Korean Job Discussion Forums

viva · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Jeju Island

I've just been told that I am required to work 2 days of the 3 Lunar New Year Holidays. The hogwan's reasoning is that "there are too many holidays in January, and we need to have 21 teaching days, so we will all have to work this holiday as a result".

I am definately planning on taking a stand because I have already booked a flight to Seoul (under the assumption that the 14 National Holidays my contract lists would be honored by my employer.)

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice as to how I should approach this issue with my supervisor. I want to make it clear that I am not coming to work during those National Holidays, however, I'd like to be polite about it and remain in his good books. Any suggestions?

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Show him the tickets. Cry.

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

Bludgeon the living crap out of him, then say "have a nice Solal"

I'm supposed to work on Saturday to make up for the three off days... bleh.

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 12:00 am Post subject:

Well, only you can determine what is "polite" in your situation. I have had the same thing happen 3 times in the time I've been in Korea; a change of holidays, this or that, and I had plans all arranged well in advance. I make it very clear to them that I will not adjust my schedule. What does your contract state ? Just the number of holidays ? Enjoy your vacation if that is what your plan is. I will not deal with people who want to cut this or that after the fact, especially when plans are involved. He wants to complain about the number of national holidays ... that's not your problem, he needs to take it up with, umm, the government maybe. Every other school pretty much has the same time off. You should simply say, you already planned vacation, it's in your contract, and that he needs to simply understand. Do not show him tickets or receipts. Once you start doing that employers will demand proof of everything for anything you ever claim later.

Enjoy it, I wouldn't budge and would be willing to find a new job over such a situation; though I rarely if ever have had a vacation. You could, if desired, argue violation of the contract and labor laws. You are supported by law that you do not have to work national holidays.

Enjoy

PS - As for crying .... umm, yea, uhuh

PSS - You can only be "forced" to do what you LET people force you to do

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

politely tell him that you are unavailable to teach on national holidays and that you already have plans. its probably in your contract that you get all national holidays off with pay. just double check. then show it to him.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Isn't it illegal to force someone to work on a national holiday?

If ya have me figured out by now, you know what I am going to say:

Well Mr. Director, there are two ways we can approach this and both ways DONT involve me being at work for those two days . . .

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

I was talking with a Korean company worker today. She was excited about the upcoming holiday. She said she only has to work a little next week. They will go in on Tuesday to pick up a "gift", have a meeting with co-workers, and leave a little later. She and her co-workers can leave early for the holidays. She said she envied some workers who get to skip work on Tuesday. They can leave early for the holiday. Apparently, some in the company have far to drive to meet family. The way she was talking was that nobody works during Lunar New Year.

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

Are Wednesday and Friday technically legal holidays? I am pretty sure they are, just checking.....

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

We were supposed to have the whole week off but the parents complained that was too long, so now we're only off the three days. Luckily I didn't make a plan. Typical Korean crap.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

What students are going to show up during Seollal? Aren't they supposed to be busy doing family stuff, like kowtowing for money?

prairieboy · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Location: The batcave.

Call the labour board and have them talk to your director.

If I'm not mistaken, all three days are National Holidays and you should get them off, or you should be paid overtime for them.

Try this number 02-872-9797 and talk to them.

Cheers

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

No one can use you unless YOU let them. It's korea law, not hokwon law to have holidays off. ALL OF THEM. Tell the owner, no. What's he going to do? Fire you? He'll lose at the labor board. He's using you because you're scared to stand up to him and he knows it.

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

hellofaniceguy wrote,

He's using you because you're scared to stand up to him and he knows it.

What if it is part of the culture? Should you not accept that you are treated different because you are a foreigner? Should you just leave if you do not like it? If you feel like complaining, then shouldn't you just leave Korea?

Western corruption of pure Korean culture?

Why are there so many unions and demonstrations in Korea? Why is there a site like EFL Law (http://efl-law.com)?

mishlert wrote,
Note: Real Reality, please don't cut and paste the same old articles about how foreign instructors at Korean universities are "slaves", underpaid in comparison to Korean professors, will never see tenure, etc.
We know all this, and still choose to work at Korean universities.
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=14714&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

Well, is mishlert letting the Korean university use him? Do we allow Korean universities to use us? Are Korean universities using foreign professors because foreign professors are scared? Are you scared?

In honor of mishlert, here is a reminder of how foreigners are used or treated in Korea.

Foreign professors tend to be treated as hired hands, without academic standing, and lacking the possibility of career advancement or tenure. They must submit to yearly contracts (compensated at a rate only 60 percent of their Korean peers) while walled off from the permanent Korean faculty who benefit from travel, research funding, sabbaticals, etc. Moreover, when hundreds of Korean scholars enjoy such perks at American and other foreign universities, something is obviously amiss.

According to the Samsung Group's chairman, Lee Kun-hee, to succeed globally, Korea must forgo the thought that Korea and being Korean is superior, and foreign specialists must be treated with respect.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200206/14/200206142349223599900090109011.html

mishlert · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun

Real Reality, the answers to your questions is NO! I'm not scared, or letting the university use me. You know perfectly well that if I went and complained about no tenure that my school would have the law and their side, and could also say that because I only have an MA I'm not entitled to be put on tenure; the latter holds true back home.
As for "low pay"? 2.5 million is above average for what I've seen advertised on this web sight. Besides, I get 16 weeks off a year, so for 2 months in Summer and Winter I get paid for doing. . . well. . . whatever I want.
My university using me?No. I get my schedule in March and that's it. No surprises or changes. I go to class directly form home. I make my own office hours. I don't share my office with anyone else. No one looks over my shoulder. I could go on, but the conclusion would be that I have it easy and no reason to complain.
By the way, where do you work R.R.? Are you happy there? Do you put up a fight? If so, what was it about and what happened? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to know this.

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

mishlert wrote,
"I only have an MA I'm not entitled to be put on tenure; the latter holds true back home."

Are you sure? Here are two positions available in the U.S.

Position Number 1
Assistant Professor of ESL
(___) College seeks a full-time, tenure-track, 10-month/1 year position.
Required Education: Master's Degree
Required Experience:
- must meet one of the following under a) or b):
a) Master�s in TESL, TESOL, applied linguistics with a TESL
emphasis, linguistics with a TESL emphasis, English with a
TESL emphasis, or education with a TESL emphasis
b) Bachelor�s in TESL, TESOL, English with a TESL
certificate, linguistics with a TESL certificate, applied linguistics
with a TESL certificate, or any foreign language with a TESL
certificate AND Master�s in linguistics, applied
linguistics, English, composition, bilingual/bicultural studies, reading, speech, or any foreign language

Position Number 2
ESL Instructor
(Another) College has one full-time, tenure-track position open, beginning August 2004. The instructor will teach any level of general noncredit ESL (orientation, beginning, intermediate, advanced).
Required Education: Master's Degree
Preferred Qualifications:
- a Master's degree in TESL or TESOL; or any one of the
following with a TESL emphasis: applied linguistics, linguistics,
English, or education
- 2 years of successful experience teaching vocational ESL to adults

I have fought before at another university. It was a terrible experience. I was legally right. Even with the help of the Korean government, I won but I lost. It was awful.