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tfernbank
Joined: 29 May 2009
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 Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:57 am Post subject: Falsely accused of taking drugs by previous Hagwon |
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What happened to me just emphasises the imporatnce o insisting on a letter of release if you want to get another job in Korea.
I worked for a Hagwon teaching kids for 6 months and decided to leave because I didn't really enjoy teaching kids and have far more experience teaching adults. I gave 8 weeks' notice (I had to give 6) and stayed until the end of the session in accordance with the terms of my contract.
Since a you get a return flight after a year I assumed that since I had been there for 6 months I would not have to pay any of my single flight back. When I was told I would have to, I pointed out that another colleague had left giving 3 weeks' notice and was not asked to pay anything back, so eventually the school gave in.
I asked for a letter of release and the school didn't seem to know exactly what I wanted, so when I finished the job I got a Korean friend to come with me to make sure they gave me the letter and that everything was dealt with in the proper manner bt the Korean Immigration Office.
I continued applying for jobs back in Korea after returning to England and could not understand why I did not seem to be getting anywhere, since I have 12 years' teaching experience. Then two weeks ago, I had a telephone interview with a university who offered me a position. The next day, however, I was told I had been disqualified as my previous employers had told them that I had been taking illegal substances.
This is completely untrue and I cannot understand why the school wnat to be so vidictive. Because I have my Letter of Release, they have now decided to take my word over the hagwon's.
I would really like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience and if so, what you did about it, because I am concerned that this may cause problems for me in the future. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:12 am Post subject: |
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| Because I have my Letter of Release, they have now decided to take my word over the hagwon's. |
I don't think it's because you have a letter of release. I think it's more to do with the fact you quit.
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| I would really like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience and if so, what you did about it, because I am concerned that this may cause problems for me in the future. |
Well, if you quit after 6 months, you don't have much experience. You say you have 12 years, but it was obviously elsewhere. Why don't you just start over and not use this 6 month reference instead of betting on an employer only hiring you with 12.5 years?
They aren't going to use those 6 months with kids to give you higher pay. |
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Shapur
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Because I have my Letter of Release, they have now decided to take my word over the hagwon's. |
I don't think it's because you have a letter of release. I think it's more to do with the fact you quit.
| Quote: |
| I would really like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience and if so, what you did about it, because I am concerned that this may cause problems for me in the future. |
Well, if you quit after 6 months, you don't have much experience. You say you have 12 years, but it was obviously elsewhere. Why don't you just start over and not use this 6 month reference instead of betting on an employer only hiring you with 12.5 years?
They aren't going to use those 6 months with kids to give you higher pay. |
Good advice there.
What you experienced is all too common in South Korea; management and unfortunately quite a few workers very often slander employees after they quit.
Examining all the reasons why they do this would probably require a week long psycological conference^^
In one company I worked for, 'English Channel,' head office 'directors' told lies about this so habitually that even the most credulous Korean staff would laugh about the hundreds of people who had supposedly been 'fired' for the most fantastical reasons, and remark how curious it was that in the entire history of the company no one had ever simply quit their job.^^
In my own experience, if you want a reference, get a personal one from an individual manager you trust and worked well with.
Surely you would do this in any country rather than using a general company number as a reference so some unknown bozo can potentially sabotage you?
Last edited by Shapur on Sat Nov 28, 2009 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 5:27 pm Post subject: Re: Falsely accused of taking drugs by previous Hagwon |
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| tfernbank wrote: |
| This is completely untrue and I cannot understand why the school wnat to be so vidictive. |
You (unwittingly) caused a 'loss of face'.
I had a similar situation when I left - on 'good' terms - a (public) job after two years of faithful service. My last day of work was a Friday and my contract expired on the following Tuesday. I got home (5 K outside of a rural, 'hick town') after work on Friday at about 17:30 to find: ALL my utilities were disconnected: no electricity, no phone, no internet and no gas (LPG). I considered burning the place down and salting the earth... but decided against it. 
Never underestimate the vindictiveness of a K. |
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halfmanhalfbiscuit
Joined: 13 Oct 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| They save face over you quitting by saying how bad you were (and add in a little kick with saying you were a druggie. They probably thought about what kind of crim you are. Sexpest wouldn't have sounded right, as these things would have been happening at work. Drugs though would have been off-school and therefore it doesn't reflect on them) |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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I left a hagwon job once and they insisted that I tell the children that I was leaving Korea. I wasn't. They said "it would look bad" if I just left. I eventually convinced them that it was best just to tell the truth. We had a very good relationship, though.
Odd, isn't it? |
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carpetdope
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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| This may be naive but what is the likelihood of getting the University's basis for refusal (ie. drugs) in writing? It could theoretically be used as the basis for a defamation case. Wouldn't that be nice? Teacher slandered by former hagwon, turns tables. One can dream... |
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curiousaboutkorea
Joined: 21 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I too have found that the director/school will slander a teacher to save face. The teacher may bring up something about the school's shortcomings like no/late pay, not giving insurance/pension, not providing an apartment or other breach of contract. Then, suddenly, the teacher is a druggie or is a terrible teacher or the children don't like him/her (hen in fact the kids love him/her). The director will save his or her own face, but not give a [mod edit] about a teacher's face. |
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calicoe
Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, I've heard a lot about this and it is extremely worrying to me. I have a very strong suspicion the Ko-teachers are going to move to do the same to me, despite my working with them on all counts and finishing my contract. I think they are undermining me to the principal (who likes me) so I don't get renewed, and then will have to spin transgressions to justify why they would let go of a responsible and effective teacher. |
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Savant
Joined: 25 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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| curiousaboutkorea wrote: |
| I too have found that the director/school will slander a teacher to save face. The teacher may bring up something about the school's shortcomings like no/late pay, not giving insurance/pension, not providing an apartment or other breach of contract. Then, suddenly, the teacher is a druggie or is a terrible teacher or the children don't like him/her (hen in fact the kids love him/her). The director will save his or her own face, but not give a [mod edit] about a teacher's face. |
This. Completed my contract at a Hagwon. Thought, I left on good terms. Applied for some new positions and was told by one recruiter [who after contacting my previous school] that my boss said bad things about me. Even the recruiter couldn't understand why she was saying those things. Saving face in Korea takes precedence over anything else.
Later, I found out that they employed a new native teacher. Obviously, they wouldn't let that native teacher contact me or lied that there wasn't currently a foreign teacher there [me] because they knew I would put the school down. |
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lukas
Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 5:42 am Post subject: Re: Falsely accused of taking drugs by previous Hagwon |
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| tfernbank wrote: |
What happened to me just emphasises the imporatnce o insisting on a letter of release if you want to get another job in Korea.
I worked for a Hagwon teaching kids for 6 months and decided to leave because I didn't really enjoy teaching kids and have far more experience teaching adults. I gave 8 weeks' notice (I had to give 6) and stayed until the end of the session in accordance with the terms of my contract.
Since a you get a return flight after a year I assumed that since I had been there for 6 months I would not have to pay any of my single flight back. When I was told I would have to, I pointed out that another colleague had left giving 3 weeks' notice and was not asked to pay anything back, so eventually the school gave in.
I asked for a letter of release and the school didn't seem to know exactly what I wanted, so when I finished the job I got a Korean friend to come with me to make sure they gave me the letter and that everything was dealt with in the proper manner bt the Korean Immigration Office.
I continued applying for jobs back in Korea after returning to England and could not understand why I did not seem to be getting anywhere, since I have 12 years' teaching experience. Then two weeks ago, I had a telephone interview with a university who offered me a position. The next day, however, I was told I had been disqualified as my previous employers had told them that I had been taking illegal substances.
This is completely untrue and I cannot understand why the school wnat to be so vidictive. Because I have my Letter of Release, they have now decided to take my word over the hagwon's.
I would really like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience and if so, what you did about it, because I am concerned that this may cause problems for me in the future. |
That's pretty insane, good thing everything turned out for the best though. What kind of drugs did they accuse you of taking? lol |
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thomas pars
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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| if it was me i would go back to your previous work and ask them why they were giving your name ink. Nothing like direct and surprising confrontation. Works anywhere on the globe. |
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TheresaTheresa
Joined: 24 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:18 am Post subject: Re: Falsely accused of taking drugs by previous Hagwon |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| tfernbank wrote: |
| This is completely untrue and I cannot understand why the school wnat to be so vidictive. |
You (unwittingly) caused a 'loss of face'.
I had a similar situation when I left - on 'good' terms - a (public) job after two years of faithful service. My last day of work was a Friday and my contract expired on the following Tuesday. I got home (5 K outside of a rural, 'hick town') after work on Friday at about 17:30 to find: ALL my utilities were disconnected: no electricity, no phone, no internet and no gas (LPG). I considered burning the place down and salting the earth... but decided against it.
Never underestimate the vindictiveness of a K. |
Glad to see this is a common feeling when confronted by the vileness of Korean employers. The only thing that kept me from actually torching the place was that a very kind friend lived in the same building and I did not want her to be homeless after I left.
Great post btw! |
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Depths of My Soul
Joined: 04 Apr 2010
Location: In The Sun
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Because I have my Letter of Release, they have now decided to take my word over the hagwon's. |
I don't think it's because you have a letter of release. I think it's more to do with the fact you quit.
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 Help!!! |
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chellovek
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:35 am Post subject: |
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I was once falsely accused of having Down's Syndrome.  |
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