Korean Job Discussion Forums

[email protected] · Joined: 25 Feb 2008

Right, my brother is visiting Korea in July and while he is here we planned to go to Japan for a few days. Not unreasonably, (I thought, seeing as I am entitled to 14 days holiday outside of public ones as per my contract) I asked for a meagre 5 days off. My boss got P.O'd with me, and made me feel like a spare pr.ick for even asking. It's a fairly new hagwon with not a whole lot of teachers (which I can appreciate), but I offered to rearrange the classes for the previous and following week to the 5 holiday days, but no dice. He seemed geniunly offended that I should even ask. Perhaps more amusingly, he was curious to why I would want to visit Japan in the first place, and told me i should be taking my holidays in Korea!

Does this look like im not going to get the holiday days as stipulated in my contract? and if so am I going to be reimbursed for the days I effectively didnt have to work at the end of my contract?

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

[email protected] · Joined: 25 Feb 2008

Im only here three months. I'd agree with you, only that actually I quite enjoy the work, and the hagwon as far as I can see Isn't all that bad. I do feel like a bit of a serf after that exchange with him though.

poet13 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:04 pm Post subject:

Three months in and you already want to take a business week off? I'd say no too.

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

poet13 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject:

That's true xCustomx, but I will assume holidays don't include saturdays, sundays, or red days. Also the OP says, "but I offered to rearrange the classes for the previous and following week to the 5 holiday days,". It sounds like he wants to take the week in the middle... and yes, July would make it 6 months.... Embarassed

Binch Lover · Joined: 25 Jul 2005

poet13 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:56 pm Post subject:

As I said in the previous post..." and yes, July would make it 6 months.... Embarassed

"

ED209 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006

You need to stress how important these vacation days are to you. That you wouldn't have signed a contract that didn't offer them. Many hagwons won't give you the time off when you want it (or even give you consecutive days off).

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

You shouldn't have asked, just tell him. He wont say "no" it destroys face value.....he will say "maybe"...then say ok, later down the road...

JJJ · Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Location: Seoul

I made that mistake once in asking and I was only asking for a couple of days and it was 3 months in advance. They made me feel like crap even though I arranged it when the kids were on exams. Anywho, I learned not to say anything and call in sick. Or just say to hell with it; what's 100 bucks a day for your happiness and take unpaid days off. That's what I ended up doing.

Good luck.

Gamecock · Joined: 26 Nov 2003

Tell him you've had some time to think about what he said, and he is right, you should show your brother all around Korea. It will be a great experience for the both of you to learn about the culture. So if he would be so kind as to arrange the week off so your brother could learn more about this great country, you'd really appreciate it!

Then go to Japan with your brother.

poet13 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

I bet he will suggest the brother come in to the hakwon as a "guest" for a few classes.....

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

I can understand you are enjoying your job as many Korean kids are great to enjoy, but that comes with all of the jobs pretty much. You have a right to your holidays. He should at least give you 3 days off around then. He isn't willing to honor the contract obviously.

Cerriowen · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Location: Pocheon

It could be the timing too...

Usually Hakwon's have two weeks already picked out for your vacation... one in July, on in December. That's when the entire school is closed. So, if the time is different than what he expected, it would cause the school difficulties. They'd have to hire a replacement teacher for that week. It's not that he's not trying to honor the contract, he wants to honor it *his* way, not yours.