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goyangi
Joined: 16 Dec 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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 Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:06 am Post subject: Advice About Current School |
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Here's the situation:
I work 55+ hours a week and this doesn't count the 10+ I spend outside of work at meetings. I teach 12 completely unrelated English classes WITH ZERO CURRICULUM. I have zero breaks because technically I have to watch and care for all the kids I teach. I work at a nursery school/hagwon. I've been letting everything go because I've been so busy working; however, now I'm at the point where I'm REALLY sick from exhaustion and working on pneumonia/bronchitis.
My kids' parents are complaining to my boss that she's not taking care of me because everyone can tell I'm sick and exhausted and my boss lies to them. The Korean teachers at my school only teach 5-6 classes, and 3/4 of them just quit and will be gone by February!! Okay, honestly...this is just me ranting.
The real problems come down to the fact that I don't have health insurance. No matter how many time I remind my boss I'm supposed to have the National Health Insurance she doesn't let me leave my school. I'm not allowed off premises during working hours. She barely let me get my ARC.
The second problem is I'm not "registered" as a teacher at her school. She told me she needed my passport and I believed her at first and she made the joking comment, "I don't want you running to Japan or something." It took me three months and a coworker to get my passport back from her, and I'm STILL not registered. (I HAVE MY PASSPORT NOW!) Does that mean I'm working illegally? I mean, my visa is legit, but I'm technically not a registered employee.
The third problem is the way she pays me. I'm used to Japan and the states where I receive something "formal" for my work. Instead my boss prints out a word document of my accrued fees removed from my "pay" and was paying me in cash until I just got a bank account. She also "says" she's taking out the taxes for the government, but it just seems kind of weird and I just don't know.
(T__T) I don't have health insurance. She's told another foreigner and I that she won't do the pension plan and she tried to brush off our comments about the health insurance by saying, "It's too expensive/just use mine/local insurance is cheaper." Honestly, I thought I was just being weak/homesick/etc., but now I think maybe my situation is not a good one...
I just want to teach not deal with all this other stuff...I just need advice at this point on what I should do about my situation. This is beyond what I'm used to dealing with. |
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littlelisa
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:01 am Post subject: |
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You should find another school.
If you have a visa and an ARC, you're fine/registered, but even then, she is overworking you (surely it doesn't say so many hours in your contract???), cheating you on pension and medical insurance, likely pocketing the taxes, etc. I would not even try to negotiate with her, just find another school. She is not going to offer you pension, etc no matter what. I WOULD definitely report her to the tax office and to the pension office.
In the future, make sure to always read through the contract carefully and also always ask for current (and past) employees contact information for references. Good luck! I hope you can find somewhere better. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:18 am Post subject: |
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Your working hours are nuts.
I dont know what you mean when you say you're not "registered" -- if you have your ARC, you are.
Its a sad fact that many hagwons break the law by not paying into national health & pension. A few here have gotten that rectified after drawn out involvement with the labor board. Maybe others can chime in with specific advice. I bet the owner is pocketing your tax deductions too.
Your situation really sounds like a worst case scenario. I feel sorry for you, you sound like a nice person. But what you describe should serve as a warning for other naive job seekers. Do your research!
I'd quit. You are being exploited. You are not your boss's slave. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:51 am Post subject: |
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Registered with the MOE is an issue for your boss, not for you.
Registered with immigration is an issue for YOU.
- If you have been in Korea for more than 90 days (on any visa other than a Canadian on a B2 (6 month) entry stamp) and do not have an ARC you have problems with immigration. Get thee down to immigration tomorrow or face the consequences.
If you do in fact have your ARC then you are just plain being exploited.
- Time for a quick trip to Japan (handing in your ARC on the way through passport control to get clear of your visa) or better yet, a couple weeks on the beaches of the Philippines or Thailand to unwind. Get a new set of documents and find a new job that is less exploitative.
' |
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goyangi
Joined: 16 Dec 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| I do have my ARC. Okay...but I if what she's doing is exploition should I report her somehow some way? I don't want another foreigner to go through what I am. I'm also concerned because I really don't want to have to pay back my flight ticket or my receuitment fee when she is the one not following the contract... I'm already on month 6 of my contract... |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| pay back my flight ticket or my receuitment fee |
A teacher does NOT need to pay any recruitment fees.
Let me indoctrinate you to the wonders of the "midnight runner".
You get your next pay, and 2 days before you pack up all your stuff. When you see the numbers get higher in your bank account you leave Dodge. |
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littlelisa
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:32 am Post subject: |
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| Honestly, I never suggest a midnight run, but do a midnight run. Leave after payday, don't worry about paying her back for anything. Don't tell her that you mean to leave!!! |
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goyangi
Joined: 16 Dec 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| A teacher does NOT need to pay any recruitment fees. |
My contract says I do.
6. In the event that the employee is dismissed or in the event that the employee voluntarily resigns prior to the
termination of the term of this agreement, employer will be obligated to pay all salary due to date of point of
departure of employee. And further employer will not obligate to pay any severance pay. And, employer will be
entitled to withhold an amount of airfare ticket to Korea at the time of employment and Recruiting fee.
Aren't midnight runs dodgy, though? Can't my boss report me or something? |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:47 am Post subject: |
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| goyangi wrote: |
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| A teacher does NOT need to pay any recruitment fees. |
My contract says I do.
6. In the event that the employee is dismissed or in the event that the employee voluntarily resigns prior to the
termination of the term of this agreement, employer will be obligated to pay all salary due to date of point of
departure of employee. And further employer will not obligate to pay any severance pay. And, employer will be
entitled to withhold an amount of airfare ticket to Korea at the time of employment and Recruiting fee.
Aren't midnight runs dodgy, though? Can't my boss report me or something? |
You are clearly an employee.
Your employer is required by law to contribute half of your National Health Insurance and National Pension, deduct 50% of the required Pension and Health Insurance amount from your pay, and submit these payments to the appropriate offices. You should be registered and payments submitted from the time you have your ARC. The amounts payable are retroactive to your first full month of employment.
Your employer is breaking the law and treating you like dirt.
You should take the time to visit the appropriate offices and report your employer for failure to sign you up and remit payments. Take all of your paperwork.
Since your present working conditions are terrible, you may want to quit and find a new job ASAP. Pull a midnight run. If you can do this while still working, the Pension and Health Insurance offices will contact your employer about your situation. This is unlikely to improve your working conditions, and you could get fired for reporting your boss - so this could be your best option.
If you can't take it anymore, but you have some accumulated cash, you can quit and run. If your intent is to find another job in Korea, consider whether you need to begin the process of gathering new documents first or if you have enough money to live on while you obtain new documents.
You can and should report your employer for failure to remit Pension and Health Insurance after you quit, if you don't do it before.
Don't worry about the contract provisions requiring repayment of airfare and recruiter's fees. If you're too sick to carry on - just go. If OTOH you are close to the six month mark when you don't have to repay airfare, you might want to wait until after you've completed six months if you can. |
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s.tickbeat
Joined: 21 Feb 2010
Location: Gimhae
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| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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You don't need to do a midnight run. Really. The midnight run is a much older way of dealing with problems like the one you have.
After your | |
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