Korean Job Discussion Forums

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I'm five months into my contract and have not taken a single day off work. The only time I've missed even a single class was when I was so sick that my boss literally forced me to go to the hospital.

Anyway, my father has informed me that he can visit me sometime this summer (end of June or anytime in July) for a few weeks. I'd like to take a week straight off of work.

What would your recommendations be for making this request of my boss?

Note: I am not interested in hearing "You'll never get it", "Quit dreaming", "HAHAHA, NOT GONNA HAPPEN" from all you naysayers. I just want some friggin' legit advice for once.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Don't you have a week or two of paid vacation written into your contract? If you do, that should be plenty of notice for you to question your boss about taking one of them when your dad comes. I thought most contracts offered a bit of paid vacation. If not, then I guess you're actually asking for a week of unpaid vacation, and seeing as how this is still several months in the future, and you have such a solid work history so far, he'd have to be quite the ass to deny you that.

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

Well Corp, I have 12 days of paid vacation that I can use... the thing is, they can only be used (direct quote from contract coming),

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I may also consider using 4 of the days so that for the last month I'm in Korea, I only have to work 4 day weeks... that would be nice, just like college (I only had a class on Friday for 2 out of my 8 semesters).

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

lush72 · Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: I am Penalty Kick!

Good luck man, with your contract, you are really gonna need it!

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

Friggin' naive ass ryleeys comin' over here... I honestly had no clue what the hell I was doing 6 months ago when I decided to come here and went through the subsequent process. I can only be thankful that I'm not in any worse of a situation... mostly, my situation isn't overly bad compared to what Korea can do to some people. It just isn't the right situation for me.

But I think this vacation thing is going to be real big in terms of deciding to finish my contract or just randomly disappear.

I would like to do the negotiating myself, without the Korean teacher translating... It's never been mentioned to me, but I get the impression that the last Korean teacher, a good friend of mine now, caught flack whenever she translated requests on my part to the director. There was one case where I was very insistant upon having proper medical insurance, and not just a 50/50 arrangement, as well as paying all of my proper taxes (I like doing things by the books). The Korean teacher came back to me the next day looking very unhappy and said the directors response was, "I pay him enough money, let him set up his own taxes and insurance."

lush72 · Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: I am Penalty Kick!

tokki · Joined: 26 Jul 2003

Negotioate a time, tell your father when you have the week off, and thats it. Tell your boss that your father is coming over. Be honest and see how it plays out.

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

osangrl · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Location: osan

i had the same thing come up last year Ryan, when my mom came. I worried and worried about asking for the time off....but finally, i just went in and said....my mom is coming , i want to take a week off, i think i deserve this because.......and talk about how wonderful you are.

good luck and don't worry....take the time off, its important for you and ur dad.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

I feel for you! I am going through the same type of stress too.

I get 10 days paid vacation, 3 days are reserved for the schools summer holiday(end of July) and the other 7 may be taken after the proportional period of the contract has been fulfilled.(I take proportional to be after 6 months..am I wrong? Confused

)

Anyway I have been here 8 months and gave a month and a half notice as to when the time I wanted off was. Get this! They want me to find a replacement for myself Shocked

they want my replacement to stay at my apartment Shocked

I had to sit down with the owner(director here is a joke Laughing

) and say, no! my apartment is my apartment Exclamation

I am not responsible for finding my replacement Exclamation

that is the directors resposability Exclamation

I have given plenty of notice and will be taking these days off Exclamation

They are not happy but tough crap. I am looking for a replacement but if I cant find one I am not cancelling my holiday.

I asked them when it would be convienient to take my holidays and they said once you finish your contract.. Exclamation

to quote Andrew Dice Clay UNFREAKIN BELIEVABLE Exclamation

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Grotto,
Your director is an ass.
I recommend changing your locks while you are gone.

intergalactic · Joined: 19 May 2003 Location: Brisbane

Just because, I thought your avatar was a platypus.

ryleeys, I wouldn't ask a Korean teacher to go ask your boss and come back to tell you the outcome. Why don't you go in together, maybe at the end of the day where you could sit down with some drink or snack that you have brought. Bring your calendar. Make the atmosphere nice (even if your boss is an ass), and say,
"Director, as you know, family is so important. I would like to buy my father a ticket to come and see this wonderful country. He can come in June or July. Please tell me which week would be possible for my time off." Hold out the calendar. Let Director hum and haw, wait as long as it takes. When he tells you the week (if you get 5 days off you have bookended weekends, that's 9 days, is that enough?) kindly and with two hands offer him the pen and calendar and ask him to mark it in.
If he says he will think about it, sweetly say OK and wait another week and go through the whole thing again.
If he doesn't give you an answer come back in here and we will make more suggestions.
If he says no to time off, repeat "But isn't family important?", and very calmly point out the fact that you haven't had a day off yet, and your students like you, and it really would be fair to give you some time off.

I have to admit though, from my time in a hagwon, I can see why they want you to take the days at the end of the year. It is difficult to hire someone to cover you for a short time, and if your co-workers do it they are lumped with a big burden. I don't know how big your school is but maybe you could look at the schedules and see who could take which classes, or perhaps there are similar levelled classes on at the same time that could be combined for a silly one-hour game or something. One of the reasons the Director might say no is because he cannot be bothered to figure out how to rearrange your classes.

The biggest thing is not to say "I'm owed!" and get angry when it's denied. Sucking up and looking like you're trying to help works wonders.

good luck.

p.s. I think proper medical insurance is in fact 50:50 paid by the employer and employee.