Korean Job Discussion Forums

espoir · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Incheon, South Korea

Okay I'm comming on here for a little bit of help and advice.

Yesturday my handler/KET came up to me and told me that I would have to create 200 new worksheets by the end of the month. This is all for the new curriculum and they should be tailored to our students english level ability (which is rather low). Apparently its run through and by the Incheon metropolitan education office. Furthermore as compensation they will pay me 200,000won.

Now is it just me or is this completely insane!!! First off they initially told me last friday about this project, but said it was only 100 worksheet pages and it would be my winter break project. Now its double that amount and its due not in 3 months but 1 month. Additionally, I have 3 weeks of classes left to teach so I wont have a completely free month to work on this project.

More than anything what really gets me is the compensation. I mean 200,000won for 200 pages, equals 1000won per page. It will take me approx 40min to write up a new and comprehensive themed worksheet that would be appropriate to my students level. Yes I could just search the net and download all my worksheets, but many would not be suitable for my students (its a technical high school so their english blows)

So my question is what should I do? I'm confronting my handler today about the issue and thinking of giving her two options.

Option 1: Raise the amount to 2million won.
Option 2: Refuse to do it, because I dont want to hand in substandard work and 200,000won does not nearly cover the 100+ after-school hours this would properly take.

P.S. talked to another KET here I'm friends with and she said she's done this before, but with 3 other people and they each got paid 5million won

nate2008 · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Location: Daegu

I'm no expert, but since they are paying you doesn't that mean it should be considered extra work outside of the normal contract obligations? That means it's completely optional. I would tell them to either raise the compensation to something significantly less laughable or they can shove their 200 worksheets up their ass.

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

I didn't know projects were part of our job description?

TheChickenLover · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: The Chicken Coop

No KT would do this amount of work for 200,000 won. The amount in itself is an insult & NOT your responsibility. I would politely but firmly tell them that you are not able to do that many sheets in the alloted time and they need to find another person who's position is dedicated to this type of work.

They WILL find someoneelse to do it. This is NOT your job. They are merely delegating this work to you & hoping you take the bait.

DON'T do it.

Chicken

JJJ · Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Location: Seoul

Ah, just use google, find some sites, copy and paste on MSWord, change the font, remove any www. site names, throw your name on it and print it out. Should take a couple long days. No worries.

They loved the 100 page summer camp book I made. And they didn't pay me anything. Good luck.

espoir · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Incheon, South Korea

Thank you all very much. I was just unsure as to exactly what I should do and if anyone has been in a similar situation. And now I have my fears about this entire situation verified.

I figured since they were compensating me this definately went outside of my contract. I've done other things before for compensation, such as judging the Incheon english speech competition and that netted me 100,000won. It also involved no work at all, got me an afternoon off of school and lasted only 2 hours. So thats what first raised my suspicions about this project.

Now I will have to just calmly and proactively tell my handler that the current arrangement is unacceptable, which should be an interesting conversation. Also good to know that I wont be violating my contract by refusing the work, that was my other main fear.

Again thank you for the advice, will update with the resolution this afternoon Smile

branchsnapper · Joined: 21 Feb 2008

They would have loved 1000 pages more JJJ. I'm all for being a bit flexible, but you have to stand up for yourself if they ask unreasonable things.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

http://bogglesworldesl.com/.

http://:iteslj.org/t/tmm/.

You are allowed to photocopy this material. I'm not sure of the legal ramifications of submitting to a school who will use it in a book.

I_Am_The_Kiwi · Joined: 10 Jun 2008

first 26 pages equal one letter and word that starts with that letter.

C = Cat. End.

they pay BS and give stupid time frames then they get BS.

Youre being taken for a ride mate.

200 pages in a month for 1k each.....thats a bit of a clue

Underwaterbob · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito

If it's your vacation busy work project don't worry about it. They've had me do a couple similar things (though nowhere near the scale of two hundred worksheets). Likely no one will ever look at whatever you hand in, if you even hand it in at all. After one vacation, out of curiosity I decided not to mention the report they had told me I would have to hand in, and no one asked for it or even mentioned it.

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

Anymore updates about this?

Ramen · Joined: 15 Apr 2008

Just don't do it.

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

The entire project seems to be ridiculous, but Easter C saves the day again (twice in one day!)

Whenever your handler mentions a number, have them write it down. Numbers are easily confused and when they say "200,000" they may actually mean "2 million". Always goo do check on these things. I would do it for 2 mil if I had to be sitting in an empty school anyway.

espoir · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Incheon, South Korea

As of 2pm this afternoon I have not heard back from my handler about it. I gave her two choices either I get the full three months to do this and it is my only project over the entire winter break (meaning I dont teach any winter camps) or 2million won. She has to contact the Incheon municiple office to see what they say. It was contracted out to me through them, so they have the final say in all matters. Either way I'm not about to start it until I hear back from her.

I thought about the whole misunderstanding of 200,000 vs 2million thing and made sure to mention that to her, to make sure there was no misunderstanding and she confirmed the initial offer was only 200k. Also made sure to confirm the due date and the number of worksheets required.

And thank you very much for the link Easter!!!!!! that will definately make things easier, I will still have to modify the worksheets, as I hate strictly taking someone elses work. Especially since this will be for a publish booklet by the municiple office, so I dont want to run into any copywrite issues. But if they keep to their stance of 1 month, 200 worksheets and 200k compensation, then 45min searching that website should net me all the worksheets I will use and forget about modifying them.