Korean Job Discussion Forums

[darren0946uk]

hi there,

I'm in my second year with a Gepik public school. I do need you your help.

Well just last Friday I was asked by my co-teacher. "can you work next Saturday" notice the "can". I replied" I'm sorry I'm busy with my wife" Ok are you ready. She was like "what, sorry you have to work, the last teacher did, and I told you once a year you may have to work on a Saturday when I interviewed you"
However I don't reacall her saying this when she interviewed me, Plus I also told her that overtime is something we choose to do not have to do.
yet she was like no you have to do it!
She then went on to tell me, it would be only for 5 classes. So I asked "how much will I get payed for the day?". She said 70,000 won. I asked her "how did you get that figure" she replied "it was the admin not me." Yet I told her in my contract it 20,000 won per class. She was like "please show me this." which I will show her tomorrow.

she also had the balls to say I'm being selfish just thinking of my wife not our school. My wife whom is all alone at home and we our in our first year of mariaged. I pointed out that I come to school monday to Friday and the weekends is my time with my wife.
Sorry if I'm going to upset anyone now. But WTF are we slave to the schools, and who's really being selfish here. As I know if I don't show up its going to look bad for her. Hence its all about her face to save and she need her puppy dog to help me. Yet no treats, or anyrespect for this dog

So please if anyone can point me to the labour law where we don't have to do overtime this dog will wag his tail for you. Take care

[TheUrbanMyth]

[chiarezza]

yes, check your contract. my boss (at a hagwon) tried to get me to work overtime, but I just pointed to my contract and that was that.

best of luck.

[CentralCali]

OP: Are you a GEPIK teacher or are you an after-school program teacher at a school in Gyeonggi?

[ED209]

Doesn't matter what the last teacher did, or what may have been said at the interview. It's what's in your contract. If she insists after seeing the contract, then contact your POE/ supervisor.

This isn't a criticism of anyone, just an observation. Do remember to pick your battles. Teachers in most countries are expected to treat it as more than just a job, and that teachers should put in a little extra. You could use this to negotiate, perhaps for time off from desk warming.

If you're not happy at work, and not planning on re-signing, then screw-em.

[OculisOrbis]

It's a Saturday - you dont have to do it all. If they wont pay you a satisfactory rate for the day, just say ' NO! . They can require up to 6 OT hours during regualr work times, but everything above 6 hr or outside M-F/9-5 is OPTIONAL for the teacher.

70 000 for 5 classes on Saturday? No, thanks. I'm very sorry, but I'm too busy.

Even if they offered me 20 000 per class for a Saturday, I would politely decline their offer to infringe on my free time.

40 000 per class for 5 classes? No problem. What time do you want me there?

[sallymonster]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[CentralCali]

[darren0946uk]

[ThingsComeAround]

I've gotten the schtick (from former co-teachers) that they had to work on Sat boo hoo. Yes. "Work" being sitting in a room watching movies eating snacks.

Your co-teacher is taking a hott piss all over you.
She says you are being "selfish" for spending time with your wife? Is she married? To the job doesn't count!

Not sure what to say. Co-teachers have influence when we want to renew our contract/get a referral to another job. Try explaining it to her politely that you need time with your wife's family (if your wife is Korean) or your wife is sad/lonely. If she is cool, invite her out for dinner. If she isn't cool is there someone else above her you can confide in?

[3DR]

This is what the 2009 contract says:

Article 7(Work Hours)
1. Employee shall work eight (8 ) hours per day including lunch hour for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays and Korean national holidays.

Just check your 2010 contract...I doubt this has changed. Any work on Saturday in GEPIK in purely voluntary.

[CentralCali]

Your contract is different than the Korean teachers' contract. The Korean teachers get an incredible bonus twice a year compared to our no bonus at all), the Korean teachers are tenured at the outset compared to our annual renewal rigmarole, there are far more than three levels of salary for the Korean teachers compared to our three or four levels, just to name a few.

Sorry, friend, you helped create this situation by buying into the bs about "harmony" and "Korean work culture." The contract exists for a purpose and that purpose is not to trick Immigration into giving you a visa.

[some waygug-in]

Some co-teachers have no clue.

I had a similar situation come up and I was with an EPIK school.

They wanted me to Take a 30 minute bus ride to a place I'd never been and find where I was supposed to go on my own dime.

Not to mention that they were only paying 7,000 won/hr for the thing and I was expected to be there for 6 - 8 hours.

It was a community fair type thing and none of the teachers from that city would do it, so they tried to force me because I was out in the country.


The thing is they had asked me about it a few days earlier and I turned it down. Then my co-teacher called me up in the middle of class at my second school and told me I "had to" do it.

I just told her no.

She was a bit miffed for a few days but got over it.


She just assumed that as a foreigner I should agree to anything she asked.

I really didn't care if I were renewed or not.

[PatrickGHBusan]