Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blakely]

I want a release from my Hagwon (offered a Uni job for march).

I Signed a 1 yr contract Aug 1 and wish to break contract and have my release for March 2011. I get on fairly well with the owner, no major problems and they are not a very shady school. I did notice however they do not pay me into pension (illegal) and I have NO health insurance coverage in Korea (which they lied about on the contract, or at least deceived me). I so far went to the pension office in my city to get a form which proves I have not ever paid into the pension while I have been here and plan on using it to go to the labour board if my request for a release on MArch 1st is not granted (asking politely/respectively).


I'm just wondering what else I could do or say to my boss when I finally Approach him after new years about my request for a release form? I figure if I tell him about the offer and me wanting to be closer to Seoul etc. Telling him way in advanced this January so he has time to find someone else, he may be inclined to mutually agree on the release since he need not have to pay for my flight home + my 2.2 bonus at the end of my contract.

BUT

IF he does not agree when I ask him politely (the fact i'm not happy at the school etc etc.) Do you think having this form that proves i'm not paying pension and the fact I will go to the labour board about it if he fails to agree to sign a release will help the situation or just make it worse and achieve nothing. I also have been made to work when a doctor has wrote me a note to take time off and I have not been reimbursed for any medical bills when I was really sick back in the fall. Furthermore, I have to work in rooms that just wreak badly or urine. I'm just trying to think of things that I could also go to the labour board with to help me get a release so I can work for this university. Either way if i don't get the job at the Uni I will break contract anyways and fly back home in March.

Your serious thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated.
cheers

[jdog2050]

Your dad is dying and you need to go home in a month to take over the family business.

Done.

Seriously, you don't have to use that excuse, but just lie somehow. Don't tell the truth, that you're going to another job.

[daemyann]

Opinion #1:
If your message accurately indicates your English ability, you can probably rule out the university job.

Opinion #2:
Of course, it depends on your boss, but more than likely the threat of going to the labour board with such a document would do nothing to sway him in a direction he was not already leaning, (because the labour board would basically do nothing immediately, and he probably is well aware of this) and it would definitely burn a (possibly already burned) bridge.

[nathanrutledge]

Why SHOULD he give you a release? It's not like he gets anything out of doing it, and you're forcing him to find another employee to replace you.

You're creating more work for him, and if you do go to the labor board, then he definitely won't help you out. Also, if you threaten to do it, he probably won't do it. Just get your docs in order and do a visa run.

[GoldMember]

[blakely]

all decent advice...i don't know why people expect professional posts on a forum these days. I'm not going to proofread my posts sorry man.

A few answers are way off the direction I want to go in...i'm not leaving Korea, I just want to think of a way to make this as easy as possible. I don't think it will be a huge problem for him since he is really cheap and this would opt him out of a flight + bonus payment ...but yes it would create work. Why would he force me to stay though if I make it clear i'm leaving regardless.

Worse case scenario, he says he won't release me then how does this Visa run work everyone keeps talking about? Can I do one, even though this job won't sign any release?

[Troglodyte]

If the boss is doing one thing shady, he's probably doing others that you don't know about and willing to do even more if it suits him. I doubt that the labor board will help you much based on what you've said. At most the pension office will make him pay into pension. He has no incentive to give you a letter of release. Asking for it, or in any way implying that you're quitting early will likely mean that you don't get your last salary and get treated badly.

How long have you worked there already? If it's less than 6 months, you can't transfer anyway.

I wouldn't recommend going back home. Just do a visa run to Japan. Or if you really want a break, go to Thailand for a month and then come back to work at the university. You can even get your visa while there.

[blakely]

YA this visa run sounds good, I am just concerned that not giving me a release will impact whether or not i'm eligible for another work visa....if he flat out refuses I just quit then and head to japan for a visa run?

I just thought there were some restrictions and terms which need to be met from the visa I hold right now......I would time this so I can quit before they hold any pay or I work for free.

We get paid monthly and they don't hold 1 month's pay....therefor I could bring this up the day after we get paid. If i do get screwed out of a few 100,000 WON in the end I have all the time in the world afterward to go to labour board and try to get that money out of them...but i wouldn't be too concerned about it. Small price to pay for a Uni job with 1 Million WON pay raise and 5 months paid vacation instead.