Korean Job Discussion Forums

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

They may pull the "koreans don't take sick days..." thing but they'll usually keep quiet when you remind them of their 3 month plus holidays.

They do take sick days.I know because I went drinking with a high school teacher and at lunch time the next day he had to go home.

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

The reason I go in and 'prove' I'm sick is so they don't show up on my door...

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

if you genuinely need a sick day, just take one.
you're not going to get fired.

As far as hogwons go, the only effective way to get time off is just to quit, you can get a new job when you feel like working again.

i've had it up to here with the Korean "live to work" mentality.

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

philipjames · Joined: 03 Feb 2003

I wonder if that's what they think. But I have zero interest in sports, world cup included, and they know it.

So friggin tired of Korea sometimes.

philipjames · Joined: 03 Feb 2003

I'm so pissed off right now that I'm looking at other jobs on Dave's. I've phoned in sick three times in 11 months and had a real hassle every time.
As one person noted above, they get three months friggin holidays a year, while the waygoogin is working or staring at the wall for weeks on end. But god forbid he should call in sick three days a year. Not a word of compassion for my state, but an inquisition.

At this moment, sitting in front of this computer, I feel only contempt for Korea (and the fuccker next to me blaring his video game and smoking under the No Smoking sign). It'll paass in a day or two. But right now I hate this fuccking place.

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

livinginkorea · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Location: Korea, South of the border

flotsam · Joined: 28 Mar 2006

In the end the key is to remember that the people in ths schools don't write the contracts, and often don't read them either. So no matter what you think you are entitled to(and are) they will just continue setting a standard, that is most often ridiculous for any teacher(Oh, so you mean teaching 40 hours of extra classes and all of the teachers' children will be too much for you? --But we'll pay you extra...), for your attendance and duties. The only thing to do is be firm but graceful and inform them what you are and aren't willing to compromise on. My school has asked me to do some things that aren't in the contract, and I have gotten some things in return, but yes, it is annoying to have to have the discussion in any event and the build-up to it, or the shock of a receiving a negative response to a request that you think is just part of the package just sucks.

mack the knife · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: standing right behind you...

I've saved most of my sick days and I have a feeling that I'm going to come down with a nasty cold during this summer vacation.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

gotta watch those summer colds....sometimes they are on for 4 days then off for 3 then on for 4 again Wink

juicyhumdinger · Joined: 03 Jan 2005

make friends with a doctor. Ask him to write you up a letter (Jin Dan Seo). No problem.

When I had a sore throat from spring dust, my friend the doctor gave me a letter that stated I should take 2 weeks off. haha. I only took one day (a Friday), but since then my friend has given me Jin Dan Seo's without the dates filled in, so if I'm sick tahdah! I fill in the date and hand it in the next day.

UncleAlex · Joined: 04 Apr 2003

These past two years I have been teaching at a public high school in
Gyonnggi-do. I was hired directly by the school and signed the contracts
with the principal, but my salary and other expenses I may incur are
subsidized by the province. I do not work directly for GEPIK and my sick
days clause may differ from that in a GEPIK contract, but I do work for a
public school and not a hagwon. In both places I have had to suffer an
issue because I wanted a day off. Cool

Homer · Guest

I called in sick 5 times this past year at my Uni.

The first 2 times was because my son was sick and my wife was also sick...I told them so and no worries.

Then again I don't have a history of taking sick days for no reason...a co-worker of mine took sick days off to take a trip. This made its way to our department head and now they require a docs bill from this teacher for each sick day...sometimes its about past history too.

As for the OP..sorry this situation happened to you....hope you get some sleep soon.

inkoreafornow · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Location: Gyeonggido

I was teaching the teachers one day and the topic of sick days came up (I think we were discussing how it is more important to be at work than to do anything in Korea). I asked the youngest teacher how many sick days she'd taken and she said "I've been teaching for one year and I've taken one sick day" and it sucked the air out of the room.

Ajumma teacher 1 "I've been teaching for 13 years and I've taken one sick day."

Ajumma teacher 2 "I've been teaching for 12 years and I've never taken a sick day."

Ajumma teacher 3 "I've been teaching for 10 years and I've never taken a sick day."

So I asked them what they did when they were sick. Answer: show a movie. It is more important to be there than to do anything and I'm convinced that is why they get so pissed when you call in sick.