Korean Job Discussion Forums

OBwannabe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008

I, along with several coteachers, have been at our hagwon for a few years now. Overall we are treated very well... generous owner, they are always there to offer a helping hand, etc.....

Now that this swine flu bug has hit our little institute of education, they have decided to cancel classes for the rest of the week. They said that we won't be paid for the classes missed.

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about this. We are paid by salary, not per class. We are ready, willing and able to work. Should we not be paid our full month's salary? If they drop a class due to low enrollment and I get to finish my day earlier, I'm not deducted money. Is this not technically the same thing?

On the other hand, they are quite generous and if we miss a day they usually find a way to deduct as little from our pay as possible. Maybe I should just be gracious about this.

Loads of people must be going though this these days. Any other hagwon workers out there want to give their two cents? Are you also experiencing a similar situation at the moment?

OBwannabe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008

Forgot to mention. What I'm most concerned about is that there is no guarantee that this won't happen again. As soon as a kinder student is diagnosed with H1N1 the kinder shuts down for the week.
If we easily roll over and accept the deduction in pay now, it will set a precedent for them to not pay us in the future.

Yesterday · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:02 am Post subject:

The kiddies should be receiving their FREE vaccinations very soon now...

Then the closure of schools will end - as no more students should be getting the flu...

As for the missed salary - that comes whenever an academy you are employed for closes down....

.

OBwannabe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008

Thanks.
The institute isn't closing down though, just the classes I normally teach for the first half of my day.
I still think I should be paid. My contract says that I make xxxx amount per month and anything over a certain amount of classes a month will be paid overtime. I got hired to do a job that I'm ready to do. They shouldn't be able to change the rules whenever they like.
Oh well, I guess I'll just have to suck it up.

Are these flu shots mandatory?

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

If you are on salary, you should be paid. They are violating the contract.

If you like your job, you have to decide how hard you want to fight this.

i · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Location: Seoul

When I taught at hakwons, didn't matter why a kid was absent or for how long...the parents still paid the enrollment fee. How is the boss losing money? If they dropped out, didn't affect my pay. Is the director closing and giving refunds?

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

I'm sure the government made some kind of announcement that if people stay home sick from swine flu, they must still be paid and they can't be fired. I imagine the same law would apply to a place of business closed because of it.
You might get a K friend to search up the article on it, print it, and drop it on your bosses desk.

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

Are the students getting a refund for the cancelled classes? If they're still paying, you should get paid too.

OBwannabe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008

steveinincheon · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: in The Shadows of Gyeyangsan

In theory it would seem that you should be guaranteed pay if your hagwon cancels classes due to the flu. Your contract specifies that you are paid a monthly salary, not a per-class fee, and you are fulfilling all of your duties outlined in the contract. However, nearly everyone I know who works at a hagwon anywhere in Korea has been told that in the event of a Swine Flu related closure, pay will be docked for the time missed. Though this does seem to be a violation of the contract, the fact that nearly every hagwon has taken this position will make it very unlikely that you will be able to do anything about - it seems that the major hagwon chains have, in effect, set a precedent that is unlikely to be challenged.

OBwannabe · Joined: 16 Feb 2008

I have no doubt that you are right.

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

Well, no offense, but cry me a river. No one's life sucks as much as mine. 2009 has been one terrible year for me. My fiance dumped me after he promised me he would join me in the states 3 weeks later. So, I left Korea without having a new job lined up. Then, I have been unemployed since. I finally just got a job, and thanks to swine flu, I can't start it until feb. So, no one is as bad off as me.

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

I would think your boss should pay you or make you redundant. One can't expect an employee on a full-time salaried contract to wait around indefinitely without pay until classes resume.

If you're just a part-timer, sure, you have little argument. But he has promised to pay you X-amount of won for 13 months. He has to do that or let you go.

What if Swine Flu gets worse? How long will teachers sit around with no pay for?

steroidmaximus · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: GangWon-Do

cost of doing business. They should pay you, just as you are entitled to take sick days. Do you have any travel restrictions? Take a vacation. Do you have vacation time? Use some of it and still get paid.

The hogwon association probably talked about it in their last meeting and are making this decision together. Whether or not all institutes are as generous as your boss and refunding tuition is an interesting question, but the fact remains you are on salary. The school closing for a week isn't going to magically stop the spread of swine flu, since the kids will still hang out, go to school etc, and when they come back the virus will still be around.