Korean Job Discussion Forums

timetotravel · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Location: korea

i need help!

i have had a rough year in terms of illness and have used all 15 of my sick days, i know its a lot but this time includes time in the hospital with a kidney infection, another time for surgery and then this past week with a doctors advice not to go to work....
my point is that ive had an unfortunate year and never in my life have been as sick as i have been this year.

today i received an email from my co teacher who said that although my performance at school is very good they would like to point out article 18 in the contract which states termination for unsatisfactory work performance. then they asked what is my opinion on the matter. why ask me what i think about them firing me?

i tried to argue back saying that they in fact just said that my performance has been excellent, and that i have validation from doctors for every single time i was absent. and that under the contract i am allowed 15 sick days paid and up to 15 more unpaid.

they havent responded and so i dont know whats going on but im furious.

at the bottom of the email they then said, your schedule has changed, you have an open class in may and please come to school on monday....all this AFTER an email that says we are considering you for article 18. so i dont really understand, is it just a threat?

i wonder if this does go down, who can help me? the labour board? and if so, should i get in touch with them asap to make sure im covered? if my school decides they dont want me anymore, is my contract with EPIK still valid? can i just go to another school for the duration of my contract?

please, any advice, anyone. im pretty upset right now.

Cerriowen · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Location: Pocheon

Wow that does sound like you're having a really rough year. How far in to your contract are you? You may want to seriously consider going home, and making another go of it when your health is better. Koreans are really sucky when it comes to actually taking sick days (rough generalization).

I think your school is just giving you a hard nudge to point out that this has been difficult for the school having you gone so much, not that they actually want to fire you. Probably if you have any more sick days, they WILL fire you.

I'm not certain but I think that if your school lets you go, you won't be able to transfer to another school in EPIK. You'll have to contact EPIK about that.

If I were you, I would start getting my papers together for a new visa ASAP.

My second suggestion would be to go have a sit down with your coworker and principal or boss... and do some arse kissing...

It's been so difficult, you are trying really hard to work well for them, this is such a wonderful experience being in a foreign country, but it's also been unexpectedly hard with all the sudden health problems. Please understand your situation, what can they suggest for you, this is a very hard time for you, you don't want ot just go home because the school is such a good place for you... etc.

Lastly... there's a high probability that your school has a sick room or bed that you can use. As strange as it is, you can go to work and sleep <at least that's been my experience when I've been sick> they don't seem to mind as much if you're dying AT school, so long as you're there during business hours.

I'm really sorry that you're having such a hard time.

big_fella1 · Joined: 08 Dec 2005

You have been unlucky, but you still may lose your job (but I think this is the don't have anymore sick days warning). Obviously you are a good teacher, and hopefully the health problems are behind you, so if the worst does happen (and I don't think it will) move on. There are plenty of jobs here and be grateful you are where you were when this happened. One of my coworkers has just received a written warning for taking a half day off when he was really sick.

Good luck!

ED209 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006

It may be best to go home and get you health problem cleared up.

If you intend to stay maybe you should try to transfer, but you will probably need a positive evaluation. A negative one may get you blocked from other public schools. Talk to your school, if they are not keen to keep you, try and reach an agreement.

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

I remember talking to you when you first were coming to Korea. I'm also sorry you had a bad year. Sicknesses can kind of hit at bad times and cause problems with work. I'd recommend seeing what you can do to work out the situation with your school. If things don't work out, maybe you can get a LOR and find another job. As someone pointed out, you may or may not be able to get transfered or rehired by the program you are in now, you might want to quietly find out how that works and what your options are if it comes to that.

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

I would try finding out a way to do part-time with less pay until you are better. That way you would still be going to work but not stressing your body.

If you can't do that, then you seriously need to consider going back home.

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

In my day, you'd better be dead if you're not at work. Respectfully, I hope it was a renal issue that could not possibly be resolved outpatient.

With all due respect, committed people suck it up and deal with it.

Let me put it this way - you had ham and eggs for breakfast. The chicken is involved, the big is committed.

Are you involved or committed?

wesharris · Joined: 10 Oct 2008

Straphanger you make no sense.
Go eat some apples.
_+_
Wes

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

3MB · Joined: 26 Mar 2009

Rory_Calhoun27 · Joined: 14 Feb 2009

John_ESL_White · Joined: 12 Nov 2008

samcheokguy · Joined: 02 Nov 2008 Location: Samcheok G-do

It's actually surreal poetry.

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

Renal.

Kidney.

Kidney failure.

Back in the real world, if you were not on actual dialysis, you would need to go to work. If you think you can stay home with the sniffles, you're just involved.

As a boss, I would say, I don't want people who are involved. I want people who are committed.

If you get fired for "sick days" you need to go home and get on disability. If you can walk, you can work. If you can talk, you can teach. If you're that sick, go home. If you're not - don't you have a job to do?

This kind of namby pamby crap is why I got out of teaching in the first place. Outside of Corrections, there is no teaching job that will allow you to miss a day of work without incident. Wait... there is no *job* that will allow you to miss a day of work without incident.

In your left hand, you have a resume of a guy with a doctor's note. In your right hand, you have a resume of a guy who sucked it up and still put on a show.

Teaching is 6 shows a day, 5 days a week. It's HARD work to do it well. If you want an easy job, go the [vulgarity deleted by mod] home. Pour my [vulgarity deleted by mod] coffee and get me a cinnamon roll with extra walnuts.

If you want to work, come to work. If you want to whine, and complain, and bitch, and whine, and complain, and bitch, and bitch, and bitch, then get back to where you came from. Go home.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:16 pm Post subject:

Straphanger,

You're an idiot.

Sincerely,
CM