Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Fredbob]

So, I made the mistake of trying my hand at working at a kiddie hagwon.
Head Teacher position, signed a 6 month contract with the stipulation that at any point I could leave, giving 1 month notice.

Not to go into all the sorry details, it's not a particularly unique situation, basically, I feel like I'm wasting my time at the school and the lack of communication and organization started to get to me. As I became frustrated and stressed things only became worse, despite many attempts on my part to change the direction things were going in. I saw the train wreck coming and after few uncomfortable meetings, I gave them five weeks notice.

I'm generally a very professional and calm person and never lost my cool, continued teaching all of my classes well, students are happy, all of my work has gotten done.

Since my resignation things have deteriorated to the point that I basically do not speak to the wife side of the husband-wife manager/owner combo. We never had any argument, she started giving me the silent treatment, from not returning my hellos and goodbyes, to not informing me that classes have been cancelled and causing me hours of unnecessary work by not giving me details. The Korean teachers and I for the most part do not speak, but we have no reason to really. There is one other NET here and we've been doing our best to help her prepare for the ensuing tidal wave of work and classes she's about to have thrown on her since the school is not replacing me.

Not necessarily a hostile silence, just a silence maintained for the purpose of avoiding any unnecessary confrontation. Up until this point, I've never had any problems or mysteries regarding my pay and, in the beginning, it was a pleasant place to work.

One possible problem though, the silent treatment started with them never responding to my resignation email and never signing it and giving me a copy. I'm on an F2, so I'm not worried about that if I go to the Labor Board, but it could actually be a little shady.


So, today is payday and my last day, think I'll get paid?
Sometime tonight, whenver I get home, I post the result. If they actually pay me, I'll post props to them, the situation did not work out well, but maybe they will take the advice I gave them in my resignation. If some of that is done, it wouldn't be the worst place to teach in Korea.

[Fredbob]

Hmm, clause in the contract, -300,000 but, honestly I recall that clause and there are some others that he said won't be enforced because I did such a good job this last month even though it was uncomfortable, and because he realized how much unpaid overtime work I did at home?

Is this the twilight zone?

[CentralCali]

Don't ever expect someone to sign something saying they received something they don't want if you hand it to them in person. Send the thing via registered mail.

And how is it legal that you have to pay 300K for quitting?

[Fredbob]

Wow, got paid every dime except for that 300,000 and the guy shook my hand a gave me a hug, wifee gave the huge cold shoulder though.

Color me shocked.

An honest hagwon with potential, as long as you're not the head teacher and you don't take your job too seriously.

Cornerstone English School, Anseong, that's just outside of Pyeongtaek

[CentralCali]

Why is there a 300 buck deduction for terminating the contract early and how is that legal?

[polonius]

[CentralCali]

There's no way that a "breach of contract" policy of deducting money earned is legal. In the first place, the OP did not breach the contract. In the second place, that's withholding of pay. And given your posts in another thread, you are certainly the last person I would listen to regarding the legality of management action.

[polonius]

[Fredbob]

I took money monthly instead of at the end of the contract for housing, travel, airfare, etc.. I let the contract stipulate that if I didn't complete the six months, I would reimburse that, with the further stipulation of double that money two times in bonuses if I stayed. It was square.

[hang10]

[CentralCali]

[Scotch]

Polonius, you are discussing the personal situation of your school's employees on the web?
Unless they gave you permission this is extremely unprofessional of you. The fact that you don't name them is irrelevant if they are able to identify themselves or are identifiable by others from the content of your message.

I hope you feel sufficiently important now.

Regarding your comments about foreigners who whine and Korean management who over-react, my experience of most "head teachers" in Korea has been that they lack professional experience in the West and have sadly not been given any skill development in Korea.

Often the result is people who aside from have a deficient skills base to attempt to manage people and resolve conflict, also contribute to CAUSING problems as they are unable to separate their ego from what should be business decisions.

My apologies to any head teachers who are not of this ilk.

Clearly the employer/employee relationship is construed very differently here and the idea is to try to work with it to satisfactory outcomes. Plus you can guarantee there won't be any immediate managerial evolution anyway.

That is not to deny that many ESL teachers do struggle to adjust to their first job that involves more than pouring bourbon and cokes. There is a certainly a lot of employment immaturity recruited to teach in the ROK and that causes and adds to issues.

[WanderingDolphin]