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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:35 am Post subject: |
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| You may have a good point. I'm saying if there is nothing to lose by trying to rip people off, why stop trying? Oh, say I'd like to keep your $1000 or more. What's that? The worst that can happen to me is I might have to pay you that money after you make enough effort to get it back? All right, I'll pay you and the others who fight for the cash they deserve. But I'll gladly keep the cash the other suckers let me keep. I don't see the law working against me anytime soon, heh, heh. |
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stakay
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:18 am Post subject: |
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| jajdude wrote: |
That was nice to hear. Did the hagwon owner actually lose anything, or did he merely have to pay what you deserved?
Unless he was penalized somehow, beyond merely paying what he owed, then that hardly deters hagwon owners from continuing to rip off foreign teachers, since they will not really lose anything by trying to rip people off, and sometimes get to keep cash. |
I disagree with you. I believe that it doesn't matter that they didn't lose anything beyond the money they owed, because the fact is that they lost.
I was only in Korea for a year and I can't remember reading once during that time that someone overseas won a case against their employer. What a great thing to be able to write about it here and inform others that it's possible. Throughout the whole process I was thinking that if I can win this then others can too.
It's highly likely that my boss will try to withhold money again; they've proved beyond a doubt that they're gutter trash. I'm sure my case isn't going to deter them from trying again. But now they know that their employees can fight their case after they've left Korea, something they didn't know until the past couple of weeks. (I bet many hogwan owners don't know this either).
My advice to anyone leaving the country without your money (because legally your boss has 14 days to pay you severance after your contract expires), is to go the labour board, ask for a power of attorney document, get it signed by the person who can represent you in Korea, and show it to your boss or even leave them with a copy of it. That's all you need to get the ball rolling. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:13 am Post subject: |
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Point conceded, and I admire you. I'm saying it will take more people like you to correct the crookedness.
If I was a crook I'd keep trying until I was put in my place.
Too bad he did not receive a hefty fine or get his shop shut down for being a crook. I am assuming he was treated lightly, probably using bribes to help himself all along? Maybe being Korean he has more power than the foreigner? |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe being Korean he has more power than the foreigner? |
Not legally.
However, most practices with the legalities ESL industry are based on a presumption that a foreign teacher is here for only one year. Therefore many of the Korean officials let some things slide. For example even though some teachers may well have tax owing at the end of May, he/she won't be chased for it.
The law is not all black and white in practice.
And it's not just foreigners who have difficulties. Korea people also have to not just be in the know about their own rights but must also keep up the fight, nail and tooth.
It's an innate problem that becomes more difficult to manage when a foreign teacher wants to prove his/her problem. It can actually be bloody hard for these officials to understand our language. And, it can be a tough road to get any one of them to sympathise.
Officials understand the problem straight away when dealing with cases using the Korean vernacular. That's why it's important to have either, an official who empathises with you 100%, or a native Korean advocate, who also supports your case. |
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hey is there a statute of limitations regarding past accounts? I finished a year with a struggling hogwan and was owed 1.5 mos pay plus bonus.
The owner went through the government somehow to cut herself a break and we were paid 1/2 the total before she went bankrupt and changed the hagwon name.
I know her last whereabouts. This was 2 years ago. Any way to get the rest? |
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Roch
Joined: 24 Apr 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: |
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| wylies99 wrote: |
VERY good news.
Oh, and hogwan owners do talk amongst themselves, (ala Linda Richman :lol: ). This could help others. |
Who's Linda Richman? |
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joyfulgirl
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:45 am Post subject: |
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hi fives, goils..
never met 2 cooler women in korea...the scottish angel, and aussie superstar who never gave up on these tools of hogwan bosses. |
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