Korean Job Discussion Forums

thekingofcheap · Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Location: South Korea

Here's what's happened. Our head foreign teacher has a pet project about revamping our branch's writing curriculum. His plan is to have all the foreign teachers write textbooks. Never mind that we work for one of the largest hagwon chains in the country, with an R&D department already tasked with this job. There is nothing in my contract about designing a curriculum or textbook.

I have refused to do the work on contractual grounds. My head teacher won't actually represent me in this dispute (he'd be representing me against his own project). Other teachers are against the project but so far haven't made any official complaints.

What can I do? I have so far refused any meetings in which all of my foreign coworkers are not present, on the grounds that it affects them all. Head teacher/management say they only take me seriously because I am the only one so far complaining, therefor nobody else will be met with on this issue. I'm currently working on organizing the other four foreign teachers, but they're a ragtag bunch -- one of them does whatever asked, unquestioningly.

My contention is that if we are going to do this project, we need to be paid accordingly. Am I out of line? I know I am in the hagwon world ...

Perceptioncheck · Joined: 13 Oct 2008

I don't think you're out of line at all. Writing a textbook is a shedload of work.

Does the head teacher get any kind of compensation for this, or is he the kind of guy who will do anything for a simple pat on the back from his Korean overlords?

Unlucky if it's the former; even more unlucky if it's the latter.

If I were you, I'd keep trying to get the support of the other teachers. Without it, you're going to seem like you're the sole cause of office tension, contractual obligations aside.

Good luck!

thekingofcheap · Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Location: South Korea

He's actually just a naive idealist who fails to accept that he is nothing but an English-speaking monkey. He thinks it's his ethical duty to change the hagwon system, if only in the branch where he works.

I mean, I like and care about my students to an extent far beyond the intentions of my employer, but I'm not being paid to do something as huge as writing a textbook (with the goal of helping them learn better... as if that were the only thing preventing them). Not only that, it was introduced DURING INTENSIVE SEMESTER! It's due to be used first week of March. Neverminding the contractual obligations, this is more than a tad unrealistic, no???

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

20k won for every hour you are expected to work on it.

If they say yes, you have a nice packet of overtime.
If they say no, then don't do it.

Side effect: you may not get renewed but really, at that rate, who would want to. There are lots of other hagwans out there.

.

shifty · Joined: 21 Jun 2004

OP, what you have done so far is out of line with standard procedure. Which is to nod, smile, agree and carry on like before.

Thank the Head Teacher profusely for entrusting you with this mission. Three months down the line tell him the stuff you've got so far has turned out not in keeping with excellence and you're starting afresh.

And so forth. It's easy. Don't make a meal of it.

Perceptioncheck · Joined: 13 Oct 2008

Riker · Joined: 28 Dec 2010

Just take a book and paraphrase it. Maybe 3-4 hours work. Claim it took you a month or more to do and collect your overtime pay.

Problem solved. Your boss is a monkey.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

This isn't really worth commenting on. Writing a textbook - FOR FREE!

Come on!

thekingofcheap · Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Location: South Korea

thekingofcheap · Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Location: South Korea

thekingofcheap · Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Location: South Korea

Here's the latest development, in case anybody's wondering:

After I demanded to have open discussion with all foreign teachers about the project and our contractual rights, I was denied due to the fact that nobody else is making complaints except for me. Now I'm falling on my own sword and probably just going to take the write-up for failing to do the work. But that's BS because I don't want to sign anything that says I'm a "bad employee" when all I'm doing is standing up for my right to be paid for extra work. Worse, I actually tried to take up for my coworkers. Who's the naive idealist now?

Anyway, my last resort might be Avalon corporate HR. Since they are the ones who actually draw up the contracts, and since I know that my director DEFINITELY doesn't want news of disorder reaching the ears of HQ, I think I can gain a lot of leverage. Then again, I might be playing with fire.

ssuprnova · Joined: 17 Dec 2010 Location: Saigon

jrwhite82 · Joined: 22 May 2010

Does your contract say anything about designing and created materials for class?

I know that normally means cutting out some flash cards or making a worksheet/test. But your boss might try to use this as an excuse to make you do a TON of work.

I'd keep fighting the good fight. When you are given the letter you should be allowed to write your own letter and staple them together. At one of my previous jobs back in the states my boss needed a scapegoat for a low sales quater so he chose me because I kind of embarrassed him in a meeting. (oops) I refused to sign his letter and instead stapled my own letter to his letter refuting everything he said. I can be a real PITA when I want to be. But that was the end of it.

Anyway, you should check your contract. Most list your job responsibilities. Are you expected to work on this outside of school? Is your planning period already full of things to do? Is your schedule full? If you have no time available at work, I would agree to try to work on it while it is within your working hours.

My old hagwon boss once told me to transcribe scripts from Toy Story 2 and The Incredibles. Do you know how long it takes to manually type out dialogue 100% accurately. I told him it will take me a lot of time to do. I swear I must have watched each scene 5 times to get it right. Luckily, he agreed to pay me 150,000W a pop (and I found one already done online! shhhhh)

Your boss should pay you extra for this.

thekingofcheap · Joined: 09 Sep 2010 Location: South Korea

@ssupernova:

For once, Avalon isn't the problem. My particular branch and its director/head teacher/foreign head teacher combo are the problems. Not that I'm terribly confident about going to corporate HQ, but I've heard they HATE my director for being unreasonable and demanding (the same reason we do!).

@jrwhite82:

That's a really good question and I already thought of it. My contract says NOTHING even close to this. It says only that I must teach no more than 30 hours a week without overtime and spend the required number of hours on the clock (in my case, 2.30 to 9.30). I guess that means they can say "this is a reasonably expected job duty to be completed during working hours," and if they did say that, I'd probably shut up and do it, which is why I think asking for a native English speaker from HR to come interpret my contract is my best course of action (outside of getting a lawyer). If I failed on this point, I'd only work on the project after all other job duties had been completed. Let's just say that my students would have particularly well-marked essays ...

For sure, I will be given a schedule with no breaks next semester and the Korean head teacher, who's already a micro-manager, will be scrutinizing me even more closely than usual.

Thanks to everyone for your support. It's not as bad as getting paid weeks late, but I AM getting screwed, as are my spineless coworkers. Last time I try to help other people out of a situation they bitch to me about on a daily basis...

jrwhite82 · Joined: 22 May 2010