Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hiddenflask]

i'm approaching the last two months of my contract and things have been heating up. my bosses know i'm not going to stay with them and so they've been picking apart everything i do, pulling me out of classes to yell at me, and having closed door meetings (always a bad sign at my school). they've threatened to fire me twice, but this time it seems a bit more genuine. they love their money and seldom want to part from it, so it seems that they would fire me to save 3,000,000w.

i've heard a lot of stuff about how they can't fire you late in the contract, that there is an actual time frame in which they can fire you, etc, but no one has ever pointed to something that is concrete. is that because there isn't any protection for teachers from this?

they've not offered to pay my pension. they make me pay bills twice (by not paying them and then making me pay the default payment on the next bill), i work beyond contracted hours, and while i lived in the school my coworkers and i were essentially paying the entire school's utilities every month (30,000each for water, 60,000 each for electricity). is there anything i can use against them? is there a way to find out if they've actually been paying my taxes or just pocketing the money? i've looked around and can't seem to find something that specifically addresses my questions. please help!

[wesharris]

The problem here is that you seem to be reacting as if this is personal. So you are providing us with a biased opinion. I would invite you to post the facts unobstructed by your views. See how things are for you then, we shall.

[hiddenflask]

it's not personal, it's just shady. i don't know how much more factual i can be about it. they don't pay my pension, it was never offered. i have shown my bills to koreans, they read them for me. they tell me that even though i have paid my bosses, my bosses haven't paid the bill in 3 months and my water will be shut off. in spite of this, i still don't call my bosses out on it because of the losing face issue. they fired a woman because she was pregnant. they fired a different 19 year old girl who worked 50 hours a week for 3 1/2 weeks and didn't give her any of the 300,000w which was supposed to be her pay (yes, 300,000w). a coworker did a midnight run and they told the parents that his father died. i didn't get health insurance for 6 months. i had to work while i had bronchitis and wasn't given any sick days. i don't know what i can tell you to make it not personal, because since it involves me, it feels pretty personal to me. me saying that they have screwed me out of money and contractual obligations at every turn isn't a matter of bias, but one of fact.i understand what you mean, but i'm just wanting to know if there's anything i can do.

[some waygug-in]

They can do whatever they like. You might try keeping a journal of everything that happens, mark down dates and times.

Sounds like you may be looking at a labour board visit.

[PRagic]

Here's the website for the National Pension Service. Take a look and see if there is a way to report non-payment.

http://www.npc.or.kr/jsppage/english/main.jsp

Here's a site with links to the labour board and associated agencies that may be able to assist you.

http://www.korea4expats.com/article-labor-board-commission.html

Get on this now while you still have enough time left in country to deal with the problem. In many cases, the employer will just pony up what they owe rather than get involved in the settlement process. At any rate, you never know till you try.

[lifeinkorea]

I would go as long as you can. Save up your money, and either when they fire you or when you get your severance, go to the pension office. They will have no record of payments being made, but you can always backpay your share. Then the hagwon is required to match it (that's additional money owed to you beyond your salary). It doesn't sound like they are going out of business, so they should have the money.

If you cause a stink now, they might hold off severance. This will make it more difficult to get money owed to you and will nullify your attempts to receive pension.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[ontheway]

Questions for the OP:

Do you have an E2 visa?

Do you have your Alien Registration Card?

What was the first day you worked under you contract?

What is the last day under your contract?

What is the last day on your ARC?

Do you plan on teaching in Korea after this contract?



Now, honestly, what are the issues about your teaching? Are there any valid issues? Are you a great teacher, terrible, somewhere between? Do they have any legitimate grips about your teaching?


How many students do you teach? Total? Per class?

How is your school doing financially?

[miiooan]

my 2cents. File this under "information I've heard and can't back up."

Small businesses under a certain amount of employees aren't required to pay pension. Like 10 employees or less.

File this under "my story, may or may not relate to yours."

My hogwon "let me go" with 8 weeks left on my contract. I went to the labor board, and they asked me ridiculous questions about what was going on. So definitely keep a journal of what's been happening.
Example. When I was let go, my boss put a box on top of her desk. I assumed it was for me to clean out my stuff. The labor board folks were insanely interested in the box. Did she hand me the box? Did she put any of my belongings in the box? Was the box blue or red? (okay, not the last question.) I understand now that they were interested in seeing if my boss had let me go or if, as she later "stated" (read that "lied,") that I quit.

If you've been "warned" 2 times already, then they can probably fire you without giving you notice. You'll have a certain time period (3 weeks?) to contend your firing. If it was like me (was promised health care then dumped when I needed a moderately expensive procedure) then the board will probably make them keep you on for the duration of the contract and then pay your severance.

If I were in your position, or where I was last year (story above,) I would make as little waves as possible, ride out your contract and hope the place pays your severance.

Good luck

[soakitincider]

never