Korean Job Discussion Forums

tate · Joined: 05 Jan 2006

It is illegal for you to work at any place other than the building of the school for which you have your visa, enless other sites have been listed on your ARC card. This has been mentioned many times when people have posted about how their employer was trying to farm them out to other institutes.

Well, if the site of a hogwan field trip is not listed on the back of your ARC than isn't it technically illegal for you to work in that location?

Therefore, if you refuse to go on a field trip becuase it is illegal your Director can not deduct any pay from your salary. You can not have part of your salary withheld due to refusing illegal activity. You could say "I will be at the hogwan ready to teach class. If you take the students from the hogwan this is not my problem. I was here ready to teach. I can not be forced to work in unregistared locations."

Legally it does not matter what your contract says. If you had signed a contract that said "Teacher must agree to paying no taxes" and you would be legally obligated to not follow this stipulation. The same could go for field trips at unregistered locations.

What say you to this? What would the labor board say? What would Korean small claims court say? (in the case of the hogwan deducting salary due to refusal of field trip attendence)

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Common sense tells me a field trip would fall under the auspices of the place of employment. Its a widespread & common practice & I have never heard of anyone catching grief over it. Have you? I doubt it.

Digging in your heels & refusing is probably a surefire way to sour your job scene, if not get canned.

poet13 · Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 2:30 am Post subject:

sorry OP, your argument doesnt make much sense. I hope you don't get into trouble over it at work. A different place of employment logically implies a different set of students. A field trip is taking your existing students to another location for a one time event. By that logic, taking my class of twelve year old boys across the street to the elementary school grounds this afternoon to play ball (uhhhh....sports language?) was illegal also. Dont think so.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

poet13 · Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 2:40 am Post subject:

OP. If you're really really concerned about it, call the labor office and ask them. I would be interested to hear what they have to say. You never know; this IS Korea after all.....

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

tate · Joined: 05 Jan 2006

Homer · Guest

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

tate · Joined: 05 Jan 2006

Ok then Urban, how can salary be withheld for not attending?

Are you refusing to teach? No

Are you refusing to work? No, "only teaching is work."

Must you do any number of activities other than teaching that they tell you during the time that they have schedualed you to teach?

"You must bring the children to the park and allow them to pour milk on your head. No it doesn't matter that you signed a contract to teach english, this is a special field trip. Since we are doing this during your teaching time you will be deducted salary if you do not attend."

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

tate · Joined: 05 Jan 2006

pet lover · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: not in Seoul

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

Njord · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Location: South Korea

I have no opinion on the OP's question since IANAL and I really have no idea about Korean law. However...

2. If you think teaching always requires textbooks and a whiteboard then we have very different ideas of "teaching".

3. If you don't think going someplace during contracted work hours and being paid to watch children is working, then we have very different ideas of "working" as well.