Korean Job Discussion Forums

[noumenalself]

I arrived December 22nd, and have received my flight reimbursement.
I still have not received my first month's paycheck. Two days ago, my director told me that the lady in charge of payroll went on maternity leave, and the person replacing her is trying to catch up with things and will get me my money soon.

I have no other serious complaints about my job and I don't want to burn any bridges. How can I deal with this in a mature, effective manner? How much more time can I reasonably give them before I... what? Threaten to go to the Labor Board? I sure don't want it to come to that.

[bogey666]

director?
director is a hagwon word.

are you referring to your FT coortinator at your public school? or your VP? or whom?

I would bring up the matter with your FT coordinator first.. if nothing happens, then with the VP (assuming someone there speaks good enough English)

ultimately, this situation is why Dain Bae and GEPIK exists - to handle these kinds of issues.

go to Dain Bae if school is uncooperative before going to Labor Board, etc.

it's EXTREMELY rare for a public school to deliberately try to stiff anyone on money. Usually it's a combination of ignorance and incompetence. The school can never "win" if they truly attempt this. The contract on this point is completely ironclad and the regional education dept and board of ed will always resolve such an issue in your favor.


p.s. did you get your 300K settlement allowance?
you are really only owed money for last week of Dec and Jan to this point.
Considering it's the 2nd week of Feb, the school's 'excuse' sounds entirely plausible.

GENTLY - tell your coordinator and VP that you understand the maternity leave situation but you have food to buy and bills to pay and it's important for the situation to be rectified ASAP. If nothing happens by end of month, call Dain Bae at GEPIK immediately.

[vdowd]

Go to school and tell them you feel a little "wozzey" (spell?) because you have not eaten for 2 days. They ask, "Why have you not eaten?" You say because you have no money, no pay for the 2 months you worked, and can't buy food? You will try to teach as soon as you can get up and walk to class - but you are not sure if you can make it."

If you don't want a confrontation in the early days this might work or not. Food is a primary thing in Korea - They greet you with "Have you eaten?" Play it determined but weak due to lack of food/money, so maybe unable to teach but still be at school in the sick beds that Korean teachers/students/administration all use at work - should get your pay right away (I think).

VV

[noumenalself]

I meant Foreign Teacher Coordinator, not Director. And yes, I did receive my settlement allowance in addition to my flight reimbursement.

Thank you for the advice bogey666; I will just wait it out until the end of February and then contact Dain Bae if the problem persists.

[bogey666]

[D.D.]

When you first arrive Koreans will test you to see if you have a spine. You are failing so bad. When you didn't complain about not getting paid the first month they thought it would be fun to see if they could keep putting it off.

Walk in there tomorrow and say I want my money in an hour. I want my money every month at the same hour on the same day or find another teacher.

If you don't it will get worse not better. I have been in Asia for sometime and refuse to ever play their little begging for pay power game.

I walked out on a 5000 U.S. gig in Shanghai because of that game. It messes with your head when people make you ask for your pay.

Pay is something that arrives at a particular time and is not subject to the whims of things like staff leaves.

[bogey666]

[TBirdMG]

The 'I haven't eaten in days because I have no money' strategy is humorous, but I think in the end, it's too much of a dramatic shenanigan.

I would take a more proactive approach to the problem.
Explain the problem to your co-teacher and ask for a meeting with both the vice-principal and principal. Explain from ground zero everything that has transpired. The key is not to speak or behave in an angry manner. Be cool and calm.

Then explain that you are disappointed that nobody communicated to you the challenges involved in disbursing payments in the absence of the bookkeeper, but that you still insist on being paid. Do not blame anybody. Just shed some light on the situation.

Second key: ask them how they can resolve this problem immediately. Don't simply scream "Show me the money!!" Just ask "How can we resolve this challenge so that I can receive my salary for January as soon as possible?" This will empower the VP and Prin. to make a decision, and take action, without losing face.

If they cannot help, or refuse to help, then you need to get your money any way possible, and honestly, regardless of benevolent intentions and claims of ignorance, move onto another job. Hopefully, it doesn't come to this.....

Good luck!

[kaosjin]

good advice TBirdMG

[yeremy]

You should not wait 2 days much less months (until the end of February) for someone to pay you, especially at a GEPIK school. That is an unacceptable reason. You should immediately go down to the General Affairs Office with a bi-lingual co-worker or your recruiter, and politely tell them that you understand they've been having problems but that you want to be paid as soon as possible like later that day, if not sooner.

[fromtheuk]

Trust me, they will not pay you until you really get on their nerves about it.

I am sometimes paid on time. When the lady from administration is on holiday or when the 25th falls on a weekend/holiday they don't remember to pay me.

So, I always visit the admin. centre when my pay is due.

I even went into school during my Dec vacation to ensure payment. As suspected, they were not going to pay me, they only remembered when I came into school.

I have previously complained about my pay not being on time to my co-teacher, admin. apologized and said it wouldn't happen again.

But when the 25th falls on a weekend/holiday, they tend to forget. I also think they don't care either.

I hope the new GEPIK contract will take care of this problem i.e. being paid on the 17th.

[afsjesse]

No pay = No work.

I get paid by EPIK on the 25 before I leave school. If it's not there I don't teach on the 26th. I sat at my desk and said I did not recieve my compensation and will not teach a single class until I was paid. I had my money withing an hour.

[lifeinkorea]

This was with a hagwon, but I would have reacted the same way with a public school. I didn't get paid 2 weeks into the third month for my second month, so I went to the bank closest to the school and then called them up. I asked them when they would pay me. They said "tomorrow". So then I said, "Ok, then I'll come into work tomorrow after I get paid". After about 10 minutes of promising to pay me, I then said "I will stay here at this bank until I see a deposit. After that, I will rush to school and continue teaching."

These guys I guess could have really screwed me, but after 45 minutes of waiting, the money was finally put into my account and I went back to school as usual. I got paid on time after that.

The point isn't that you should be firm about everything you want. You should decide which of the things are important about your situation. For me, it is classroom and payment. So, anything else, I just nag them about it.

Oh, another thing, if you go to labor board or any other third party then the school will have more reason to treat you poorly because they know they are losing control of you and they will have to deal with two people, one being in control of them.

This is why you should always first keep communication between just you and the school and try to work things out before bringing others into it.

[Ramen]

Ask them if they (k-teachers) got paid. I'm sure they did. So WTF?

You need to get your foot down on them and get paid like yesterday WITH INTEREST.

[I-am-me]

Only in Korea will foreigners work for free! It amazes me.