Korean Job Discussion Forums

phoenixstorm · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Okay my schedule at work just changed.

I come in at 3 and prep until my first class at 4:20 and then my last class is at 8:20 and ends at 9:30. in between I get a five minute break, but thats it. at 9:30 i have a half an hour to enter grades into the computer system

I brought this up and was told that it would be impossible to give me a thirty minute break because it would throw off the class and bus schedule for the students.

whats my next move? any thoughts?

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

Does it mention anything about breaks in your employment contract? Who do you work for? Where are you working?

You could say that you shall have your break between 7~8pm and then walk out at that time. Tell them you are only working for 8 hours with an hour break in between. Don't let them tell you, you can't have your break. That is illegal. You will burn out after 3 months with no break.

Contact ATEK and see if they have any advice (don't bet on it they can't seem to communicate between themselves at the moment).

Also contact the Labor Board to find out about advice and they will call your employer to force them to offer an hour break.

Good luck, but your employers only see you as a walking, talking monkey who works when you are asked to work. Remind them you are not that.

phoenixstorm · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Think King Arthur

creesschaef · Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Location: Gyeonggi-do

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

Just laugh at them when they tell you that you have to work after you finish teaching at 9:30?

Like ttompatz said, you have to play hardball. No matter what's in the contract, it's all BS. You teach and go home. That's it. The prep in the beginning? Well I guess that's ok. But you could probably use that time to fk the dog, if you know what I mean.

Demanding places need a demanding kick in the balls. But you can continue working there if you play your cards right.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

OP,

Are there other issues that we are not aware of? (pension, medical, taxes etc.)

garykasparov

phoenixstorm · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

pension, medical, taxes will finally kick in this month with retroactive payments being taken out.

the schedule is basically 3-10:00pm with the first class starting at 4:20 and from then to 10:00 only a five minute break between classes.

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

Cerriowen · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Location: Pocheon

Nooooo! Don't fight it.

Do it for a week.

You go to your boss with a sad or stressed face. Explain how difficult this is for you. "Your feel is so bad." You understand the difficulty of the bus schedule. This is making your life very hard, and gives you lots of stress. The bus schedule is unfortunate. You are feeling very stressed because of the schedule. You understand their situation with the bus. But maybe, if they could maybe have another teacher take over the last 5 minutes and first 5 minutes of a couple of classes that would allow you time to visit the restroom and drink coffee? It must be hard for them to find a solution, and you're sorry to cause difficulty for them. Would they please help you to solve your helpless situation?

This is gonna get you a WAY better response than going to the labor board or throwing a fit.

poet13 · Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject:

Isn't there some kind of labor thing that says if you work hours, you are entitled to 30 or 60 consecutive minutes to do with as you please?

Also. Pension, health and taxes kicking in? Unless you're from a country that has the tax waiver for X time, there is no grace period before "kicking in". Pension and health are paid from day one too.

WayGook · Joined: 15 Feb 2008

Just briefly read you post. I have a similar problem. I have to work 9 hours straight - no breaks, unless you count the ten minute gaps between some classes. Anyway, I do get half an hour of non-teaching time, but this is not a break. They expect me to write reports, prep etc. This is unpaid, since I only get paid for being int eh classroom. Likewise, I turn up 11 and have around 40-60 minutes for prep time. This is unpaid as well.
I don't know what I can do. I did get some concessions, but as soon as got those, they gave me an extra class. Cunningly, they gave me a 20 minute 'break' so they didn't have to pay me overtime.

poet13 · Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 4:04 pm Post subject:

Sounds like you work(ed) for ECC.
If you're not paid, then don't be there. See what happens. If they demand your presence, then they can damn well pay for it.

Zaria32 · Joined: 04 Dec 2007

In the two hogwons I've worked in, the break that some posters think you should demand would, indeed, have been impossible...bus schedules and class schedules are not as easily changed and one might expect. After all, the kids have other hogwons to go to, don't get out of regular school until a certain time, etc.

If I were you, I'd bring a snack...