my public school). The accountant said she didn't fill out the extra paperwork for those pay items, but that she could pay me immediately as an emergency measure or I could wait until March 3 or 4. However, she was just going to wait, let the terms in contract be broken, and not tell me. I had to ask why.

Perhaps, I thought, those two items hadn't been deposited in my final paycheck because my first contract technically ends tomorrow. But, no, she said she hadn't considered that, and was instead going to pay me March 3 or 4.

I thought about how I should treat myself. Everything is in my contract, I've lived up to my contract, and the school should live up to paying me severance and flight ticket monies on the last day of my contract as written. I requested it be done immediately. It's her fault she didn't fill out the paperwork. That's a problem she created, I didn't. I asked her nicely to pay me immediately. You need to treat yourself fairly, and others must as well do so, especially when it comes to compensation, at all times; yes, I'm referring to principle. If you don't, either you're an idiot or your father is an idiot for not teaching you this. Or both.

You never know people until you start dealing with money.