Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

See,
I have had my pay late by a day or two and won't sweat it, the occasion where I was late the boss got a korean teacher to take me aside and ask me if it was cool to be paid in part on time or in full later.

Anything over a week and I would be like, I have student loan repayment I've gotta meet when is pay day.

I think it depends on your boss I know my one hates confrontation so I try to get things done with a smiling face. In general it seems to work as I am still employed by her.

CLG

[howie2424]

This happened to me shortly after I arrived here and I was very direct about it. I was paid immediately upon making the demand however the slightly miffed director told me that Korean people would have been willing to wait longer than one day before asking about it.

I decided to test that theory by asking a Korean friend who owns his own business what he thought his employees would do if he forgot to pay them on time. He said it actually happened to him once years ago, he forgot, and the following day all 5 of his rather pissed empoyees asked him why they hadn't been paid. He tells me that Koreans are no more tolerant of this behaviour than North American people, so I'd approach the issue directly and ask in a polite, non-confrontational manner, when you're gettin' your green.

[shawner88]

[canuckistan]

If we were as slack-o about our work habits as our hagwon is about paying us on time, we would have been fired a long time ago.

[Son Deureo!]

[coolsage]

You've earned your pay, and it's not there? Take a stand; no pay, no work. Stay home and watch Oprah. You'll be surprised just how quickly the boss shows up at your door with the envelope full of 'green money'. Remember, he needs you more than you need him.

[batman]

When I was working at KC Hell Dog Campus, my pay was late every month. Sometimes by a day, but usually it was more like a month. Every time I asked for it, the standard response was "Do you want to be fired? Do you not like working here?". It got to the point that I started dreading payday. "Oh god (choice of deity is open), it's payday. Time for the monthly pi$$ing contest with the boss." It took them five months to finally pay me on time. Ba$tards.
My current boss is not too bad.
He generally pays 75% on payday and the rest two weeks later.
All I ever do is bank my pay, so waiting two weeks for the rest has never been a problem for me.
It did bother one of my former co-workers who left due to this problem.
Personally I don't care so much if my pay is on time as I do care how the boss behaves.
There is a difference between "Do you mind if I pay you the rest in two weeks? Business is kind of slow." And the mindless and stupid threats that were commonly associated with working at KC Hell Dog Campus.
Attitude is everything.
Personal relationships count for a lot.
And depending on the relationship you have with your boss, I agree with coolsage:
"ake a stand; no pay, no work. Stay home and watch Oprah. You'll be surprised just how quickly the boss shows up at your door with the envelope full of 'green money'."
I did that at KC Hell except, instead of staying home and watching Oprah, I went to immigration and filed a lengthy report. Then I gave them one week's notice and told them I was taking the last week as a vacation.
After that, I was paid every Friday for the previous five days of work.

[Ilsanman]

I would also do the 'no pay, no work' thing. I have been ripped off here.
My boss owed me around 1.7, and I phoned him and asked for it. He gave me a terrible response. 'Why, don't you have any money?' It doesn't matter if I have money, fuckhead. You are obligated to pay me.

I would never have gotten the money if my co worker hadn't threatened to quit. It was a bad situation, because he owned his own recruiting business. He figured if a teacher stood upto him, he'd replace them. He also has a friend at immigration at the airport. If someone fucked with him, he'd get them deported through a few lies.

Never again. Though I don't really like faceless big companies, I will try to work for one in the future. These mom and pop hagwons have too many troubles.

[mysteriousdeltarays]

There isn't much you can do. I went for months and months without getting paid. Often this is just a stunt they pull. I noticed English 21 up there on Englishspectrum today.

The Labor Board won't help unless it is big operation. Incidently the letter of release posted on EFL law is only good for changing schools, it is not a true letter of release. Immigration won't take it. I guess I should post the one I had a lawyer write.

They are only a day late you know, but it could escalate from that. I wouldn't make a scene. Well I would, but I'm a notorious idiot.

They'll probably come up with the money but watch for signs of insolvency. Not enough students etc. They will blame you for this. Not cute enough etc.

[shawner88]

I wonder if sometimes they're supsicious you're planning to quit on pay day and intentionally wait a few days to pay you.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[batman]

Urbanmyth, to answer your question, I stayed as long as I did because I signed a contract and I prefer to keep my word. I also stayed because I loved my students. Inside the classroom, and away from the b.s. that was constantly being shovelled by the director and his daughter, it was the best job one could imagine.
Money is not the most important thing in the world.
If it was, I would never have chosen to teach in Korea.
If I had been desperate for the coin then my feelings would have been different.
But, even then, I am not the type of person to run away at the first sign of a problem.

[shawner88]

I have to go with Urban on this one. Putting up with that kind of B.S. only sets up the next guy to have to put up with it. If you let him take advantage of you like that for a year, how can the next teacher who may need the money on time expect to get it? It's bad enough having to wait a full month for your pay, but then another month after that? What is that? That's not a minor thing. And if it didn't bother you all that much, you made it sound like it really did in your first post. Your boss also signed a contract but he wasn't keeping his word. Do you think he admires that you so nobly kept your word? I doubt it. I bet he just thought of you as another stupid foreigner that was easy to take advantage of.

[batman]

"If you let him take advantage of you like that for a year" - I didn't let him take advantage of me. Especially not for a year as I only worked there for six months and the last month was on a conditional basis only.
" It's bad enough having to wait a full month for your pay" - I never waited a month for my pay. Pay was late a day or two, in general, and one week at the most.
" Do you think he admires that despite that you kept you so nobly kept your word" - Do you think I care what he thinks of me. I am more concerned with how I feel about myself. I don't run crying in to the night at the first sign of a problem. I try to work it out. As I did in that case.
There were more serious problems with that hogwan (see my previous thread on avoiding K.C. Hell Dog campus). When all attempts at discussion failed, then I went to immigration and had the place busted.
If you agree with my approach, fine.
If not, tough.
I guess I would have garnered more respect by doing a mid-night move after my first payday was late.

[ophion]

You must be firm about being paid on time. I do the "no payie, no workie" bit; I actually say it that way, too, as if the boss were a child who needed help understanding the concept.