Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Grotto]

Being in the GEPIK program working in a public school I get 15 sick days a year. In the first 5 and a half months here I took one sick day. My co-teacher showed up at my apartment banging on the door and demanding to see me. I was a bit shocked and ticked off, do they go to Korean teachers apartments if they call in sick?

So yesterday I took a sick day to visit my doctor in Suwon, I called the school and told them I was taking a sick day.

About 11:00 AM my crazy co-teacher calls and wants to know where I am. Doctors I say, why????? I am taking a sick day I tell her. Oh you must come to the school today! Why I ask? You must c come! No sorry its a sick day I am not coming to the school.

This morning I dont feel like going in so I call her up and tell her I am taking a sick day (headache). Her response: You must come to the school first! No I say! Sick day!

Right now there are no classes so my students aren't missing out. I am just expected to show up at the school and sit in my classroom for 8 hours a day doing nothing. I would much rather sit at home, watch a movie, play some comp games and take it easy. With 15 sick days available why would I want to sit around the school all day? What the hell I still have 12 days of sick leave left for the rest of the year.

It just ticks me off that I cant take sick days without having to jump through these "I am the boss" hoops she likes to set up.

I doubt I will renew my contract at this school.

[Koreabound2004]

I am in a similar program, and have 15 sick days too....

Same thing happened to me when I got sick...coteacher at the door, telling me to go to the hospital, and get back to school.

I took 2 days off, they didn't seem happy, but who cares? We are "entitled."

I too have had to come to school all this week, I have been playing on the computer 8 hours a day here, walking to and from school in the rain....just b/c they have to be here. I do too.....I think a lot of it is jealousy. It's grad week...who puts a week of school in the middle of winter vacay??? This system is driving me nutty.

On my holidays, I actually went somewhere outside of the village...oooohhh, ahhhh. So now they are determined to make me suffer.

So tired of the mind games.

Think I will take another sick day!

[fidel]

Grotto, with just a couple of weeks before the start of the new academic year you mean to tell me that the people in charge haven't retained those teachers they want or given others the flick? Seems to be leaving it a little late in the game don't you think. I for one have to know two months before to stave off concern for my future income.

[Zenpickle]

That's ridiculous that you have to jump through these hoops. But on the other hand, there are schools that have reduced or eliminated sick days altogether because of foreign teachers abusing them. Playing devil's advocate.

[peppermint]

I don't have sickdays in my contract, but I've taken two or three. My school has figured out if I can stand and speak I'll be there to teach, so they're good about letting me leave after if I'm sick.

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

Coincidentally, I too, took a sick day yesterday, the first I've taken this year. Actually, you could call it "heartsickness" as I was distraught over the rapidly failing health of a parent (basically, a matter of having hours to live). As I didn't think "heartsick" would constitute a valid excuse in their eyes, I told them it was stomach trouble. As it happened, that was the day of the graduation ceremony.

I heard this morning that the principal (an overly gung-ho fellow at times) was angry at the teachers for their "attitude" toward the graduation ceremony. Seems that he was a bit angry at me too, for my no-show. He roared and huffed a bit and made it clear that he did not believe for a moment that I was really sick. In my current state of upset, I truly wanted to wring his neck.

I am also highly doubtful that I will be renewing the GEPIK contract. I am disenchanted with their ridiculous rules, their silly "camps" and their determination to waste teachers' time. I also don't care much for the discrepancy in the way that foreign teachers and Korean teachers are treated. Thankfully, no one came banging at my door yesterday. If they had, they'd have gotten a piece of my mind. While my principal is not GEPIK per se, his little outburst didn't help matters. After this contract ends, I hope to accomplish what some of you have done: sign a private contract with a public school somewhere and leave GEPIK and its headaches in the dust.

[Grotto]

Fidel

No they havent told the Korean teachers who are there on a temp (6 month) contract whether they will have a job in 2 weeks. A pretty crappy thing to do IMO.

My contract runs until August. I may sign on with GEPIK again just not with this school in Joam. Putting up with a crazy co-teacher in a one chicken town(its not big enough for a horse), being ignored, freaked out at and expected to be totally Korean is wearing me down.

I mean no fast food restuarants, I have to take a bus 20 minutes just to see a Lotteria for christs sake! Even Korean restuarants are few and far between, unless you like Duck or pig intestines(local favorites). I am not big on fast food restaurants but sometimes it would be nice to grab some Popeyes or something.

On the flip side I have mastered my pizza crust and my homemade zza tastes 20 times better than any pizzaria in Korea(hey that rhymes)

[Daechidong Waygookin]

[zappadelta]

Grotto, I don't understand why she is doing this to you. I am starting my public school job soon, and I also have the 15 days like you. I hope my co-teacher doesn't act like that when I am sick or when I am faking being sick.

[JacktheCat]

[Grotto]

its the typical Korean mentality "quantity not quality"

Upon reflecting I have come to the conclusion that Koreans just dont value time like westerners do.

Us: time is money, time waits for no man, time to go

Korea: come to work sick(dont actually do anything but sit around for 8 hours)

work 12 hour days 6 days a week and only get paid for 40(my crack crazy co-teacher does this all the time and expects others to do the same)

go to pointless meetings that accomplish nothing and the only reason to go is that some beaurocrat needs a prostrate massage.

dont ever complain or tell someone higher up the food chain that they are wrong or that you have a better idea that could create chaos, anarchy the collapse of confusionism as we know it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can only pray

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

They DO perceive time differently than we do. Also fairness, in that it appears to be an ungraspable concept to them So what if Teacher X is getting a three week winter vacation? So what if Teacher Y is allowed to leave at noon when winter camps are in session? YOU still only get seven days of vacation and have to stay until 4:30 on winter camp days and that's just how things are. Live with it.

[Koreabound2004]

I hear ya Grotto, on all points. Same same.......


And the nearest fast food to me, is an hour by bus!


Damn, I want to go home now, doing nothing is such a time waste...

Sitting here.....could be at home!!!!!

[kprrok]

My Korean girlfriend decided she needed a sick day today after not taking one over the past 2 years. She called in and told them, but her boss is a royal +++ch and told her to come in anyway. She didn't go and has basically quit. She was not planning to stay past the end of the month when her "contract" was up anyway. So she basically quit 2 weeks early.

Crazy.

KPRROK

[Incognito]

Well...this thread makes me want to shoot myself since I am starting a contract with GEPIK on March 2. Thanks guys!

Grotto: You have to hang in there until I arrive; remember, you owe me a beer!!!!