Korean Job Discussion Forums

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

LOL - after kicking me out of my apartment so he could get his deposit back to pay me my bonus, giving it to me but then shorting me 150,000 on my pay (still have no idea what this "misc. expenditure" means) and failing to give me the first month's rent on a new place (he wanted me to keep working at the hagwon but to have my own place)...he threw a fit today. Why? I said I can't come in today because I have to go find a place to live. (I have to be out of my place tomorrow on Saturday). He wanted to know why and since we can't communicate I had my girlfriend call.

She told him cause he short changed me 500,000 won all together I was unable to get the apartment I had planned on and was going to find a yeogwan to stay in for a month. He flipped his lid that I would be missing my classes today (only the second time in a year I would be absent and there was no vacation). My girlfriend couldn't believe it and, great gal that she is, in return flipped out on him for shorting my pay, kicking me out of my apartment, and not offering one bit of help in finding a new place or helping me move, paying me late, giving me no benefits, making me practically beg for my bonus he promised and then telling him how stupid he is and lucky to have an American with a BA in English Education so cheaply in the middle of nowhere, and on and on.

It turned into a screaming match on the phone and finally she told him never to call her again to translate for him and to deal with me directly in the future then hung up.

The hagwon owners really are unscrupulous people... What is he thinking? Does he really think now that I'll be coming to work on Monday after this?
The job was really decent except for him. The kids and my coworkers were all very nice to me. My schedule was pretty easy. That's why I endured no benefits or vacation. I seriously wanted to move and stay on for a the time being too. The boss is just a penny pinching a-hole who has his wife do everything while he hangs out outside smoking with the other bus driver and gagging up goobers. Now he will have no teacher, no hopes of getting one, and a chip on his shoulder about foreigners...all by his own doing. I feel bad for the next teacher if they find one.

I'm just glad I played it the way I did and at least got my bonus...if I had said I wouldn't be staying on, there would not have been a chance of getting it.

Sucker · Joined: 11 Feb 2003

Sounds like you came out OK.

Stay updated on your visa situation though. You never know what he will tell immigration to get revenge.

Same sort of thing happened to me after my first contract.

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

What's he gonna say? I employed this teacher illegally for a year and he ran away? lol

ghostshadow · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Location: Seoul

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Like I said, he'd have to explain why he had a foreign teacher without an E-2 visa. I seriously doubt it would be worth it to him to revenge on me and risk his business....thanks for the warning though.

Sucker · Joined: 11 Feb 2003

Oh, if your visa wasn't through him then I guess you would be fine.

My first boss reported me as missing at the eleven month mark (I was still working at the time - unaware that anything was amiss).

Needless to say, things got messy.

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

Pledge to myself: Never work in a hagwon again.

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

Don't take this the wrong way, but haven't you already started like 5 threads about how your boss is trying to put the shaft to you?

Why not just put them all in one little saga so we can read a big story in one thread and not wade through all the different ones?

KPRROK

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

osangrl · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Location: osan

are u ever going back?

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

My boss came to my door just now. "Why you no come academy today?" As if he didn't know. He asked me where I'm moving and when I said "yeogwan" he turned all embarrassed and apologetic and said he wants me to stay in this apartment again for one more year. NOW he tells me as I'm almost finished packing. I guess my girlfriend's spiel (and probably his wife who was always very nice and kind to me lit into him) got him thinking he better be quick and make ammends before I don't come back...the problem is there's no way in hell I'm living in this town another year. If he's willing to fork up my rent for a month at the yeogwan and the mysterious 150,000 won, then I'll stay on for a while. It's not too far a commute by bus....keep you posted, anyone who cares...?

TECO · Joined: 20 Jan 2003

Shawn,

Good luck!

I really sounds like it's time to move on.

And, there are plenty of jobs around

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Just my two cents but how about getting a new boss? I was thinking today of past bosses I've had and your stories remind me of one boss in particular. We were just going hard at it feeding into the whole mutual antagonism thing until, in hindsight, it just looks like a lot of hyped up nonsense. Life's too short for that 'you got me now I'll get you' keeping score and 'my bonus or else' hooey. Once you blame someone or something for situations then it's all wrong. Your descriptions of your boss are like he's playing a game with you. Too trippy for me. Like one old boss I had. Glad that's gone.

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

shawn- screw these losers! exploit these idiots for all you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!