Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Eglayzer]

Hi,

Its freezing in my library where I work at an elementary school. I can almost see my breath. I have the heater set at 30 degrees everyday but it never gets warm. My hands are very cold to the touch. I have complained to my boss but they just say to bundle up. I can't use my computer with gloves on and I am already wearing VERY warm cloths. Is there a law about minimum teachers working conditions? Is there a law for a minimum temperature in a classroom or office? I would like to make a formal complaint to the labor board about my working conditions but don't know how to go about it. Its not even December yet so its only going to get worse!
If there is not a law for teachers is there a law for students? Like, no students is require to attend class if the temperature is too low? I am already starting to get a cold from this!

Thanks,

[eb]

That depends on YOU. Some people are better at withholding cold air.
Kind of liking building up a "tolerance" ( similier to that of liquor).EB

[sulperman]

If you want to alienate your boss and co-workers and look like a whiny princess, by all means, go ahead and file a complaint.


Or:


Buy yourself a space heater like a bunch of teachers at my school do.

[brento1138]

It's ridiculous isn't it?

I suffered two years of that crap. Never again. I remember how bad it made my day. It just puts you in an awful mood to sit there, freezing. Trying to get warm by a stupid fan-shaped space heater which barely got the temperature anywhere.

It bothered me that the principal was sitting in a very nicely heated room. Also, it bothered me that my students were shivering in their seats. It REALLY pissed me off when my co-teacher opened all of the windows, only to constantly say "choo-ah" ... well... duh, you opened the windows...

I was constantly sick with some lung infection the first winter, and then it returned the second winter. The doctor who X-rayed my lungs noticed something in there, and he said it looked like I was recovering from an infection. I had never coughed up green stuff before in my life, but yup, very green sputum-like stuff was being coughed up... So I took anti-biotics for the first time in my life, and by spring, the problem went away.

But yeah, it's a health concern. It gets your immune system way down, makes you more vulnerable to catching colds and flu, with a possible lung infection as I had. Keep complaining. Or, if your principal keeps an area of the school heated (such as the school office or his personal office), go there during the times you are not teaching. Bring a book. Prepare your lessons there. If he asks what you're doing, say you can't freeze the whole day.

Chances are he's pocketing the money he saves from not heating the school...

I have no idea what the law is, but I doubt it has anything about temperature in it. But seriously, they should do something about that...

[Eglayzer]

They asked me not to buy a space heater because "they look tacky" and they might cause a black out in parts of the school because of the electricity use! What a load of crap. I told them today that I am going to buy ten of the ugliest, oldest, power hungry space heaters I can find and put them all over the room until they fix the heater. I would rather just make a formal complaint to some government body.

[jvalmer]

That's why I love old-school schools with those gas heaters in the middle of the room. No principal controls the main switch, the heat is determined by the students. Always get a kick out of some poor kid that has to go outside to retrieve the gas occasionally.

[NYC_Gal]

My coteacher goes by the book, and told me that the space heaters are illegal (technically, they are). I told her that many of the Korean teachers have them, but she refused to allow me to use mine, so I brought it back home.

I demanded something, so after much arguing and far too long of a wait, I called in sick. I told her the next day that the doctor said that I was sick because I was too cold at work. She had the school pay for 2 "legal" personal heaters that week. They actually are much safer, but cost a lot more (85k apiece instead of the cheaper 20k ones). She decided that if I was getting one, she'd get one too

This winter, I'm nice and toasty by my desk.

Oh, and they look like old-school radiators, though a little smaller and on wheels. Not tacky at all.

[Eglayzer]

Great idea NYC_Gal. I will go to the doctor and ask for some kind of note. I have been coughing up lung butter all week so maybe that will convince them.

[NYC_Gal]

I didn't bring a note. I just stayed home and watched TV and did some laundry in my toasty apartment. A note would probably be best, but I just bluffed

[eb]

NY- I didn't know you were a Public School Teacher. EB

[nobbyken]

Caught flu in my first februaury in an elementary school.
Co-teacher would open windows to make things even colder.
She sat on a heated mat, blanket over her lap with a small heater by her feet.

I used to drink lots of warm drinks, but had no money for a heater so I used to bring a hot-water bottle in and fill it from the water machine in the VPs stafroom. Even with thermal underwear and gloves I got the flu.

Different school now and most classes I take my jacket of for about 20 mins if I get too hot.
These wee heaters are good, but the second you move an inch away they become useless.

[jrwhite82]

I would try the doctor's note route before you do anything official with the labor board. Call in sick, get a doctor's note and get him to write that you shouldn't be in the cold on it.

I was about to go there, but I finally got my coteacher to bend on the heater issue. So I bought one on sale from HomePlus and now my desk is nice and warm! They are hazardous though and some of the homeroom teachers have tripped circuits with theirs.

Invest in some long johns too.

[some waygug-in]

Also, you could invest in a heating pad to put on your chair or under your feet.

I recall some of the Korean staff wrapping up in comforters at their desks.

[rms2279]

. . .

[interestedinhanguk]

I can understand opening the windows, at least where I teach. There's no ventilation system and the classrooms are breeding grounds for disease. This is especially true working with small children who have no sanitary habits.