Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hellofaniceguy]

Opinions? Do it? Suck it up or what???
Contract calls for 120 hours a month. One class equals one hour.
Friend does NOT want the "extra" classes. Just the 120 per month. Director tells her: you must teach 120 like contract states. Friend...I am teaching 120 but I also am teaching 135 and some months 140. I don't want the extra classes only 120. Director says...can't do it. You must teach all classes and extra classes or students will be short of classes.
When the teacher reaches 120 classes a few days before the end of the month pay period...she wants to stop. Director won't let her. She is paid for extra classes but does not want them. She told the director to spread out the 120 classes over the month...maybe 5 a day if the month is long, no holidays, etc.
I told her to just quit...but the next teacher will also have the same problem.
How does she get out of it? Director needs to hire a part time teacher a few times a week to teach those extra classes but he won't. So....

[peppermint]

My advice if the friend is getting paid then suck it up. It sounds like she's teaching the standard six per day, and there's just a couple of more teaching days a month sometimes. Adult hagwons generally count those extra days as vacation for teachers, but then they don't close for a week in summer or winter like the kiddy schools do.

[J.B. Clamence]

There's not much you can do about that except next time try to get a contract which sets a maximum hours-per-week limit, like say, 30.

[ajuma]

As long as she's being paid for the overtime and ON time, what's the problem?? Privates, I assume??

[captain kirk]

I did it during Summer vacation, and started the job when it happened during Winter vacation. It's a shocker. It's like 'all hands on deck', there's something industrial about it. Total devotion to the cause. Not like a cult because there are no core beliefs. The whole day wraps around work. Two hours of free time become precious gold.
Lots of money, all legal, and that special 'burnt out happy family' togetherness, like the TV show MASH.
Best of time and the worst of times, that kind of thing.
Do it, just do it. If you say nay then you might get dismissed early. If you say yes, and just do it, they sort of 'owe you' and payback is the contract period run.

[phaedrus]

Ask for an increase in overtime pay. The contract should protect a person.

The other option- QUIT.

A lot of contracts force the first ten hours over 120.

[CanadaCommando]

See, I agree that your friend should have a big issue of this. There is ample reason to complain-hours were optional in the contract and she doesnt choose to work them. It doesnt matter at all WHY...hell, she could just not like teaching that much and value her free time.
Unfortunately though, OPTIONAL overtime is almost always mandatory in Korea, which is really what all contracts should say: "If we want you to work extra, you WILL". Part of the crap of working over here I guess.

[ajuma]

Hmmm...let's look at this a little differently. If you were working at a company in your HOME country and you were asked to work overtime with pay, would you refuse? If "no" there, then why not "no" here?

[hellofaniceguy]

In my home country??? Overtime???
Unlike korea, I or anyone else would first be asked if we would care to work OT. And yes, some would refuse and others would not. Point being...it's my choice. In korea...it's not. Big difference pal.
And would I refuse OT back home? Absolutely.... and have done so.
I have also refused it in korea. I have told the school owner in the past when I was at hakwons....I don't want the OT classes even if I am being paid, hire someone. I tell them that OT is MY choice, not yours. Sure, they don't like it. But I don't care. My freetime is more important. I didn't come to korea just to spend my life slaving away in a hakwon! Or put up with all the crap from hakwon owners. I can stay in my own country and have headaches, a BS job, crappy boss, lousy hours, etc. just as well!
My friend feels the same way...but...it's her first gig in korea and she is learning the ropes! At her expense of course!

[osangrl]

suck it up .... suck it up.


Big deal an extra 10-15 hours.... and you are getting paid.

suck it up. Its not worth the hassle or the amount you will tick them off in the long run.

[manlyboy]

IMHO, for a dedicated teacher who prepares lessons thoroughly, 120 plus hours a month is asking way too much.
Obviously her hagwon couldn't give a crap about quality control. But if it's in the contract then it's really her own fault. I'd still make a stand over it, though. Most hagwons, not all, but most that I know don't push their teachers that hard. I just love my free time too damn much!

[mindmetoo]

Over time is a fact of life in any white collar job. A couple months of solid over time is not unreasonable in many fields. And it's unpaid over time. However, some form of year long perma-over time is probably not fun.

[J.B. Clamence]

[Grotto]

One class = 1 hour.

She is already doing 6 classes a day= 6 hours+ add in break time she is there already 7 hours a day. Add in any prep time and just doing your 30 hours a week comes out to 40 hours on site. Increase that by 5 more hours a week and it gets to be a bit much.

Contact the labour board. It sounds like he is getting rich off of her labour.

[Wisco Kid]

IF your friend wants to get the extra money and is feeling like a energized teaching dynamo, then they might want to just suck it up.

If it was me, I know I'd be exhausted and would be going for the "just say no" or the "just quit" option.