Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

So, I moaned about being required to work 46 hours during a week in my last thread.

From this website http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/WEBTEXT/46401/65062/E97KOR01.htm#a49, I see that my employer can force me to work overtime. Boo hoo.

It says that after 44 hours, it's 1.5X pay. But we work on 22 hour contracts....or do we? We are expected to work 40 hours a week, but only 22 are contact hours. So which are we working? 22 or 40?

Yes, it's all a little confusing.

I'll make it simple. I'm offended that my employer wants me to do twice the work for two thirds the pay (see previous thread, it's just there) and I don't want to play nice.

The only thing I see might be this, "(2)Working hours per day shall not exceed eight hours excluding recess hours."
On three days they have us working 12 hours or more. I really, really don't want to see students for 11 hours a day (+1 meeting hour).

So, my question is, do I have an out? Am I obligated to do 42 contact hours (+4 meeting hours) in a week?

Does anybody have a suggestion, besides leaving some mayonaise on my counter for three days and then eating it?

[lifeinkorea]

I would just work the hours you want to work and leave when you want to leave.

Either you will get fired from every school, this means you aren't working enough, or you will get a school that recognizes things at your level and you will stay employed under your control.

It's all up to you to take control or be controlled.

[poet13]

Crap.....sorry, I forgot to say that this is a camp I'm complaining about. This is a continuation of the "2X the work, 2/3 the pay" thread.

I would love to walk out at noon on Wednesday when my 22 contact hours are up...

EDIT - walk, not work out at noon

[prideofidaho]

Does your contract stipulate 22 teaching hours? If this is so, you are relating the 40 hours to the hours you spend working (inclusive of the 22 teaching hours?) Seems that this is what you're getting at.

If so, then any teaching hours that are above the 22 teaching hours should be paid as overtime classes (with SMOE usually 20,000 and above.) Overtime hours outside of teaching hours (so above the 40 hours a week you spend working) would be at about 6,000 / hour.

Sorry if this isn't what you mean...

[poet13]

No, you're right, this is exactly what I mean.

My point is though, and you would need to read the other thread to see it, is that I did this camp previously, and the pay was 900,000+ for about 23 hours. This year it is 46 hours, for 600,000.

Normally, a person expects that year on year, either their work situation gets better, or at the very least, it stays the same. One generally does not expect that it gets that much worse. I didn't volunteer for this camp. I was told I was working it.

My question is, "Can I get out of it legally?" I won't break contract. I do'nt work like that.

[D.D.]

How much of that time do they expect you to be active? I would not be active more than 22 times the number of minutes in a teaching hour at your school. The rest of the time if they expected me to be doing activities I would expect overtime pay.

[poet13]

They're expecting about 42 contact hours between Mon at 10AM, and Fri noon. They're also expecting 4 meetings hours from Tues-Fri. Yes, they're paying OT. (The point is however, that last year, it was 23 hours and 900,000, NOT 46 and 600,000)

42 contact hours in that period is insane. There's a reason why teachers only have 22 contact hours....Koreans and Foreigners. It's because someone has determined that the quality of education degenerates after a certain point. Doubling contact hours and cutting wages in the name of saving a few won is remarkably contrary to any idea of retention.

I'm at 100 days today. 100 days and I'm done with this regressive nation.

[marlow]

[Otherside]

Poet, that 600K pay is in addition to your salary correct?

So you have 42 contact hours, which minus the 22 set aside in your contract means 20 hours of overtime?

So you are getting 30,000/hour for overtime?
I don't know about the EPIK contract, but the standard overtime rate in the GEPIK contract is 20,000/hour....what does your contract say? Which seems decent.

I'm basing further analysis on the GEPIK contract (which for the most part is very similar to the EPIK one), if I've got something wrong, this is probably why.

The contract says you will teach 22 classes a week. It also says, they can force you to do 6 extra classes/week (paid overtime). Anything above that, you need to agree to. On that point you can refuse to do any classes above 28...(so you don't HAVE to teach 42...rather 2.

However, you still have to be there 40 hours a week. They want you there for 46, so you can try argue that...BUT, there is that little clause (which they always say..."don't worry about, we never use it.. blablabla), which mentions an overtime rate of about 7000/hour for non-teaching work. So they could technically force you to stay the extra 6 hours and pay you 7000/hour.

Basically option 1. Go with the flow (teach 42 classes, spend 46 hours at school), work like a dog and make 600K. You could ask for the 7K for the 4 meeting hours...but is 28K worth making a song and dance about?
Option 2. Fight it, throw down the contract, and refuse to teach above 28. Result: They'll probably only pay you the contract rate then, you'll still have to be at work for atleast 40 hours. And only collect 120K (based on 20k/hour). Oh and they will hate you, and any "benefits" you may have gotten that aren't written into the contract (going home early, bonus days off, extra vacation etc.) will most likely fly out the window.

Long post, but I tried to cover all the bases. Fact is, PS are going down the toilet, each year salaries are getting worse (if inflation is taken into account) and benefits are decreasing. In the last 2 years, I've moved from level 3 to level 1 (and get a rural bonus), yet I'm actually only saving about the same (in won terms) and getting much much less when I send the money home. And my lifestyle hasn't changed. Now I've reached the top of the scale it's just going to get worse.

[D.D.]

So you are doing 20 extra contact hours and getting 60000 extra on top of your salary?

If that is the case it is not such a bad deal, even though it is a lot of work. Most of us are teaching 22 hours of camps for no extra cash.

[poet13]

Yes, otherside, you are correct. Yes, D.D., you are also correct.

I am also making the point that (as otherside said in general with, "Fact is, PS are going down the toilet, each year salaries are getting worse (if inflation is taken into account) and benefits are decreasing."

Camp is a benefit. And my point is that benefits are not just decreasing, but retreating at a dead run.

Think of it this way.

Scenario.

You come to my house on Monday. I pay you to dig my garden for 8 hours. For that 8 hours, I pay you 100 dollars.

At the end of the day, I say, "Come back tomorrow and Wednesday. I need you to dig some more. I need you to dig for 8 hours a day, for two days. And for that 2 days, I will pay you 66 dollars."

What is your response?

A - "Yessah bossman, I's the man you want."
B - "Huh? Let me talk to my congressman."
C - Laugh hysterically while flipping the bird.


What I am protesting is what Otherside said. After almost 4 public school years, salary ain't much better, savings suck monkey butt, and stuff like camps seem to be more about bleeding the rock (US waegooks) than teaching.

Marlow. You suck. you suck +5 with a saving roll if it's more than 80 days remaining, and you triple suck with a X18 damage roll on a 56 die if you're at less than 50 days. That's the best way I can say it without swearing. Sorry.

[lifeinkorea]

I would forget for the moment total hours. Just focus on class teaching hours. How many total class teaching hours do they want you to do?

[poet13]

The total hours is virtually the same as the teaching hours. Other than a 45 minute meeting on Tues-Wed-Thurs-Fri from 8:10-8:55am, the rest of the time is contact hours. All morning, all afternoon, +evening.

42 contact hours between Mon 1pm and Fri noon. That's a lot any way you slice it.