Korean Job Discussion Forums

[atomjuice2]

These letters are the contents I sent to the 'recruiting agency' that placed me in this school. I'm just about at the end of my rope with both the agency and the last 2 schools that got paid 1.5 m won to place me in. here is my current situation. Any advice ( contructive ) would be appreciated.

This is A..... I was sick for about 3 days...stayed in bed one day due to the illness. They still showed up at my apartment ( two teachers ) asking if I was 'really sick'...it was very embarrassing because one was a female teacher�and I was just in my underwear.. having got up from bed to see who was at the door.

Secondly, nobody has even looked at my washing machine yet...I had to wash my clothes by hand yesterday.
Also, having agreed to teach on Saturdays ( in exchange for Wednesdays )...they have yet to provide me with a schedule for Saturday. This past Saturday, I went home at the 'end' of my classes ( 5:40pm ), only to have someone from the school come over to my apartment 30 minutes later to say I had another class to teach. I told them it was not on the paper they gave me when I went in. They insisted. I got dressed again ( was in bed ), went back to the school ( in unclean clothes...my washing machine...remember? ) and said 'no problem, I'll teach another class. I waited 2 hours, then they told me the students were 'too tired' and the class was canceled! I just went home again.
It is now the 23rd of June...after paying everything...new clothes, hair color, Japan trip, all my own moving expenses...and having been working since may 31st. ( actually I worked a few days before that because your boss Thomas asked me to as a 'favor' for the school ) I now have no money left at all. I've been eating nothing but 'noodles' for the past 3 days. The small amount the school very reluctantly gave me ( as an 'advance' of course ) was used as sparingly as anyone could have done. My room is now getting up to 28 C and the school has not offered to even buy me a fan..or air conditioning unit...if I do get one, it will undoubtedly be another 'deduction' from a small salary on the 10th of June. I've just realized I've essentially 'paid' this school to hire me! They have paid for nothing, except for a mattress on the floor ( no actual bed ) and a few spoons and pots to cook with. Other than these substandard things, I've had to pay for everything. Now I have no funds remaining. if they do give me some funds today, they will deduct more from 'the salary' which is not really a salary at all..since I had to pay for everything to work here...everything.

This situation cannot continue. They need to either pay me today ( the remainder of the 'salary')...or provide enough for me to live on. I cannot, and will not continue living like this. This school took advantage of me because they knew I had no CBC check from Canada when I started, and no time to look for another school...so they used those circumstances to make me live almost 2 weeks on someone's floor...pay for a visa run to Japan ( which I have never paid for before in Korea ), buy new clothes to suit their 'dress code', live without a working washing machine, and live with no fan or airc onditioning. Well, now that I have my visa to look for a decent job, with a decent salary, and time to get the CBC from Canada, they need to take some responsibility, or I will simply leave for a better position asap. I've had many offers to teach for 2.4 to as much as 2.7m won, not the starting salary of 2.2 which they are using to make me pay for everything. I will give them a few days to show some good intentions, then I'm accepting another position. This is simply not worth the bother. Many of the teachers are kind and I have no complaints about them at all. There are many school in Korea now that cannot get any foreign teachers...and would be more than happy to get one. I will be accepting one of these positions this week if things do not change dramatically. I have nothing to lose, do I?
�
Also, after a week or two of being here, I am now required to phone call 50 students a week and talk English with them...after all my teaching classes are done! These people have more nerve than a toothache. This was never mentioned when they hired me at all. It takes almost 2 hours after classes to get this done.
In addition to the things already mentioned, it would be nice to have something to put my clothes in. There are no drawers here ( same as the last school you guys placed me in )...so my clothes are just in suitcases sitting around the small room I'm trying to live in. meanwhile, the Korea teacher I lived with ( on the floor ) had a three bedroom apartment with all the luxuries. I'd be happy with just basic living items that people enjoy even in third-world countries.

atomjuice2

[cruisemonkey]

[spliff]

The OP is probably working illegally.

[bassexpander]

What's up with the washing machine? Where abouts do you live?

[T-dot]

I doubt anybody thats been as long as you have; would willingly sign bad contracts.

Good luck, I doubt this will be your last bad contract.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[it's full of stars]

Stud, get 2 months salary out of them and piss off to Vietnam. Next time don't be a walk over. Did you pay the recruiter to find you a job?

[Young FRANKenstein]

[cruisemonkey]

[merkurix]

O.P. you are going to need to draw the line. In this country, you have to give a little and push a little. I really sympathize with your situation, but it seems to me like you have yet to adamantly say 'no' to any ridiculous task they have put you to so far. They are gonna walk all over you if you let them. You don't have to be an overwhelming raging asshole (i.e. 100% push). But you can't be a doormat either (100% give). You need to say 'no' too; just like they have been easily saying 'no' to you for every reasonable request you have asked (with the exception of the pay advance). Put your foot down and be a bit of raging asshole if necessary. This really needs to stop.

Is this a hagwon you are working for? If it is it doesn't surprise me.

If it is a public school, it sounds like you are probably the first native speaker they've ever had and they are trying to pocket as much of the 'wanamin' budget money allocated for you (the district gives each school a ''native speaker budget'' which is used for all of the costs to keep you here: visa run, apartment rent, salary, overtime pay, furniture, etc.)

Blow up on them.

[atomjuice2]

thanks for all the input guy/girls. I will try to make some things more clear for you all. yes, I went to Japan...for an extension of the 'tourist' visa...why? I did not have the money to return to N. America. Also, the tourist visa would allow time to receive my CBC...my old visa had been exhausted by the last 'dilly' of a school this 'agency' placed me in ( I must have asked them 20 times to send me to get the paperwork in legal order ).
I did not pay for the recruiting fees..they made 3m won off the last two schools that obviously could not hold on to their teachers. At least I did not lose money there.
The washing machine was installed ( an old beat to crap thing ), but never worked.
The 'advance' money they did allow me was used to buy new clothes ( dress code here...they told me I had to get new clothes...no choice there ), as well as color my hair...I had a bit of grey on the sides, food, and pay my own way to Japan.
They never gave me a 'contract'to sign because they don't want immi to know they have me working. I am just waiting for my CBC to complete my documents package for immi...either I wait for that, or they deport me, I haven't got the almost 2 grand it takes to fly home...so,either I teach ( hoping they pay me a salary and then book to Canada asap )...or I hope the CBC comes soon so I can teach above board as it were.
Too tired to continue...hope this helps clarify things. Thanks for reading.

[RedRob]

So, you have been teaching here for a year, yet you don't have a set of #1 good threads or two grand in yr pocket, errrm, tuff luck kiddo. I hate to be mean, but sort yrself out, don't rely on a Korean to do it for you.

[dmbfan]

Posters............it would be nice if one of you actually offerd shelter to the O.P until he/she could get sorted out.


O.P.................read the writing on the wall, OK. Unless you get out of that situation you will continue to get phucked. Borrow money from friends or family........get the heck out of there. Go to your embassy, see what they can do for you (you never know until you try).

If I were in kroea, I'd be in a position to help you out........but I'm not.

Best of luck, O.P.

Let his be a lesson for you, in some way....OK?


dmbfan

[atomjuice2]

I got caught at that December time when the CBC...and all the other regs came into effect...I've tried to sort all the paperwork out. However, many of you are hitting the truth...time for me to get back to Canada one way or another. I have learned from all this, but unfortunately, like most lessons, I'll probably never be here to benefit from the things I've learned. Guess I'm getting too old for this gambit...I'm 43...time to let the newbies have their shot at trying to make it work. Some schools are good. I have met some good Koreans too...all is not lost. Thanks again everyone.

[Imrahil]

You are 43 and you got yourself into this kind of situation? What have you been doing with your entire life?