Korean Job Discussion Forums

[northway]

My school is making the three teachers of our seven year old kindergarten classes come in for a mandatory overnight this weekend, 1 PM Saturday to 1 PM Sunday. In return, those teachers get to come in at 2 PM (rather than 9 AM) on Monday. There will be no overtime pay. They only informed them of this two weeks ago, and rather than our director informing all the teachers together, she told one of them to tell the others (I assume as a means of staving off a riot).

Thank God I'm not one of those teachers, but what would you do? Have any of you had something like this sprung on you? I'm a bit concerned about the precedent. Also, though it's late, they're considering asking for a bit more in return for such a huge time commitment. Any thoughts or recommendations are highly appreciated.

[gogophoto]

[oldtactics]

Maybe my response is because I've been here for a couple years now, but... who cares? Have none of them ever done an overnight camp before? Are their lives going to be so traumatised by having to work on a Saturday morning one time?

Surely their food and accomodations are being paid for - what else are they planning on asking for? Extra money? They can probably get some basic overtime pay, but don't count on it.

What are they being asked to do? Will it just be foreign teachers, or is the entire kindy staff going to be there? My opinion of the situation would probably change if it turns out that they're the only ones dealing with the kids for the entire night, but I hope that's not the case!

[litebear]

[Chris.Quigley]

[northway]

Two Korean teachers are going, but they're getting the whole day off on Monday because they don't have elementary to teach, which seems a hell of a lot more reasonable.

I think it's a bit absurd to say it's not a big deal to go an entire week without a day off with no compensation.

The contract language says something about occasional weekend activities, which up until this point has been things that last three hours or so, i.e. coming in to meet prospective parents and a play. They've never done the overnight before, but now that the precedent is set that it's a freebie I'm concerned with what other crap they might pull.

[jonpurdy]

Twenty four hours at whatever overtime rate is set in your contract. As a public school teacher, I wouldn't work for less than 30,000 * 24.

That's basically ruining your co-workers' Saturday and Sunday so if they didn't want to pay overtime I'd do it for no less than two extra vacation days.

Accepting anything less is pretty gutless. And make sure they all agree with this.

For those who are reading this who haven't been hired yet, this is why you should work for a public school and not a hagwon.

(I apologize for the bluntness but it's a pretty crazy thing for your director to ask for.)

[winterfall]

I've always been curious why people agree. No contract says you have to teach at overnight camps and help chaperon students. That's a 24 hour work day. But threads like this always seem to pop up. Worse comes to worse if they put a bag over your head and throw you in a van. Run away at the first gas station.

[FDNY]

[winterfall]