Korean Job Discussion Forums

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

I just came in to work this morning to find out we now have to start punching a time clock when we come in, and again when we leave. They said it is a law in Korea that we must do this. WHAT?????????? Is this some new law I don't know about? Who else is doing this? I have never hasd to do this in my previous years of teaching here. I feel like I have a minumum wage crap job now. Rolling Eyes

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

Knowing this place, that has always been a law, and your employer is only just now getting around to implementing it. I had to do that in Thailand, only I simply swiped my ID card through a reader. At that school, my students had to carry their IDs to class and even show them when taking exams.

This really sounds like just an attempt by your school to reduce labor costs. Keep your nose clean and you'll be fine. Clock out a minute early and expect an hour's dock.

waynehead · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Location: Jongno

At my first hagwon they sprung this on us 6 months in. It was b/c they were afraid we were running home early when we didn't have classes. We were.

Toon Army · Joined: 12 Mar 2007

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

I just have an attendance book in PS. Hagwon used to work on a trust system/hawkeyed secretary system.

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

Since I'm the only whitey at my current job, it'd be hard for me to not be there without someone noticing.

My last hagwon had several whiteys and we had a clock. Kind of pointless since we're salaried and they'd notice if we weren't in front of the class.

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject:

Welcome back to the days (years) of being an employee of a company full of intimidation. Time clocks and micromanaging only result in more yucky office politics. That's how retail, factory, and restaurant work always was at home. Yuck!

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

elavndrc · Joined: 15 Oct 2008 Location: Korea

Minimum wage crap job? All public school teachers in the US have a time sheet...as do most employees. Either a time sheet or an electronic card.

bobranger · Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Location: masan

Have fun with it.Stamp it in all the wrong places and at random times. When they try to explain it to you just look at them with a dumb "I don't know face." They will get the idea.

thatwhitegirl · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Location: ROK

oskinny1 · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Location: Right behind you!

red_devil · Joined: 30 Jun 2008 Location: Korea

Yep, my Hagwon just started to do this too. I think it's more because they want to know what time you come in versus some labor law.

the ireland · Joined: 11 May 2008 Location: korea

we had a book to sign in at my hagwon, although i think it was to embarress the younger korean teachers into coming in earlier cos the other teachers were coming in at 11 o clock even though they were supposed to be there till 1:30....we just kept coming in at 1:30, do a few mins lesson plane and walk back down the town to get some lunch before coming back to teach the three o clock classes, we didn't have to sign out, whenever we had no class we could just go.....

dont worry bout it, it's prob not aimed at the foreign teachers, cos we don't care about how they view us, leave that to the locals to worry about!!

jadarite · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:02 am Post subject:

At my last school (hagwon), we had to report the average hours we worked each week. Since we are paid monthly, I thought that was strange. So, I didn't write anything down pertaining to weekly work hours.

What I think is a sticky area is time you take off. Where does that time fall? I didn't miss any classes, but if you did miss a class you agreed to teach, then I guess those would have to be reported.

I like the idea of cards for students. Assuming they actually bring them to class, it would make attendance go a lot quicker.