Korean Job Discussion Forums

[korea.teacher]

When I came home this evening there was a note on my door saying my apartment maintenance fee had not been paid for two months and my water and electricity will be turned off in one week if it's not taken care of.

Two months in a row I've had a student explain to the hagwon front desk assistant that there's an unpaid amount on the monthly statement I receive with my mail.

Last month she separated out my amount and had me pay her directly.

Yesterday, she asked me to do the same thing but wouldn't provide me a receipt. I haven't given her the money yet.

The school has terminated me for personal reasons (labor agrees it's unjustified) and with less than two weeks to go, now this?

[yingwenlaoshi]

Welcome to Korea. I'm not surprised. These kinds of things go on everywhere. It's not an isolated incident. But no, it's the teacher's fault. Teacher bad.

[lifeinkorea]

Do you pay any of the bills? If so, make sure you have proof you paid them. If you did bank transfers then you can just use your bank to prove you paid them.

Looks like you will be running into last month's payment issues.

[wylies99]

That's a typical hagwon owner's "cheat-a-teacher" tactic. The shady ones love to take money from your pay and then NOT pay the bills with it. The typical shady hagwon owner has also probably told the building owner that YOU refuse to pay the bills. They do crap like that.

Do you know someone who can speak or write Korean who can communicate with the building owner on your behalf? Don't ask anyone at your hagwon. They'll just rat you out.

[ChinaBoy]

A big hagwon chain did the same thing to me. Made me give them cash (no receipt) for utilities and didn't pay them. Just kept my money.

I imagine you have to leave the apartment anyway since you're not working at that place now.

[korea.teacher]

I am still supposed to be working until 20 May but the water and electricity are due to be shut off on the 14th.

Two times I have brought my apartment receipt to the office and had a student review it with the institute. Each time my student has pointed out the unpaid amount on the bill and the institute assistant has separated out the amount I was told to to pay which I then gave her.

I asked for a receipt this time but couldn't get one.

Two of my students are witnesses on both occcasions.

[korea.teacher]

UPDATE: The institute agreed to pay the back fees this morning and told me I only had to pay my portion. I'll know in 6 days because that's when my water and electricity is due to be cut off.

During the same discussion, the institute manager who gave me my termination notice ending my employment in the middle of the month asked me if I would finish the month because it would look bad for the students and the institute...and if I would do so, they would be so kind as to give me a letter of release?!!!

[TheUrbanMyth]