Korean Job Discussion Forums

deessell · Joined: 08 Jun 2005

I have just been informed by my V.P of my vacation dates for winter vacation. He has given my only 5 working days and included the two weekend days as my seven.

I am going to visit him and urge him to reconsider this. My contract states 7 days vacation and as far as I am concerned that means working days and therefore I have 9 days. This is what happened at Summer vacation. Does this sound correct to you? I really don't want to rock the boat as I like my school but I feel I am entitled to those days.

Thoughts please.

Ekuboko · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Location: ex-Gyeonggi

My EPIK contract states seven working days as paid leave (summer/winter).
This is in comparison to the re-signing holiday given, which is 14 calendar days.

(I did have to spell this out to my VP and co-teacher, even though it says the same thing in Korean)
What does your contract say?

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:35 pm Post subject:

If my director tried that, I'd be laughing in his face.

Are you Korean? Korean teachers are expected to put up with this. You are a foreigner. You have a contract. Tell him 7 days is 7 working days.

If he has a problem with that, and won't budge, then kindly tell him you're happy to take your grievance to the Labor Board and have them arbitrate.

Remind him that the local governingpublic school body probably wouldn't take kindly to having its name being dragged into such a situation.

manlyboy · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:40 pm Post subject:

I was in the same boat last Summer. The Principal wanted to shorten my vacation from 7 to 4 days to fit her Summer camp schedule.
She compromised by allowing me 6 half days off during the camp itself. When I suggested it, she gave in almost straight away. Maybe she saw that I knew what she was asking of me was illegal.
The thought of losing those 3 days didn't bother me too much because I got an extra 2 weeks off for renewing anyway, but I felt it would be unwise to just let them violate the contract like that. It could very well have been the first step down a slippery slope of more such violations.
Sounds like it means a lot to you. If it were me, I'd take the risk of rocking the boat. The law is on your side, and a public school is likely to respect that.

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

Isn't a public school winter vacation from roughly January through mid-February? It certainly was at mine and that of everyone I know who worked in one. I spent 3 weeks on holiday.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

I work at a public school too and find the holiday allowance a bit strange. My school will be closed for about 50 days from the end of Jan till mid Feb. I have 7 working days holiday to take, but I am going to plan it so that it incorporates two weekends bringing the total to ten days.

I think it is strange that I only get 7 days when after I have done the winter camp, which is about two weeks, I am going to have another 3 or 4 weeks to fill. There are only so many lessons one can plan.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

Did your schools require you to file papers about how you would spend your vacation, where you would go, what educational and cultural experiences you would have? My school never got around to giving me the papers for my winter vacation, so technically I never used a single one of my vacation days. Then for the summer vacation I signed something swearing I would go to the city library (which to this day I am unconvinced exists). And I had to write a two page essay about the trip to Taiwan I went on with a few other teachers.

Madness never ceases, eh.

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

I am in the Wisconsin Program, but our contract specifically says "during vacation, if Korean teachers do not need to be at school and there aer no classes, neither do we." do you guys not have this?
so summer and winter i get atleast a month off for each, no sitting at school picking my butt for me!!!

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

deessell · Joined: 08 Jun 2005

Update.

When he calculated my time off he based it on Saturday being a work day, which it is for Korean teachers. After I explained the situation he changed it to the 7 working days.

Thanks for all your feedback. I was hoping that this would be an easy matter to settle as I am very happy with everything at my school.

Public School rulez again. Test tomorrow so no work and Thursday is the schools' birthday so it's a vacation day. Ye Ha

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

so...what's the wisconsin program?

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired