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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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 Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 4:07 am Post subject: Hagwon implements insane measures against flu. |
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Have you seen what Avalon wants? The new policy, as displayed on campuses around the country; an excerpt:
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* Do not travel abroad until further notice
* Do not go to public areas if possible
* Employees will have their body temps checked daily and results will be recorded
* Wash hands 3 times a day. Teachers must wash hands before and after class
* Classrooms will sanitized before and after class for safety measures
* Avalon transportation vehicles will be sterilized for safety measures
* Notice will be sent to parents regarding Avalon�s guidelines about the swine flu virus
* All head office employees must be aware of the guidelines to prevent swine flu
* Guidelines will be posted and students must be aware of the guidelines
4. Mandatory Instructions:
A. Daily body temp check ups
-All Avalon employees must get a body temperature check and report the results to the HR dept.
B. Instructions fro foreign teachers and staff members
-anyone that comes back form their vacation after May 25th must stay at home for one week
-New teachers and staff members must stay at home for two weeks in the month of May
-No overseas vacation and business travel
-FOREIGN TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR PASSPORT TO THEIR DIRECTOR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
C. We fully understand the ongoing situation and taking any safety measures to ensure and protect our employees and students from swine flu. Employees should not be too concerned over this matter. Company related information should not be leaked or exchanged to a third party member. |
I've learned via emails and comments to my site that this was introduced at branches all over the country. I also learned that because of the backlash from foreign teachers there, that some policies (such as the passport confiscation) are being rethought.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/05/avalon-hagwon-franchise-to-take-away.html
As we know, there are allkinds of measures being taken against native speaker English teachers and other foreign instructors, mostly done for no other reason but to quell panic.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/search/label/Swine%20flu%20in%20Korea
Last edited by Smee on Sun May 31, 2009 5:16 am; edited 1 time in total |
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shapeshifter
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Location: Paris
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 4:44 am Post subject: What exactly do you think 'reactionary' means? |
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What exactly do you think 'reactionary' means?
I have colleagues from every corner of Europe with a better command of the language than many posters on this board. It really is grim.
Last edited by shapeshifter on Sun May 31, 2009 5:03 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 5:19 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the heads-up, and for being so nice about it. [Mod Edit] Let's stick to the topic at hand. |
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Seoul'n'Corea
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 5:48 am Post subject: Re: Hagwon implements insane measures against flu. |
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| Smee wrote: |
Have you seen what Avalon wants? The new policy, as displayed on campuses around the country; an excerpt:
| Quote: |
* Do not travel abroad until further notice
* Do not go to public areas if possible
* Employees will have their body temps checked daily and results will be recorded
* Wash hands 3 times a day. Teachers must wash hands before and after class
* Classrooms will sanitized before and after class for safety measures
* Avalon transportation vehicles will be sterilized for safety measures
* Notice will be sent to parents regarding Avalon�s guidelines about the swine flu virus
* All head office employees must be aware of the guidelines to prevent swine flu
* Guidelines will be posted and students must be aware of the guidelines
4. Mandatory Instructions:
A. Daily body temp check ups
-All Avalon employees must get a body temperature check and report the results to the HR dept.
B. Instructions fro foreign teachers and staff members
-anyone that comes back form their vacation after May 25th must stay at home for one week
-New teachers and staff members must stay at home for two weeks in the month of May
-No overseas vacation and business travel
-FOREIGN TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR PASSPORT TO THEIR DIRECTOR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
C. We fully understand the ongoing situation and taking any safety measures to ensure and protect our employees and students from swine flu. Employees should not be too concerned over this matter. Company related information should not be leaked or exchanged to a third party member. |
I've learned via emails and comments to my site that this was introduced at branches all over the country. I also learned that because of the backlash from foreign teachers there, that some policies (such as the passport confiscation) are being rethought.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/05/avalon-hagwon-franchise-to-take-away.html
As we know, there are allkinds of measures being taken against native speaker English teachers and other foreign instructors, mostly done for no other reason but to quell panic.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/search/label/Swine%20flu%20in%20Korea |
Not onl;y is handing over a visa or a passport dangerous for you, it is ILLEGAL to do so under international law unless it is a GOVERNMENT OFFICE!
Hogwans are trying to benefit from the crisis. DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR PASSPORT! IT IS ILLEGAL ! |
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Dude Ranch
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 6:04 am Post subject: |
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one of the posts from Brian's blog
quote from the British Embassy in Korea regarding the passports issue: "Retain your passport. Your employer has no legal right to hold your passport, and is not required to do so by the Korean authorities. Your passport remains the property of the British Government at all times. Please contact the Consular Section of the British Embassy for advice, if your employer insists on keeping your passport."
http://ukinkorea.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-korea/legal-issues-be-aware
The school should be reported. |
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Adjumas Cheekbones
Joined: 26 May 2009
Location: director's pocket
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Looks to me like this is for the benefit of concerned parents more than anything. A copy has probably been sent to all parents so they dont take their spoilt rat out of school, like they are mostly likely doing at cdi.
It's a business.
'this hagwan should be reported' to who, for what? Koreans dont give a fk about these things. As with everything here, nothing will be followed from that bs list anyway. |
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Robot_Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Location: Robotting Around the World
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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An employer restricting your travel is breaking the contract and the law as well as diplomatic agreements between the countries. This is an act of hostility. We didn't agree to be trapped on the ROK. I would never hand over the passport at their request. In fact, the US Dept. of State says to not hand over your passport unless it's an official such as police or immigration requesting it. And then if they want to hang onto it or keep you in their country, you request to speak with your embassy for mediation.
If an employer keeps your passport and refuses to give it back to you, do a police report and speak with your embassy. A real serious problem would be if Korea immigration said we can't leave Korea. That would majorly anger me. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Adjumas Cheekbones wrote: |
Looks to me like this is for the benefit of concerned parents more than anything. A copy has probably been sent to all parents so they dont take their spoilt rat out of school, like they are mostly likely doing at cdi.
It's a business.
'this hagwan should be reported' to who, for what? Koreans dont give a fk about these things. As with everything here, nothing will be followed from that bs list anyway. |
Looks to me like every post you've made, you're cementing your claim to trollhood fame.
It doesn't matter whose benefit the hagweon director thinks they're doing this. What matters is the law. None of that crap is legal. If the hagweon fires an employee based on refusal to comply with an illegal request, then that's an unlawful termination and the director should lose at both the Labor Board and the court. |
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FistFace
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Location: Peekaboo! I can see you! And I know what you do!
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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This is the response sent to another teacher when they asked the school about passports directly:
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Hello
Thank you for letting me know it. You need to know that we do not make our teachers submit their passport to director. It's wrong information.
There are around 30 people who are infected by Swine Flu in Korea, and half of them are foreign English teachers. And, one of biggest Hakwon in Korea shut down because of Swine Flu. Korean parents did not send their children to the Hakwon and will not do in the future.
Korean medias are continuously warning about Swine Flu and danger of English Hakwons which have foreign teachers. Don't you think we are abnormal if we do not act about this crisis or make any guildlines in this situation?
Our guidline is applied to all our emplyees regardless of nationality including Korean. It is to protect our teachers and students from Swine Flu. If someone understand this crisis threaten a company's survival, they might not think it is horrible guidelines.
Sincerely |
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afsjesse
Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:59 am Post subject: |
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The freedom to travel is held in high regard under international law. They cannot confine you to this rock they call home nor can they ask for your passport. I find it comical how naive they think most of us are.
I understand that swine flu poses a risk to Korea and the world. But the government and public health institutions are doing a pretty good job at keeping us aware of it all. Taking draconian measures against us just because we're English teachers is absurd and wrong. |
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highdials5
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:34 am Post subject: |
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| afsjesse wrote: |
The freedom to travel is held in high regard under international law. They cannot confine you to this rock they call home nor can they ask for your passport. I find it comical how naive they think most of us are.
I understand that swine flu poses a risk to Korea and the world. But the government and public health institutions are doing a pretty good job at keeping us aware of it all. Taking draconian measures against us just because we're English teachers is absurd and wrong. |
They've been going around taking our temperatures today, but no mention of the passport thing at all or any of the other guidelines mentioned above. |
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theatrelily
Joined: 03 Jun 2004
Location: Haeundae-gu, Busan
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:15 am Post subject: |
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The passport requirement has been dropped at our campus as well...
But we are still "forbidden" from traveliing abroad. Any teacher who does leave the country is being told that they will have to stay home, in quarantine for a week, unpaid.
All the teachers at my campus were told that they "had" to get refunds on tickets bought before the regulations, but that the school would refund them the penalty fee they have to pay for canceling.
Most of the teachers here are new and are afraid of opposing the directors, for fear of losing their jobs.
I hope that they don't let themselves get bullied into this imposed travel ban. |
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highdials5
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:11 am Post subject: |
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| theatrelily wrote: |
The passport requirement has been dropped at our campus as well...
But we are still "forbidden" from traveliing abroad. Any teacher who does leave the country is being told that they will have to stay home, in quarantine for a week, unpaid.
All the teachers at my campus were told that they "had" to get refunds on tickets bought before the regulations, but that the school would refund them the penalty fee they have to pay for canceling.
Most of the teachers here are new and are afraid of opposing the directors, for fear of losing their jobs.
I hope that they don't let themselves get bullied into this imposed travel ban. |
They haven't mentioned the travel ban here, but I'll be away on my travels this weekend regardless. |
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Adjumas Cheekbones
Joined: 26 May 2009
Location: director's pocket
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:08 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| Adjumas Cheekbones wrote: |
Looks to me like this is for the benefit of concerned parents more than anything. A copy has probably been sent to all parents so they dont take their spoilt rat out of school, like they are mostly likely doing at cdi.
It's a business.
'this hagwan should be reported' to who, for what? Koreans dont give a fk about these things. As with everything here, nothing will be followed from that bs list anyway. |
Looks to me like every post you've made, you're cementing your claim to trollhood fame.
It doesn't matter whose benefit the hagweon director thinks they're doing this. What matters is the law. None of that crap is legal. If the hagweon fires an employee based on refusal to comply with an illegal request, then that's an unlawful termination and the director should lose at both the Labor Board and the court. |
just say it as i see it. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:48 am Post subject: |
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Here's what you should send in response.
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Greetings!
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| Thank you for letting me know it. |
Happy to oblige.
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| You need to know that we do not make our teachers submit their passport to director. It's wrong information. |
I already knew that, and that's because it's illegal. Perhaps you should inform your directors of these facts.
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| There are around 30 people who are infected by Swine Flu in Korea, and half of them are foreign English teachers. |
That tells me that about half of them are Koreans.
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| And, one of biggest Hakwon in Korea shut down because of Swine Flu. |
How is that relevant to me? I don't work there.
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| Korean parents did not send their children to the Hakwon and will not do in the future. |
In other words, the parents reacted out of their fear and prejudice instead of thinking.
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| Korean medias are continuously warning about Swine Flu and danger of English Hakwons which have foreign teachers. |
Not that long ago, the Korean media were continuously warning about mad cow disease and the danger of American beef. You realize, I hope, that the Korean media made that up and were fear-mongering instead of reporting factually as a responsible news organization would.
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| Don't you think we are abnormal if we do not act about this crisis or make any guildlines in this situation? |
There are already guidelines for "this situation." Your own government has enacted them and are dealing with those who are infected or exposed to the virus in a lawful and humane manner.
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| Our guidline is applied to all our emplyees regardless of nationality including Korean. |
I seriously doubt this is the case. Have any of your directors demanded the Korean employees hand over their passports for the duration? Has any Korean employee been fired for refusing to submit to an illegal request?
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| It is to protect our teachers and students from Swine Flu. |
No, it's not. It's to placate a group of bigoted people acting out of ignorance.
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| If someone understand this crisis threaten a company's survival, they might not think it is horrible guidelines. |
If you understand that you don't have the right to enforce illegal demands, perhaps you'd think that exposing your company to legal consequences would be the real threat to the company's survival.
Somehow, I really don't think you are.
By the way, I have notified both your government and mine of the illegal requests and threats. Hope you enjoy that. |
Last edited by CentralCali on Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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