Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OiGirl]

[Adamusiak]

Well, Obscene to me is the change that he made me do. I used to have to write a class plan the day of, including page numbers, what is to be learned and what follows. No more than 5 min per class. Now, I have to do that plus more....if I play a game, I have to doc it ahead of time, if I teach something diff. ie, spontaniously, I'm sure everyone teaches something off topic....like when you get a random thought, or when someone asks a qu....I can't do this anymore. Cause if I didn't plan it, I get fired on the spot. I have to have Weekly quizes now, handed in on Tues...didnt' have to do this B4. I have to do Evals like no other, did these b4, but not as extensive as they are now, and in the 5 min between class, I now can't relax, I have to A) post that what I did cover, and what I didn't cover in class, in my newly made folder as with attendance, and then run out and play with the kids. In total with out the 3 hours of Weekly Evals I have have to do, I would say I do a good 15 hours a week of paperwork, marking, writing, and prep. so 18 total. contract says 10 a week max. So when I mention this he was like, " O.K, then leave if you don't like my new policy!"

So what might be normal isn't, especially as it is only me who has to do this. And again if attendance is missed once, or what ever is 1 min late. I am fired. So not Cool

[Grotto]

call his bluff.

He cant fire you without 30 days notice or paying the equivalent salary.

He cant evict you from your apartment, you do have rights here.

I would just say flatout NO!

Call the labor board and ask for a mediator immediately. If you have government intervention it puts him on the spot.

Quit find a better job

[phaedrus]

Sounds like a bad situation.

You need to collect your pay and get out of there. I think your boss is trying to exploit the six month thing. Probably the other teachers got fired before six months. The guy is getting away with not paying severance and half the ticket money. I doubt you have health care or pension either, or that you are actually paying tax. You have more rights after six months, and that's that.

If you really want to stay in Korea get a job package together, save your paychecks, and get a story for immigration. Immigration must have reasons why you are leaving your workplace, so get the story documented with them. They might allow you off without a release because you have worked less than three months. (Of course you have been here for almost six months, but have only been working for three. )

[paul]

Prepare to do one of two things: Kiss some major Korea ass or the next time he confronts you with these so called "requirements", disagree and get fired.

It sounds like you would be much better off far from this man and his "school." Nobody deserves that kind of shite.

[Skippy]

Sounds like your boss is unreasonable. Majorly unreasonable. He threatens often and demands more. Leave just leave. You may have to cut your losses. My advice is move the majority of your stuff to a safe place (friends, friend of a friend). And quit or get him to fire you. Call his bluff.

As to paperwork. it is at times a given. The question is how much is needed. This guys sounds like a pedantic s-o-b. You have to plan your class time that much. No way this is to much go.

And please please please tell the name of this school. So we can prevent other people from suffering like you.

Good luck and keep in touch.

[Adamusiak]

Oh, its a kids herald school in Jang-Yu....thats a suburb or Busan

[PatrickSiheung]

okay, I didn't have the patience to read through all 3 pages. This reply is based on just reading the first page.

Anyway...

With regards to getting fired on the spot. If your boss can convince the labour board that you were not doing your job, he/she can fire you. If it's something small then they can't, but if they say you were refusing to show up for classes, or you were causing a disturbance or some such thing, they will likely get away with it. Don't delude yourself into thinking that just because he fires you "illegally" the labour board is going to suddenly come to your rescue. It doesn't work like that.

Now about getting kicked out of your apartment. I was kicked out of my apartment. My boss tried to tell me that I had to move out of my shared apartment the day after my teaching was finished, a Thursday, when we had verbally agreed that I would have until the weekend. With working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I didn't know how I was supposed to pack everything let alone find a place to stay for my last few days in Korea. Now there was NO reason for me to leave so early. The new teacher wasn't coming for at least another week and my roommate was still living there! We had had a rocky relationship and I knew he was just trying to get to me by going back on what we had agreed to more than a month prior.

I got pi$$ed of course and quit. They demanded I give back the apartment key and I of course refused because all of my stuff was still there. They threatened to call the police.
I then went to my girlfriend's place and she called the police first. I didn't want any trouble with the cops so I wanted to know where I stood.
Anyway, the they told my girlfriend that the directors had every right to demand the house key and that legally they could kick me out at any time, regardless of what my contract says because technically it was their property.

I later went to immigration to tell them I had quit. I was just chatting it up with a guy there and told him what had happened. He said it sucked that they did that to me but otherwise didn't care. Legally, Immigration didn't care.

So, my point? Cover your own ass. Don't expect Immigration, the police or even the labour board to take care of you. If you know this guy is screwing you over, leave. Pack up your stuff, pull a runner. Go to Taiwan for a while and then come back next year and try a different school. Staying here for a little cash isn't worth the headache this guy seems to be giving you.