Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tittletattle]

Hey guys,

I just want some advice. So I'm having a real hard time here in my job, the staff don't talk to me (partly because they are unable to) and just generally ignore my presence. I work at a hagwon. I get put into clases and told to play hangman or bingo, which six hours of a day, every day, is not as fun or fulfilling as one might think. Anyway, this is amongst other things, but to sum it up, I'm not so happy here, and ultimately I came to Korea to teach and enjoy the experience.

So I am thinking about leaving, maybe around September time. I have read many posts on here about running and/or giving notice. If I give notice, I realise what I risk losing. My question is running (NOTE: If I leave, I won't be returning to Korea, so I am not worried about my LOR). SO I have internet and cell phone in my name, if I drain my bank account before I leave, what happens with these bills? If I get to the airport, am I really just free to go? What happens here? Say I have a ticket to another country, I am fine to just get on a plane and get out?

Running used to be the least likely thing I would do, and I am still unsure, so advice and input is totally welcome. I know I signed a contract saying that I would work faithfully in Korea for my hagwon, but there's only so much a girl can take!

[Skippy]

If you do not pay your bills likely what will happen is the school gets hit up for it. Or they just go unpaid until the company cuts their losses. If you want to be a bit honorable - pay you bills before you run or leave money to pay for the bills.

[tittletattle]

Thanks Skippy. I want to do it as honorably as possible but at the same time, I don't want to lose too much over it (ie after giving notice not be paid and having my last 30 days made all the more unbearable). As I said, I am as yet undecided, quitting is not really something that is built into my system, so I am trying to give it my best shot and that is why I am giving myself a cut off point rather than just deciding to leave one day. I want to enjoy it here, I love Korea so far, only my job is the problem...

So let's say I run, and I leave money behind for the flight and/or bills. When I get to the airport, is it really just as simple as getting on a plane? I know this sounds like a stupid question, but there won't be any questions or anything? I just want to make my decision a fully informed one!

[Ramen]

Don't worry about anything (that including your own bills) if you're not returning to Korea. If you decide to run, you'll have no problem clearing the airport. Make sure you give up your ARC card at the airport immigration check point. Just get on the plane and go.

Be happy and good luck.

[D.D.]

Why not attempt to teach more interesting stuff. I am not saying it will be easy but if you are just going through the motions that is why you are bored. One of the only things I find I like about my job is creating new ways to teach. That can be hard if you are teaching kindie. Even with teaching my own stuff it is boring so I put in my notice and it has been rough but it is not so bad. Internet companies here are usually trying to get 3 years worth of cash out of you so be careful.

[TECO]

It's like living with a roommate that walks in on you and grabs the remote and changes the TV channel! You won't be able to remedy the situation with the personalities you're dealing with. It' isn't working. It won't work. It never will work.

Move out!

[Draz]

I'd pay the bills. Not paying the bills is something I couldn't rationalize away, plus I hate burning bridges. I paid off my 20k student loan even though I have no plan to return to Canada because what if I do? If I were you I would try to do everything fairly just in case I wanted to try again in Korea later on. You said you like it here, just hate the job. I negotiated my way out of two jobs here (less than two weeks notice in one, and less than one week at the other!), and it cost a little more than running but not much. The 250k won or so I could have saved by running and not paying the bills is worth having a clean employment record. (That's the total for both jobs together. A bargain.)

If no one speaks English at your job, this might be impossible, but I REALLY don't recommend running and just leaving a pile of money behind in your apartment. Come on!! Would whoever finds it even admit it and make sure it gets to the right place? You need to talk it out with your boss. Find a friend to translate if you have to.

[saw6436]

OP, how long have you been in SK and how long in the present job?

[OculisOrbis]

if they are paying in full and on time, are paying the pension, health and taxes, giving you an acceptable place to live, arent abusing you physical or verbally or requiring you do lots of unreasonable thing that are outside your contracted duties - stick it out and finish what you agreed to do. make you life more fulfilling with your time outside work. your job is not your life, you have a job so you can have a life.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

The number of people I've known who put in notice and were able to leave a hagwon on mutually agreeable, respectable terms = 0. Basically if you have to go mid-contract, you have to run. Your timing and whether you have any unmet financial obligations will determine how big a pain this is for your hagwon.

[oldfatfarang]

In any other job - and in any other country - I'd advise you to tough it out - stay with it - be loyal to your employer, and overcome this unhappy situation. That's always been my strategy, and it's worked for me.

However, this is Korea - and you're working in a hagwon. No matter what good intentioned posters will tell you, there are some facts of life about working in a Korean hagwon that just can't be ignored - or changed.

(1) You're a temporary contract worker - on a tempory work visa - held by your employer. Basically, you're at the mercy of your employer's whims - and you can be exploited in any way your employer thinks fit.

(2) You have no long-term investment in Korea. You could work here (even in the same hagwon) for years - and you will still be a temporary contract worker, on a temporary working visa that is held by your employer.

(3) Should your employer exploit you - as a foreigner - you have little, if any, legal or political redress (see numerous posts on daves).

(4) Korean hagwon employers this - they can, and will, take advantage of you. In their eyes, you're temporary and expendable, and the way they're treating you, shows this.

You don't have to be loyal to an employer in this situation. You have flown half way around the world to work - and find yourself in an unfriendly and unsatisfying situation. Be an adult - take charge - just leave.

Pay your bills - leave the day after you've been paid - and smile as you hand in your ARC at the airport (no problems there).

Good luck. I'm sorry Korea didn't work out for you. I'm sure you'll be better off in a happier situation at home.

[hugekebab]

You might find that taking the difficult option turns out to be the most rewarding. Remember that a year is a very short period of time and will be over in a flash. You will have lots of money in the bank if you are sensible and will go home knowing that you stuck it out for a year. Try getting into learning Korean or something relatively useful. It might help you adjust a little; give you a more positive angle.

It sounds like your job is simply boring, which I understand, but try and give it a bit longer, see what friends you make. It may be culture shock talking (it's not like they advertise, actually it's more like culture hatred and it can blind you to anything positive.) I know it can be incredibly demoralising being in a workplace where you cannot really communicate with anyone one on a proper level all day.

In short, before you make any decision to leave, assess the positives, give yourself a week or two breathing room, then if you still hate it get out on the next pay day, because your employer WILL screw you if you give notice the proper way (the reason for all the midnight runs is because of the culture of screwing over those who leave early, but hagwon owners will never ever ever wise up to that fact.)

Trust me and everyone else, it is an absolute certainty your employer will screw you over if you give notice, I'm saying it twice because it's sometimes instinctive to do things 'the proper way' here and that always bites one in the bum cheeks.

[soviet_man]

I think what this highlights, yet again, is that regional/rural schools (such as in Gangneung) are a big no no for 1st years.

It seems you basically got in over your head, are totally socially isolated up there and now want to bail.

If you chose a big hakwon in Seoul with tons of co-workers and support, you would be cruisng right now.

These mom and pop shows in the country = they never work out.

[travelingfool]

Step back, take a few deep breaths, and try to look at things objectively. If you do decide to jump ship, DON'T give notice unless you like the idea of working for free for a month. I got screwed out of over $2000us by trying to do the 'honorable' thing.

If I could go back in time, I would have told my school I was leaving at the end of the month and wanted my pay up front, otherwise I would be on a plane the following morning. Koreans understand ultimatums and blackmail. If you have a bargaining chip, such as being the only foreign teacher, use it for all it's worth. They would do the same to do and even worse. These people aren't our friends.

[Tobias]