Korean Job Discussion Forums

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

On another note....seoul courts ruled last week, according to the news articles..ruling was for EWAH University against hakwons using the name EWAH in any form for the hakwon name. Courts ordered the hakwons to change their names and do not use EWAH language institute, new EWAH or whatever.

casey's moon · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: Daejeon

I actually side with the OP on this one. I think that out of respect for your culture they should let you get off early, at least on Christmas eve. The thing is, they hired you BECAUSE you're not Korean, and I think that hagwon directors should honour this one major western tradition. I don't even think that parents would complain if they got a note explaining why. They would think, 'Oh isn't that an interesting part of my son/daughter's teacher's culture.' Well, maybe not that interesting, but it is a neat way to remind the parents that they're paying for the real deal!

If you're working in a Korean office, then forget it! You're just another employee. But foreign hagwon teachers are hired to be foreign.

Of course, this is just my opinion at the moment. If I read this thread yesterday, I could very well have posted differently. Wink

Eunoia · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 6:15 pm Post subject:

I've worked late on Christmas Eve.

I've even worked on Christmas Day.

I've worked thru midnight into the wee small hours on New Year's Eve. Twice.

I've worked on New Year's Day (morning, no less).

I've even worked the night shift thru the fall time change, having to stay an extra hour (13 hours instead of 12).

All back home in good ol' Canada.

The OP gets no sympathy from this corner.

turtlepi1 · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

By the way just an FYI.

My Korean boss came up to me to remind me that the school would be closed December 30, 31 (as well as 1,2 but those being weekends I could care less from my point of view.)

A Korean boss that gives western holidays,plays weeks early to ensure you have money for Choseok(sp?) and always gives you your money before the actual payday if the weekend is coming. (like Friday if the payday is Saturday-Tuesday.)

Sure it's not all just out of the kindess of his heart...I am his only native speaker and he wants to keep me around but from listening to others he sounds like a bit of a gem.

His school is brand new and struggling and one month he had to short me 500,000 Won but he spoke to me at the beginning of the month, not when the money was due. I haven't received the 500,000 yet, but my next pay came on time and in full. I expect to get the money either in installments or in a lump sometime in the future.

He also lets me jet early quite a bit of the time and juggle any shifts as long as someone else will cover them.

Sometimes I really wonder if I am in Korea. Cool

(It's not all smiles and chuckles...but these are the positive aspects of my job.)

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

Why do you need to leave early on Christmas EVE? I can understand New Year's Eve, because you want to go out to a bar and drink with your friends and complete strangers.

But why Christmas EVE? Most people I know only ever wanted to leave early because they had to travel to the other side of the country or some other great distance to be with their family on Christmas DAY. Do you have to travel? If your family is here, I can understand...but if you're like most foreigners here, you're here by yourself or maybe with your wife/girlfriend/whatever. If you're married to a Korean and need to travel to his/her parents' place, I can understand. But you didn't clarify.

I plan on working my normal hours on Christmas Eve, but I do get off at 6:15 normally, so no big deal.

Enjoy the holiday and just remember, it's supposed to be a joyous occasion, so if you just want to complain, what good are you doing?

KPRROK

gajackson1 · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:38 pm Post subject:

If i am not mistaken, EWHA is not making you work on Korean holidays that have otherwise zero meaning to you.

Typical Pisces, I am split - I can understand your frustration, but if you really do have something significant/special (family, religion, etc.), then approach your boss NOW, and take/use vacation days.

Remem, those are supposed to be paid, as well!

Regards, good luck, & happy holidays!

G.

Dawn · Joined: 06 Mar 2004

We get Christmas Eve off, plus Monday-Thursday off the following week. And what do we have? Foreign teachers griping because the boss is giving us Christmas Eve instead of Monday-Friday of the following week. Oh, and before anybody points out that the Friday after Christmas Eve is New Year's Eve, the only thing we have to do on Friday is show up for a parent orientation session that shouldn't last more than a couple of hours. Those who want to spend New Year's Eve out on the town will be out of here in plenty of time to do so. Rolling Eyes

Homer · Guest

Casey while your point is interesting how can it be realistically applied?

If you give x-mas eve and new years eve to your western teachers then it follows that every employer in every country that hires foreigners must give days off on their important holidays.

How does that work?

The OP was wrong: he is in Korea, hence he gets Korean Holidays.

My friend Eric is also married to Korean woman. They now live and work in Canada. His wife got a job as a translator and interpreter for a big company in BC. Now, she was hired because she is Korean and speaks Korean. Does she get Chusok and the Lunar New year off? Of course not because that is completely impractical.

When moving to a different country one has to understand that certain things will be different. Just because they hired us as English teachers because we are foreigners it does not follow that we should get special holidays on top of the Korean national holidays.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

In Korea, you get Korean holidays

In Canada, you get Canadian holidays

Now doesn't that make sense?
_________________

Thats it. In a nut shell.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

I agree: Working in Korea, you must accept the Korean holiday schedule. You cannot expect to have Chistmas Eve off. No one in this country gives a rat's ass about Christmas Eve, including me. You have Christmas off -- be merry. Very Happy

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

My first year, had American Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners at 10:30, when we all got off work and got back home. No big deal. That was just what social life was like for hogwon workers back then.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

Exactly how far should the "when in Rome, do as the Romans" idea extend?

Should we all start sucking our teeth and hacking phlegm onto the ground, or checking our make-up and handphone messages every five minutes?

In Canada even my father, who works as a unionized laborer, gets the afternoon off on Christmas Eve.

If it is important to you, talk to your boss and work something out.