Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Homer]

Junior??



Thats a laugh.

[Ilsanman]

Groitto, you just prove yourself to be a fool with no class.

Homer, you are nothing more than a troll. The worst kind, too. The ones still in denial.

[Homer]

Ilsanman...Judge Judy has spoken...

How am I a troll Ilsanman? I would really like to know.

Also, oh wise one, what am I in denial from?

[lush72]

[TheUrbanMyth]

Have they breached the contract? Then give notice and quit. If they haven't then suck it up.

Fairly simple.

[just because]

I've got one(he is a good guy though).
So I'm going on a visa run next week and he suggests flying me to Osaka and I said don't worry about that, its cheaper to put me on a boat to Fukuoka(how stupid I was).

So he knows there are 2 boats, the Bettle(3 hours) and the Camelia(15 hours) and he tries to sell how good the camelia is(I get seasick for that long a trip) and I turn around and tell him I've been to japan about 20 times and from Busan 5 times so buy me the Bettle ticket please.

I've saved him a recruiter ticket and an airfare here as i sought him out but he is still too tight to buy me a Beetle ticket. I said if I go over on the Camelia(a saving of 30 000 won) I'll get to japan and not come bacK(i have friends in Fukuoka).

You may think I'm being a fuss pot but after saving him at least 2.5 million won he is too tight to spring for the fast ferry the *beep*.

[Seoultrader]

[phaedrus]

Nothing more pathetic than to walk into your staffroom and see your supervisor dividing up into six small boxes a yearly supply of materials for each teacher.

[Ilsanman]

Homer, you come on and attack someone. At least Gord or other people will use some facts to back it up.

You are in denial of being a troll.

Questions answered.

[Homer]

[ulsanchris]

Grotto how much time do you have to put in until you get over time. If i remember right you said you that you put in 37 hours per week. I think most contracts start paying you overtime after 30. From what you said you don't get paid any over time. You might want to check out your contract and see if you qualify for any over time. Also is that 37 hours time spent at the school or time actually teaching. I would just like to get a few facts straight here. If those 37 hours include prep time than thats part of being a teacher. we don't get paid for prep work just class time.

Incompotent bosses suck, but that seems to be the norm in the hogwon business.

looking at your costs for calculating how much your boss is making you forgot to add in bus drivers. which will cost your boss between 1.5 to 2 mill a month. Rent for space is probably 1 mill per month. also whatever tax he pays. cost for supplying apartments for the foriegn teachers and also having to have store enough money to pay for recruitement fees, plane tickets and year end bonuses for two teachers each year. still with 250 students he should be able to pull in a lot of cash after expenses.

Most of the risk comes in at the beginning of hogwon. At first it's usually a struggle to get enough students to make money. Also changing teachers is pretty risky.

Also bosses have to do things that we don't usually see, unless they have a manager to handle them. One big thing the bosses have to do is talk to parents all the time, which is a hassle because most parents usually have something to bitch about. Korean parents tend to be demanding customers.

ONe thing to remember is that the beauty of being the boss is that you get to give the orders and make the most money. If you don't like become your own boss.

If you don't like the way your are being paid and think you are worth more. Ask for a raise. If your boss doesn't give the raise quit and go to a better school. If you are unhappy where you are, only you can remedy the situation.

[Grotto]

Well Ulsanchris

the way it works is like this...

I was working 2-8:10 for the first 5 months of my contract, then came the January winter vacation for many of my students from public school. They changed my schedule from 2-8:10 to 11:00 am to 7:00 pm no problem it is just for one month Well after the winter vacation finished they changed the schedule from 2-8:10( where I was getting 80,000 won a month in overtime) to 2-9:30 and no overtime.

My schedule reads like this
2-2:25
3-3:50
4-4:50
5-5:50
6-6:45
6:45-7:30
7:40-8:25
8:30 to 9:30
in my books this far exceeds the 30 hours a week I signed up for.....what they are saying is the 10 minutes in between classes does not count....if I am only being paid for 30 hours a week then I dont do prep...I dont make phone calls....I dont do anything outside of class time. Do the math it works out to be about 37 hours a week + but the stupid dipshyts dont figure it like that

I also arrive at school 30 minutes prior to my classes and prepare for the day....during my 25 minute break I also do marking and more prep. Whoever says that prep time is not part of teaching time is an idiot

When a schedule goes from 2-8:10 to 2-9:30 without compensation it is crap I have looked at my legal options and I can demand a letter of release for violation of my contract(Korean labour boards exact words) they cannot change the schedule without your express 'written consent' without violating your contract. Other than that 'nada'

I am only 3.5 months away from finishing and I want the year end bonus.

This hogwan sticks 3 year olds in with 8 and 9 year olds and expects you to teach them....all they care about is that 120,000 won a month they dont care how many students you have...what age they are...or what you do with them...as long as the won keeps coming in.

I actually have a degree in Education(secondary) but even I know you cant teach kindergarten students the same way you do elementary.

This hogwan has gone through over 14 teachers in 2 years...both korean and foriegn. The longest that anyone has stayed was Xuth and they canned her 50 weeks in(they paid her year end bonus but docked her the last two weeks wage....she was still owed 2 weeks holidays) It is Mickey Mouse crap like this that curls my tail

The latest I booked my 7 days of holidays that I can take after the proportional period of my contract has been fulfilled(proportional period is 6 months...am I wrong?) and they are saying I am responsable for finding a replacement...housing them at my apartment or I cant take my holidays. I have given them a month and a halfs notice for when I want my vacation....especially considering the screwing they gave Xuth

I am just tired of beind at the school 7.5 hours a day working 11 classes a day 5 days a week. Most places only make you work about 30-35 classes a week not 55. I have been very patient and calm for the last 3 months but enough is enough!

[some waygug-in]

I'd definately say you are being ripped off. It is illegal for them to just change the contract without your approval.

Either tell them you will only teach 6 classes a day or quit, but don't put up with it.

My instincts tell me that they won't let you go back to a reasonable schedule, but if you tell them that you will quit if they don't stop this, then maybe they might listen.

Did you agree to the change in classes? If you did, then there's not much you can do......... except quit.

If you didn't agree, just get out of there.

[Grotto]

Hell No I did not agree to the change in hours

Like I said though I am only 3 .5 months away from the bonus....its amazing what you put up with for the big old 6 million won final cheque.

2 mil monthly salary+2 mil severence+2.138400in pension contributions. Thats a fair sized chunk of cash to walk away from...100 days to go and counting.

The stupid thing is that I don't want to leave my students hanging...I really dont give a damn about the owners or director but I do like my students and they are the ones who would suffer if I up and quit....

I am willling to tough it out, now that it is nicer I have been going to the coast for a couple of days a week hanging out at the beach and relaxing..it is good to get away from it all.

Just take a big breath and pray it doesn't get any worse

What really twists my tail is the fact that my co-worker who works 2 classes a week less than I do gets overtime.....no rhyme no reason....our director couldn't find his ass with his hands in his back pockets.

Breathe....in and out..... just breathe

[Gord]