Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Icewontolla]

Okay background, I work at a hogwon and teach 30 classes a week. (down from what it used to be) 9:50-6:00. 2.2 mill won My wife started today working with me part time. She teaches 20 hours a week. 9:50-3:00 1.5 mill won. My owner came today and wanted me to ask my wife if she could teach another age group amounting to about 10 more hours a week. I hinted that 30 hours a week is more than most foreign teachers work full time and she replied that my wife would still leave earlier than us. She also said she would bump up my wifes pay to 1.7 mill won. This seems like a horrible deal since my wife would have hardly any breaks and is working more than most people for less money. It would also be a very rough day working straight with no breaks and doing my amount of classes in a shorter time. I feel like she's trying to strong arm this and I'm not very happy about it. What do you think we should do or say? My wife isn't comfortable with doing it either and feels it's way too much work for the part time she signed up for originally. I have to give an answer tomorrow morning so any help and speed in answering would be very appreciated.

[radcon]

So they want your wife to work 40 extra hours a month for the princely sum of 200,000. That works out to 5000 an hour. Do you really need to ask advice on here?

[Icewontolla]

I completely agree with you that it's a bad deal. I just don't know what to tell them. I hate the idea and my wife hates the idea. But the boss is going to be seriously pissed if we turn this down, not to mention I don't know what the hogwon will do since there aren't any other foreign teachers. My boss is an idiot she just signs up more kids without thinking about who's going to teach them, assuming we're just going to roll over about it. She also thinks I have too much break time because I don't prepare, (nothing more to prepare I teach preschool and they have assigned pages every day, plus I'm good at my job and always have things done early), doesn't understand why teaching so many hours without a break is a problem, and thinks I work under what most people do because I'm not teaching every hour. She doesn't understand that we are supposed to be paid for the amount of classes we teach not the hours on our schedule. It's really fucking frustrating. It's been more relaxed this last month and I've finally gotten to enjoy a more peaceful schedule (even teaching 30 classes a week, before was like at 36, taught 9 classes with one break a day) and now this bullshit.

Also just to bitch she expects us to be there when we don't have classes, banned the internet except for quick e-mails (I was hardly ever on anyway) and we have to clean the school at night before we go home. (like mop, take out trash,wipe down tables)

[ttompatz]

[Icewontolla]

Sorry for the long posts but again I agree we shouldn't take it but how the hell do break the news? She's going to be pissed I think...(I don't know how else they'll be able to do the new age group) I don't want shitty working conditions.

Any way to get my owner to understand that we are paid for the amount of classes we teach not how long we are there? (it's her first time running a hogwon, school opened when i got there) The hogwon owner doesn't have to pay for anything (including airfare and rent), she's getting all the goods.. (my wife is not qualified for e2 btw)

She made the argument to me once that I'm paid for teaching 30 hours and because a class isn't a full 60 minutes she adds those on and thinks she can make me and anyone else teach much more. Like I said at one point I was teaching 35-36 classes a week with no extra pay. Actually most of our staff was overworked and a lot of us were talking about quitting so some changes were made and she got a lot nicer.

[tideout]

[Icewontolla]

[littlelisa]

[Icewontolla]

Thanks to everyone that has replied so far. We're going to turn her down..we talked it over and the only reason my wife took the job was because it was part time and wouldn't be too stressful. She doesn't want the extra hours at all and I think it's fair to say that to the owner. She signed on for part time and that's what she's going to do. We're also going to explain that it doesn't matter when she leaves it's the class hours, and that working with no break every day is too stressful. If the hogwon owner doesn't like that she can get rid of my wife but then there's no new english teacher to teach her classes, kids will pull out of the school, and she'll have to hire a teacher that she'll pay 500,000 a month for (rent) and airfare.

[tideout]

[PatrickGHBusan]

The big question (as asked by Tom) is, is your wife legal (working under an E2 visa). Additionally, is her part time job at your school registered as her second place of employment or does she have a contract with your school?

Honestly, if she is illegal, there is nothing she can do about it but try and make the best deal possible.

If this is her second work location, I would drop it like a stone and move on.

If this is her sponsor (ie the school that gave her her visa) then this is damned odd that she is a part time worker.

Good luck to you both.

[SeoulNate]

[Icewontolla]

Ah well she isn't working illegally because it's part time at a hogwon. She just can't do full time right? This is what I was told... She's here on a spousal visa not an e-2. And frankly we don't really need the extra cash it's just a nice thing on the side, no contract signed yet, today was her first day.

And she's qualified enough to not work for 5,000 won an hour for more classes then most full time qualified teachers teach.

[ttompatz]

[Icewontolla]

That doesn't make sense to me...because the owner sent in her arc card to immigration (or somewhere)...I asked her several times to make sure and she assured me it was okay. Now I'm getting worried...can someone confirm this. (Thanks for bringing it to my attention I just want to be positive)