Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Squire]

I'm not one for confrontations, so I reckon I'd go along with it for a little while then get lazy with it and start showing up 25, 20 and eventually 15 minutes before classes. Whatever suits. Likewise I'd keep up the email thing for a few weeks then start forgetting more and more often

I'm actually at school at least 30 minutes before classes start every day, but then I'm in a completely different situation where I'm alone in the English class until the kids and CT show up. If I just had to loiter in the classroom while a co-worker messes about on the computer I don't think I'd be in any hurry to arrive every day

[beentheredonethat777]

[Alias77]

Thanks to everyone who has responded, especially the legalese from Ttompatz.

I'm still very unhappy with the situation and will have to sort out what exactly I want to do. At the very least, I do not plan to sign another contract with them.

When I took this job, years ago, I had already rejected several others that were trying to institute that early arrival garbage to make their balls look bigger during bidding season. Most of us are paid on a salary basis, but that is comprised of teaching hours, of which we are fully aware when we sign a contract. It's not even half an hour of teaching, which is somewhat orderly, but fending off a mob of children all seeking direct attention. Adding an extra half hour per day means working an additional 2 weeks over the course of 25 in real time, or a full month over the course of a year. <[(50x5x30)/60]=125 hours> So, I don't feel the need to be generous or any pressure to give up my personal time without some resistance. I'm certainly not getting an additional month's salary for my time and energy. I personally feel that if teachers were to shun early arrival contracts, it would push the trend back.

As to the email of every arrival and departure, I feel strongly about it because I never agreed to being monitored like that when I took this job. I mockingly say that it seems Korean students are a few years away from having to wear GPS tags here. My company, now, sends text messages to each parent when students arrive for class. It's a hassle, but people have become acclimated to it as a service, which means it's now self-perpetuating. So, I feel reactive against this as another baby step for employers, and other adult situations, to legitimise digitally monitoring where I am and when I'm there. I strongly disagree with that. I work with another person who can tell the company if I'm negligent. I'm also not a robot. It could be regarded as pithy, but it's what I feel and I don't like it. Anyone who has been here for any length of time knows we have to accept a lot of crap as it is.

Quite simply, micromanagement blows. I do wish the concept of the contract meant more. At least in the west, you could sue for wrongful termination.

I do have one additional question. If you have an F visa, you no longer need to get a LOR, right?

[Julius]

[ThingsComeAround]

[ontheway]

[ttompatz]

[Julius]

[ttompatz]

[Mix1]

Typical example of a useless policy that creates extra work for everyone.

Micromanaging like this is infuriating and insulting. The problem is it could be a great job but it gets ruined with a few dumb ideas thought up by one idiot on a power trip.

The other problem is, most people are sheep and just accept it regardless... which means the bright ideas will keep coming and work benefits will keep eroding.

I was at one job and they added a bunch of unpaid hours on the new contracts. There was no need for the addition as the student numbers stayed the same, but someone told them that a few other schools required more hours, so they decided to add some on... just for the heck of it.

A few people quit on the spot, but the veterans and some others had a plan to not sign the contracts in the hope that the policy could be changed. I thought, "Ok, maybe this could work... IF everyone holds to it." Literally the next day, they ALL turned in their signed contracts. No meetings, no requests, they just folded instantly. I still had my unsigned contract but luckily had something else lined up. That was the tipping point; management now knew they could do anything and kept adding more dumb policies and extra work.

Unless you've got some kind of union going on, always count on people folding.

Just look at the comments on this thread that basically say obey or leave. Often it is like that, but why does it have to be that cut and dried? Nobody wants to even try to negotiate? Is it so out of the realm of possibility to have a meeting where all the employees say, "We'd rather not do that. It's not necessary and creates more work for all of us. But we will come on time and if we don't, you can take corrective action at that point."

But yeah, I suppose it is out of the realm of possibility, since there's always that one guy with no life other than his job that says, "Oh, come on guys, it's just some emails. I don't have a problem with it, or extra hours, or less vacation...we've had it too good for too long anyway... right?" And so it goes.
Grrrr....

[Mix1]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Well OP since you have been working at this school for years and have a solid track record there as a dedicated teacher, you could probably TALK to your new boss without the need for a confrontation.

Take the rational approach and just ask the boss (after going to proper channels) calmly why he or she is making these policy changes. At the very least you may find out why this is being done (it could be simply because this new boss wants to put their "stamp" on the school, that happens a lot).

From there and since you are on a F-visa you can make your decision calmy and weigh the pros and cons with a bit more information.

If you find this new boss is just trying to bring the school into what he or she feels is the proper way to do things then you will have your partial answer. There could always be other reasons of course.

Good luck.

As fopr the GPS tags comments you made, I think this will happen sooner than later. It is already happening in Japan where many school age kids have cells / smart phones with a GPS the parents can monitor. This seems to be quite the trend anyway. At my son's school here in Ontario they have an electronic system to monitor when kids arrive and leave the school. When you pick up your child you need a photo ID and then his departure is logged into the system. That is a small step from a GPS tag I think!

[Who's Your Daddy?]

[Weigookin74]

[ttompatz]