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philinkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:11 pm Post subject: leaving, owed 4 million won. whats best to do? |
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| well having been told i would be paid my last pay and severence on december 15th i went to phillipines to come back to no cash. i think the school is in a bad financial state but theyre writing me a memorandum to say i'll get it at the start of next year when they can supposedly borrow some money. i went to the labour board before leaving for phillipines and they said you can only go there 14 days after when they were meant to pay you so couldnt do anything then. so my plan is to just go there tomorrow then go back to england with no cash. i dont see what else i can do. actually another teacher at the school has also not been given her salary this month due to the same reason. an older korean teacher i've always got on well with said it is confirmed that i can get this next year when they borrow this money. i've tried to totally keep a cool temper and reckon i've done everything i can but it doesnt seem like i can do anymore other than just pay a visit to the labour board then go home. i am actually intending to come back to korea so that could work in my favour also. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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phil,
Have you been in touch with efl-law yet?
Are you leaving korea for good?
It seems like an aweful lot of money to be leaving here. Perhaps look into having someone who can act on your behalf while your out of korea.
clg |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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The fact is, times are hard and many hagwons lterally don't have the cash... not much good to you as they should've told you, let you go and find a new job ages back.. but thats not the way they work here. Korean workers are expected to show their loyal devotion to the firm by working without pay for a time- but foreigners usually are the first to be paid..
Stick with the advice of the labor board, they're your only trump card in this situation.
For what its worth you have a fair chance of them coming up with the cash, once they borrow it.
Incredibly annoying though isn't it.. but hey, thats korea.. i wonder how many hagwons are running on empty right now- or just borrowing more, more and more until things get better... foolhardy. |
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shawner88
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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Man that's a tough rap.
I'm really looking forward to my last check, always worry about not getting it, I'm planning on telling my boss I'd like to stay on another year (he has a really hard time getting a teacher out here in the country), just to make sure I get all my bonuses. In other words, I'll tell him I'll stay just as long as he pays my severance as agreed. The only downside with this is he may stall seeing as I'm staying. It's a gamble either way. |
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Austin
Joined: 23 May 2003
Location: In the kitchen
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 11:08 pm Post subject: Advocate... |
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If you need an advocate to act in your best interests give Merrilee a PM.
As a heads-up to others that have not figured it out yet, if your classes are getting smaller and smaller, your students are leaving, etc. you best improve the way you are teaching to attract and retain your students or give notice to resign.
Simply hanging on might not be enough to do it.
Austin |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 11:59 pm Post subject: Re: Advocate... |
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| Austin wrote: |
As a heads-up to others that have not figured it out yet, if your classes are getting smaller and smaller, your students are leaving, etc. you best improve the way you are teaching to attract and retain your students or give notice to resign.
Simply hanging on might not be enough to do it.
Austin |
Austin, Austin, Austin. Haven't you figured it out yet? Sometimes (I know it may be hard for you to believe this) it is NOT the teacher's fault. If your hakwon is charging 100,000 won a head per month and Lee's hakwon just down the street is charging 80,000 won a head per month, you are going to lose students whether or not you are a good teacher.
Think about it. |
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Austin
Joined: 23 May 2003
Location: In the kitchen
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 12:08 am Post subject: Did not... |
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Urban,
I did not state whether it was or was not the teacher's fault. I was merely pointing out the obvious (the one thing that we do have control over, ourselves)!
Everything around us can change, but recognizing what we can positively impact is important. We can always improve our teaching to better retain and attract students, regardless of what some school down the street is doing!
If it were your business, you had a vested interest in it, and you knew things were going south, can you honestly state that you would not do your best to improve the situation?
In my view, that is part of the problem. People fail to recognize what is happening around them (too self-absorbed).
Austin |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 1:25 am Post subject: Re: Did not... |
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| Austin wrote: |
Urban,
IEverything around us can change, but recognizing what we can positively impact is important. We can always improve our teaching to better retain and attract students, regardless of what some school down the street is doing!
Austin |
Most mothers send their children to hakwons Austin. It is not our teaching which attracts students, it is how much the hakwon owner will bend over backwards to please the parents. Do you honestly believe that given a choice between going to a hakwon or playing video games that a child would choose a hakwon? The parents choose the hakwon...and the price is a major consideration especially with the ecomony the way it is now. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 1:31 am Post subject: |
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Austin: I respect your positive attitude, which is ,perhaps, carried to extreme. Alas i don't think it will win you many friends here or anywhere: Nobody loves a do gooder.
I'm discovering this rapidly: be polite and nice to the koreans, and the waegooks at your school will see you as a suckass. its a wierd world. I'm not sure if koreans are prepared to accept and reciprocate the hard work, genuine goodwill of a foreigner anyway...You're better off just remaining in your standard waegook pigeonhole and fighting all the way...
Know what I mean?
I've been reading a bit of E.M Forster lately..its all in there: trying to be good in this world, or genuinely connect with other people, will do you a lot more harm than good... |
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IconsFanatic
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 1:48 am Post subject: |
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| If you can, extend your visa. Stay until you're paid. Seek legal help. |
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 5:25 am Post subject: |
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Urban,
What's your beef with Austin. He's simply posting a point of view. Just disagree with it if you don't like it. Don't treat him like doesn't know anything.
I happen to agree with Austin. If your school is not retaining students, it's a bad sign. If there are less students, then that means less to go around. Simple enough.
Anyway, teachers usually will be owed their monthly salary and bonus the last month of their contract.
There should be a way to write in the contract where the hakwon pays in installments the severance pay over the last 3 months, therefore reducing the burden in paying at one time.
This would be a way to help out both parties. What you guys think?
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Lost Seoul
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 9:01 am Post subject: |
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Some legal alternatives to the Labor board and EFL law should they be unable to help you:
Archdiocese of Seoul Foreign Workers' Labor Counselling Office: Tel: 02-779-2049 Tel: 02-319-9650 Fax: 02-773-2627 3F, Jeo-Dong, 1 Ga 27-2, Jung-Gu, Seoul 100-031 Sunday - Friday 1pm - 6pm Seoul Bar
Association Foreign Worker's Law Office: Tel: 02-3476-8080 (extension 5) Near Socho Station (Green line, #2) Exit 7 http://www.seoulbar.or.kr/ Mondays and Thursdays only
EMMAUS Migrant Worker's Counselling Office 100 Hwaso-Dong, Changan Gu, Suwon City Tel: 031-257-8501 Tel: 031-257-8535 [email protected]
Foreign Worker's Legal Clinic: Tel: 02-508-1745 Fax: 02-565-2839 Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm
Foreign Workers Council: 02-928-2049 or 02-924-2706
The Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, near Namyong Station (line 1) has an office specifically to assist foreigners with work related matters.
Labor Standards Division: 02-503-9742
International Labor Policy Division: 02-504-7338 (Any questions, not enforcement can be handled in English)
Ministry of Justice: 02-720-2424
Foreign Immigration Bureau: 02-503-7096 or 02-503-7097 English version: http://www.moj.go.kr/mojeng/index.php
Telephone Directory Assistance in English: 080-211-0114 |
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Austin
Joined: 23 May 2003
Location: In the kitchen
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 5:58 pm Post subject: Different perspective... |
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| Most mothers send their children to hakwons Austin. It is not our teaching which attracts students, it is how much the hakwon owner will bend over backwards to please the parents. Do you honestly believe that given a choice between going to a hakwon or playing video games that a child would choose a hakwon? The parents choose the hakwon...and the price is a major consideration especially with the ecomony the way it is now. |
Sorry, but I disagree with you on the above. I know mothers that have taken their kids out of one institute, because their children did not like the "new" foreign teacher and placed them in a different institute that their friend suggested. Furthermore, though their may be some kids that do not want to go to academy, I would argue that it is far from the norm. If you give these kids what they need, they really look forward to the time they get to spend with you.
Since 1995, I have worked with many Korean women that were mothers, and I have had similar discussions with many of them. The first thing that many of them will tell you is that if their children are not interested or satisfied with an institute, they will move them. Costs are too similar to ever be a deciding factor. However, popularity of one school over others is very easy to measure and makes or breaks a school in any given community!
The fact that so many fail to recognize how they impact their schools reputation can create many problems for them.
Why do you think "the boss" comes down on his staff to make their classes more interesting and engaging?
Parents pay premiums for their children's education. They are not "budget" buying institutes!
Austin
Last edited by Austin on Tue Dec 16, 2003 6:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mankind
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| The first thing that many of them will tell you is that if their children are not interested or satisfied with an institute, they will move them. Costs are too similar to ever be a deciding factor. |
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| Parents pay premiums for their children's education. |
Exactly. My wife gets paid over 40,000 an hour to teach the kid of the local dokboki lady. She ain't rich but pays what she needs to for her childrens education. Enrollment not money is usually the factor at hogwons.
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Juggertha
Joined: 27 May 2003
Location: Anyang, Korea
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 3:42 am Post subject: Re: Did not... |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Most mothers send their children to hakwons Austin. It is not our teaching which attracts students, it is how much the hakwon owner will bend over backwards to please the parents. Do you honestly believe that given a choice between going to a hakwon or playing video games that a child would choose a hakwon? The parents choose the hakwon...and the price is a major consideration especially with the ecomony the way it is now. |
can't dissagree more man. I must say Student have been "sent" specifically because of my teaching. I think that a good effort goes a long way.
good on ya Austin. |
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