Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MalFSU1]

I actually have the opposite problem as the OP ...my coteacher will pretty much force me to go home if I feel the slightest bit ill. I'll try to convince her I'm okay and can make it through, but she will do anything short of throwing me into her car to get me to go home and "rest". I worry a bit what the principal and vice principal think about it, but I really don't want to fight my coteacher too hard because she's so intent on me going home.

[le-paul]

ive got a visual image akin to 'bugsey malone' with you getting in the car as the the tables in the classroom flip over and start serving soju...

[jonpurdy]

[lowpo]

[rowdie3]

0 days taken sick in 7 years here.
Missed one one hour class due to food poisoning.

I remember in my first year I had severely injured my ankle at Tae Kwon do. Called the director:

Me: I am hurt really bad. I can't walk. I am at the hospital.
Director: Well, you better hurry. Your class starts in one hour.
Me: Not sure if I am going to make it. I need an xray.
Director: See you by 7pm.

That's just the way it goes. Would refuse to go in if I was ever vomitting or unable to get out of bed. Otherwise, I tough it out.

[thegadfly]

Rowdie,

One sick day in 8 years, but I had spent the night in the hospital hooked up to an IV -- couldn't make it to my 8 am class, as I hadn't been released from the hospital yet...wanted to one-up ya, but I can't...unless you get sick this year

Watch yer back !

[rowdie3]

LOL! I have a challenger eh? I better start pumping the vitamin C before flu season hits.

[benjaminthunderbolt]

[thegadfly]

Benjamin,

If there were substitutes available for 20,000 won an hour, there would be no full time teachers -- schools would simply use the substitute service, as it is cheaper than airfare, apartment, health insurance, pension, and salary, even if the person is working 120 classes a month.

There is NOT a widespread subsitute teaching service -- I have heard it bemoaned many times, but other than other teachers at the school picking up the slack, I have neither experienced nor even heard of it happening. Sure, I have covered other people's classes, and have even seen folks from one school ask for help from other foreigners in the community...but getting someone you know to cover for you is a far cry from a systematic method of finding a short-term replacement, or even a sub for a day....

[hubbahubba]

Sick, is a not a concept they embrace in Korea. Accept it, or move on.

[sigmundsmith]

you guys are lucky. try working for a university. we get no sick days at all. not in the contract.

we have to make up the classes that we were sick.

so there. beat the 6 hours - no sick days

[bobbybigfoot]

I work for a company that offers no sick days, but if you need one, take it, you are just going to see your pay docked. That's pretty good motivation.

The other motivator is this: do it too often and good luck getting re-signed.

Me: three and half years in Korea and zero sicks days. My one bout of flu happened to me over Christmas holidays.

Record: my friend back in Canada (where sick days are taken like candy). 13 years of teaching. His entire career. Its his intention to be able to say, "I've gone more whole career without ever missing a day."

As an aside, he asked his principal for an extra couple hundred dollars to pay for some activities for his grade 6 class. No, sorry, can't do it, don't have the money. He looked him deadpan and said, "Take it from the money you have saved for not having had to pay for a substitute teacher over the past X years (at that school)." He got the money.

[NYC_Gal]