Korean Job Discussion Forums

[timetotravel]

okay...so i am at a middle school and its my second year here.....

we all have 15 sick days and last year i used some and it wasnt much of an issue.....i have missed a few days of work due to being sick and on coming back the english teachers ganged up on me and one did their talking for them.....i am sick too much, the students are angry, they have to apologize on my behalf, i should make the rounds and apologize to students....

i understand that koreans come in to work when they are sick and wheezing and when i think they should be at home.....i understand they think i should follow the korean way while in korea....

BUT

we have sick days. we have them for a reason. should i be feeling guilty and like the worst teacher in the world for missing some time due to truly being sick??

anyone deal with crap about sick days at their schools?
i just feel so miserable right now....

[prideofidaho]

Do not feel guilty.

The fact that they are expected to come in when they're sick has nothing to do with you....just ignore the guilt trip. You've got 15 days...use 'em if you like.

[pkang0202]

Tell them Korean food gives you diarrhea and the bad air gives you asthma.

Also, ask them why they don't take sick days? IF they say "Its a Korean thing" then kindly remind them that the "Western" countries have sick days, and they rank at the top of worker productivity, and Koreans rank near the bottom.

[espoir]

No worries they did the same thing to me when I used up one of my sick days. I lost my voice and couldnt speak at all, barely even in hushed tones. Furthermroe my classes are mainly conversational classes and so it would have been impossible for me to teach as I couldnt even speak. I came in the next work day and my handler confronted me about it, but I explained that as she had seen for the past week I was very sick and the last day I couldnt even speak so it was impossible for me to teach.

I sympathise with the other teachers because unlike back home there arent a whole bunch of supply teachers avaliable to pick up your class on very short notice. So for that day all the other teacehrs had to pick up my workload. So I understand their consternation, but at the same time i dont feel bad ebcause hell I was sick and I will use those sick days whenver I feel it necessary.

[Xuanzang]

We`re not worker drones like they are

[jdog2050]

[prideofidaho]

[ChinaBoy]

When you are sick, it's more work for everyone else. That's not going to make you popular with anyone, regardless of the apparent severity of your illness.

[jdog2050]

[bundangbabo]

I was in a bad way last week - I came in to show them my illness and asked my co-teacher to take me to a doctor - when the principal and VP saw my symptoms they both insisted I went to hospital where the doctor gave me a sicknote for a week.

VP came round with some cakes and those fruit drinks the next day with my co-teacher. I came back to work yesterday and everyone has been very kind and asked about my health.

It may be the best way to go in and ask your co-teacher to take you to a doctor - then when the doc gives you your sicknote there is no getting around it.

[justaguy]

I have seen Koreans drag themselves into work in pretty rough shape. Perhaps they expect you to do the same.

When the Koreans say you have 15 sick days, do they really mean hospitalization days?

[gogirlgo]

I have 6 sick days and I used one a couple weeks ago due to a migraine. When I called that morning the office lady was extremely rude and said I wouldn't get paid for that day. I'm breaking my contract and leaving at the end of this month, so I won't get all my sick days.

When I asked my boss about it the next day, she said that "common sense" dictates that I shouldn't get all my sick days. Never mind that my contract doesn't say anything about prorated sick days

What's bad is that I have a terrible cold right now. I feel miserable and somehow drug myself in this morning. Even the Dayquil I took this morning didn't help. I think I'm going to have to go home and possibly miss tomorrow too.

I respect this place and have been a good worker since quitting, but man, if it's between getting healthy and getting paid, I'll take health.

[jdog2050]

[earthbound14]

I used to work sick when I first got here. I felt sorry for the school because they didn't have any subs. In the end it didn't really pay off for anyone. I often spent more time being sick and in some cases got so bad I couldn't talk or needed to take time off anyway to go see a doctor. When I was sick I just sat in the class with my head on the desk while my students did work sheets and the school got to tell the parents that their highly prized English clown was performing that day. That's all the school really cares about and the other staff at your school are unfortunately bleeting sheep. Hagwons are also too cheap to actually pay for subs, infact they often make other teachers cover your classes without paying them extra. Many schools will dock your pay if you go over your sick days while never giving the teachers who do your work the money...another reason why your co-workers are upset. When you are sick they do their own jobs and yours.

Koreans are unfortunately bloody fools when it comes to this. if you are sick, you're sick....nothing you can do about it. It makes more sense to recover and get back at er than it does to drag it out and do a piss poor job.

[Whitey Otez]

The real issue I have with sick days is that after a year of never missing so much as a class, when contract renegotiation time comes up, the PTB play off your perfect attendance like it's not that big of a deal. So you're a jerk for ditching work for a day, and since it's no big deal, you're an idiot for not taking the odd sick day.