Korean Job Discussion Forums

[periwinkle]

I can't think of anything off-hand, but I'm curious about (for example) people who work in hagwons; someone does a runner; someone else has to cover for the fleeing teacher.

The only I can think of is that once my husband's group leader called him at 7:30 pm (we finish at 5:30) and told him he sent him a document and needed it translated by the morning. That's the only time he's ever received work after work hours, and he just ignored it- did it the next morning.

Any stories?

[ilovebdt]

At my first job in Korea, I was the only foreign teacher. But, as the number of students grew my director, lovely bloke, hired a young Canadian guy.
This guy spent all the time between classes on his laptop chatting to his mum on MSN. He had no idea at all what to do with the kids even after I had given him some pointers. My director was super nice to him got him a cellphone and everything, but he just couldn't hack it. So, he gave notice and my director set about finding a replacement, but this guy couldn't wait, so he did a midnight run leaving me to pick up all the classes again and they were a lot of classes.

Eight sessions of 40 minutes each every day with one ten minute break.

ilovebdt

[SeniorEnglish]

At my last hogwan, 2 teachers did a runner at the same time. Everyone had to pitch in and cover the classes. No one had a break. I would guess at most hogwans, if someone pulls a runner, everyone much pitch in to cover the excess work.

[Ya-ta Boy]

At one of my jobs we had three levels of students, with staggered schedules. At some times of the year we wouldn't have any classes for a few weeks, then one level of students would start, then the next level and so on.

I had two co-workers who would insist on taking vacations during the times we had a few classes, rather than when we had no classes. "IT ISN"T A BREAK FROM TEACHING UNLESS THERE ARE STUDENTS." (The administration was just as dim-witted and went along with it.)

[Yu_Bum_suk]

At public school I get the odd 'inconveniences' like being asked to edit something at the last minute, being asked to substitute teach a class an hour away, or find out they want me to do a major activity a few days before it happens. However, it's usually something I enjoy doing and I like challenges and variety, so no problems, usually.

However,

Did my foreign co-workers and I ever cause a lot of inconveniences for the Koreans at my old hogwan. For three weeks in a row we took turns calling in sick on the busiest day of the week so that the idiot boss (who couldn't speak English) was stuck covering all of our classes. One of my co-workers and I decided that we'd simply disregard everything that management said and be present in our classes but do whatever we wanted, causing the Korean staff no end of grief. They had to invent all sorts of explanations for the parents and boss because of our apathy and attitude. For instance, I refused to write dishonest report cards so the KTs had to fill out my section with a different-coloured pen, trying to change their handwriting. My friend refused to do phone-teaching so the KTs had to come up with all sorts of ridiculous explainations to the parents about why the FT couldn't do phone teaching for yet another month and why they'd be doing it instead. When I consider how much extra work we made for them I have nothing to complain about if someone wants me to sub a lesson or edit something for tomorrow morning.

[Novernae]

This isn't a midnught runner story, but I had two coworkers who did jack all day. Arrived at 2:30 and spent the first 2 hours on the roof calling home. Did their classes, wasted more time, then went home... We, on the other hand worked our asses off, had to take extra work home, and spent the year resenting the slackers. And the slackers had the gall to complain if they had one extra class than us, even though all the classes we were assigned were the special classes that took all the extra work. So yes, inconvenienced by them and the fact that our boss wouldn't make them pick up the slack.

[simpleminds]

I had to pick up the slack for a teacher for two weeks. It wasn't his fault; admin were too incompetant to get his visa organised before semester started.

[rothkowitz]

Both the lesbian mormons took off the same night.

Coralled back home or went to Canada to get married I don't know.Any suggestion of a Lunar New Year bonus went out the window with them.

God they were dramatically unattractive.

[Aussiekimchi]

Have I ever been inconvenienced by a co worker....ummm gee..let me think....I work in Korea...yeah probably have at some point been slightly taken off task.
I work in an office with over dramatic Korean girls who cry at the drop of a hat. This results in 30 mins of bathroom consoling.
Dunno why they can't have their fits during our down time...like now...all of them are laughing over puppy photos on cell phones.
Meanwhile the earth continues to revolve...phones still ring and who the hell is making my coffee during these times????? Maybe I will bring on another bathroom session now.

[R-Seoul]

Work in an office, and was peeved about having to work till 11pm last night. However that's nothing compared to the K-employees - had an email in my inbox this morning from somebody in my team sent at 6:50 am (from the office) saying sorry but she was going to be late today. Working a 15 hr day is a frighteningly common occurrence here...
What with the boozing & heavy smoking those mofos are sending themselves to an early grave.

[periwinkle]

[JongnoGuru]

[ChuckECheese]

Yep! I haven't been in Korea that long but I ran into this real dumbass guy who decided to run after pulling real stupid stunt.

If have the time, you can read about it. It's kind a long story.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=64985

[mindmetoo]

The woman I lived with, she was laid off from a small educational publishing company (run by a drunk). While off the payroll she helped him tie up some loose ends. He didn't pay her. And then a few days later he called her to complain about something or another. I really wanted to take the phone from her and tell the guy to take a flying *beep* at the moon.

[mindmetoo]