Korean Job Discussion Forums

cazador83 · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Just this past week, our school is making us (the English teachers) bring in our bills and receipts to prove we are paying them. We have to start doing this every month. Is this ridiculous? We are adults, aren't we?

Apparently the problem arose when one of our teachers who just recently left, moved away without paying one of her bills, which costed the school some money. Anyway, why don't they just wait til the end of the year and then take it out of our severance (i mean, if someone isnt paying their bills)?

Is this normal? I'm also getting pissed at the fact that we have to clean all the time. I'd really like to know if others who work at Bambini locations have to clean their classrooms...and the bit about showing bill receipts. Thanks.

alabamaman · Joined: 25 Apr 2006

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

I would have no problems providing reciepts showing that you are paying the bills...as a matter of a fact I think its a smart thing to do. It protects the school and the teacher!

As for cleaning....tidying up a bit, keeping your desk clean and tidy is fine. I usually make the students tidy up any papers on the floor or whatnot. Sweeping and mopping or washing down the classroom is not a teachers job!

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

I liked the way bills were handled at my last school. We just brought them in and the boss paid for them and took it out of our monthly bag of money. My bills were always paid on time and I didn't have to mess with going anywhere to do it or remembering to do it. Lovely.

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

I too would have no problems showing my receipts. What's the big deal? That is, unless you're not paying them!

My current school almost had a fit when I told them I wouldn't be bringing the bills in and letting them pay them and later deduct the amount from my pay. I told them that I will pay them and they would have no worries. The only problem was that a couple of the bills hadn't been paid for a couple of months before I got here. The total due for the time before me was only 30.000, but I was in a pissy mood and didn't want to pay. So I brought those two bills in and gave them my share.

Next month...They still hadn't paid the bills!!!! So I just said "Sod it, I'll pay the bloody 30.000 myself." I then took the receipts in and the receptionist/money lady suddenly couldn't figure out what I was talking about. After about 15 minutes of lots of drawing, math, and calendar use, I decided that the 35.000 wasn't worth my time (30.000 for not my share, and the 5.000 for my bit I already gave them). I just sighed dramatically, and walked away.

Now I pay all of my own bills and I know they are paid.

KPRROK

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

Ya, I wouldn't have a problem either with showing that I payed them.

Jeonnam Jinx · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Location: Jeonnam

For me, I wouldn't want to do this and I would object to it.... strenuously. I'm usually quite the "go along to get along" type of person, but this just seems a bit too much to me.

A) If a foreign teacher is leaving, then the school can ask to see the bills for the month prior to departure to make sure everything is paid up, and then you can easily estimate the last months' bills from other months or previous years and make up the difference from your last pay or make alternative arrangements.

B) I understand that some teachers potentially pull a "midnight run," but if it is that serious a problem, both parties (employer/employee) could definitely cause more serious financial problems than that.

C) For all the shady practices, lies and deceit by hogwon owners out there, I find it hypocritical that they would want to check up on this each and every month. Every 3 months, 6 months, OK, maybe. Each month, though? Well, show me proof you've paid pension, taxes, medical insurance at the same time, and I'd think about it.

D) You can be sure that your expensive gas bills, the contents of your house phone bills, your internet fees, cellphone and your electricity bills will be discussed extensively in the staff room among all the Korean teachers. I can hear them now, "JJ Teacher had to pay 200,000 won for gas last month. Does he leave the gas on all day? Oh My! How often does he shower??" "You know, JJ Teacher called his parents three times last month, and talked for over an hour?" And on and on. Not necessarily maliciously, but annoying.

E) What if you pay your bills online? Will they ask to see you bankbook so they can view each and every withdrawl, pondering, wondering, questioning why you spend so much cash on the weekends, and photocopying it for the next K-Teacher meeting?

F) What if you're short of cash one month and leave your bills outstanding for one month? Will that result in endless gossip, trouble, and questioning leers and jeers?

G) Periodic check-ups are fine. At a previous hogwon, they didn't ask to even see the bills prior to leaving. In your last month, the manager/supervisor just phoned the utility companies and got the estimates for the upcoming bills. Then, the departing teacher made arrangements for payments. Simple.

H) I know, it could cost some owners some money if people don't pay bills and skip the country, but it just seems too intrisuve to me. Then again, I probably do and say tons of other things at work or to my boss that others would find intrusive but I seem to have no issue with. To each their own, I guess.

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

The bills are likely to be in your boss' name, meaning that if you are late paying he gets phone calls. He wouldn't probably appreciate that very much.

cazador83 · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Well, if it was being a problem I could understand. But it's not! Everyone is paying their bill on time. It's just that some ex-teacher made a mistake and left ONE bill unpaid for. It's more annoying really. Plus, I'd like to consider it my business on what and how I pay things. They're in MY name (all except one) and they still want us to bring them all in.

Anyway, about the cleaning. Of course I would gladly pick up papers and big things like that. But no, we have to vacuum, mop, clean the tables, and clean our dishes. I'm also supposed to be cleaning my cabinet things, but I haven't been doing it and one of the head-teachers told one of my Korean teachers that my classroom "needs cleaning." Seriously, it's not like I'm whining about picking things up. We're teachers, not janitors.
Now, after all this, is there still anyone who things I'm overreacting? We went to our director a few months ago and she said she'd "think about it," but nothing's happened.

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

Sounds like you aren't being treated with respect. That would dissatisfy me greatly.

Just do like your boss did to you when you requested a legitimate cleaning service: say "I'll think about it" or in this case "okay, no problem" and then just casually forget about it. What are they going to do, fire you over not showing receipts?

Stand up for yourself.