Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Catalina]

Yup...

And it all happened so unexpectedly.

A while ago my director and I came to a misunderstanding about overtime - I wanted it and she was not going to pay it. When she gave me the option to go to court and fight it out I decide not to do that.Instead I worked the summer intensive session (35 classes per week) and no overtime. "Yeah, yeah - it's only one month, I can survive" was the theme song going through my mind.

So, today I decided to save some time and multi-task. After 40 minutes in a 50 minutes class, when the kiddies were working on some word-search/crossword puzzle/maze worksheet I had created, I decided to complete some report cards.

After class - in my 10 minute break - my director came in and asked me why I had done report cards in class. I explained - busy month, tired from work, kids were quietly working. Then the director started screaming at me. SCREAMING!!

So I stood up to my full 6 feet and told her I was tired, it was too much and this was not a good way to solve the problem - except I didn't get much more out of my mouth when she SCREAMED at me again. So, I stood my ground - I pointed at the schedule, pulled out my contract, told her about the Labour Board. It was one of those shouting matches. She ended up SCREAMING at me that "I was fired - leave now". I again pointed at the contract - 20 working days notice for firing with grounds. But she SCREAMED again "Fired - now go". Then she left the room.

About 5 minutes later she returned to my room and told me to teach the class as it was now 3:01 and I was late. By now I was angry with her so I told her to quite b*tching at me. I pointed my finger at her (not even the offensive finger) and she yelled not to do that - so I pointed my finger at myself and she yelled not to do that (by now I realized that this was not rational and she just wanted to yell). Anyway, more heated words and yelling and again telling me I was fired. By this time there was a crowd of parents, students, teachers watching this circus.

So, I taught my last three classes, read the EFL-Law site and what to do when one is "summarily discharged", called the Labour Board number, who told me that as I am 6 months into the contract the employer must give notice or has to pay thirty days wages , called the travel agent to book a ticket out of the country, found the directions and Saturday hours for Immigration in Seoul, cleaned out my desk, and went home.

Can you believe it - fired for writing report cards in class

Probably the best thing that happened to me.

Catalina

p.s. the school is already on the blacklists - Oh Sung Sik Suwon

[rapier]

Wow! sounds like exciting times for catalina!! good on yah! I hope your next step in life works out. I suppose its too early to make plans, but are you going to try teach somewhere new?

[ulsanchris]

If I was fired I wouldn't have taught the last three classes. WIll you be going back tomorrow?

[VanIslander]

A crisis is an opportunity you will have to take. It'd be easy to be working legally in nearby coastal China within the week, or illegally in Korea by sundown. I don't know about the paperwork but... if you're looking for another hagwan job, maybe talk with Kiddirts in Kangnam.

[matthews_world]

My prediction is that her boss will ask her back. Why spend the money to find another teacher.

[ulsanchris]

this was on a pervious post. page four. thread title is Help I just got fired. ( ithink) Its by Newt.

I was recently fired from my job and I have valuable information for anyone else who is in my position. I had passed the six month mark of my contract and had no written notice.

This is what I have found out in the passed few days:

It is illegal to fire an employee after six months without written notice. Notice has to be signed by both parties and dated. Also you are to get all monies the day of firing; not this "come back in a few days" crap that most director say.

Also with out notice it means that your employer owes you another months pay. So its like getting your servence anyways. But you have to wait for it.

Go to your local labour board and file a complaint against your employer. This can not be actually filed for 14 days offically, therefore you can't use it to threaten your boss until the 14 days are up. I was told not to mention to him at all or bad things will happen. But it really wasn't explained that well.

After the 14 days you or a represenative will mail the complaint to the labour board and they take care of it. He has 30 days from the point to pay you any monies he wrongfully decducted from your final pay and the extra 30 days pay. If he refuses the labour board will take his business license away. So you win anyways.

The labour board has set up a call center for foreigners that speak damn good English and are very helpful. Since no one in the office we went to spoke English, so we used the call center as a translator. The number is:
02-872-9797

They will also be able to give you other numbers that you may need. You can also hire a lawyer after the 14 days when the labour board gives you a file number. The Canadian Embassy has a list of lawyers to use.

I have done all of this and I still may have to leave the country until my visas expires. My director refuses to sign the letter of release. Their is only one way around this stupid piece of paper. Both you and your director must go to the issusing immigrantion office together. (Well be there at the same time anyways)

I hope all this helps, now can anyone tell me how to make a director sign a letter of release?

[Catalina]

Oh man - if she wants me back I DONT WANT TO GO!!! No thanks - you fired me - you pay. And besides, she was on the phone with her recruiter 2 hours after the argument.

I forgot to mention in my rant that it was the best d*nm therapy I have had in a while. Even kicking up a storm in Taekwondo doesn't match the sheer thrill of screaming at the director.

I am not going back tomorrow. I taught the last three classes just to clear up my binders and get my stuff together.

I am taking the opportunity in this crisis. I have a connection at a University in Laos that I have been investigating and a sister-in-law in Guangzhou with a spare bedroom in her apartment. I am sure I will not get a Letter of Release from the director so I suspect I will have to wait out my original Visa in another locale. But, man, if I come back here I am armed to the teeth with knowledge....

Too bad I will have to go - I have just started going to the socials gatherings listed here and met some great people. I will also have to say good-bye to Taewkondo.

Nope - won't be talking to Kiddirts - unless he wants to talk the language of revenge! His situation sounds crazier than mine....

Oh yeah - as soon as I was fired I went looking for the thread from Newt - I did find it - what great information!!

Catalina

[lesza]

Financial logic defies this situation.

I am the other foreign teacher at OSS club, Youngtong and a few weeks ago I posted my own lament. I wanted to stay working there and had a verbal agreement to extend my (Sept 1st expired) contract into January 2004. But when the paper came across my desk, they had changed the language by requiring seven 50 min classes per day instead of the existing six. I couldn't sign it. So I am leaving.

According to the contract and labour law, they will pay the equivalent of my flight home and severance. They have to pay a recruiter for new teacher, flight over and set-up costs. It seems logical that it would have been cheaper to keep me and Catalina and just pay us a wee bit of overtime (and reduce severance, flight and set-up costs to every 18 months instead of 12). Now they have to pay a second recruiter, flight and costs. The economics of it just don't add up.

These are not people who are making logical decisions. We are popular teachers who have helped to increase the enrolment of the school, could have found teachers to replace us-- side-stepping recruiter fees, and generally have been more than giving with our time and energy. The ultimate irony is that Catalina tried to give her notice a month ago as a result of ongoing negotiations that went nowhere, but was refused a release letter. Part of their argument was that it would be bad for the school to replace any teachers before the kindie had been open for a year (next March) and it was too short notice to find another teacher. If they had actually agreed to the notice back then, she would have been leaving at the end of this week, they would have had plenty of time to hire a replacement, wouldn't have to pay her one month in lieu of notice, etc...

So thanks to their careful managment skills they are losing, not one, but four teachers in the next four weeks (two way-gooks and two Korean teachers) Out of a staff of six, that's gotta tell ya something.

On the way to Bangkok for a much deserved rest,
Lesza("

[rapier]

Catalina: I punched my bosses lights out once in london. I've never had such a similar exstatic rush since. Better than sex, especially if the fights been brewing for some time.

[bucheon bum]

way to stand up to your boss, impressive. And god, what morons are running that hogwon??

Amazing what little business sense some of these people have.

[Gord]

[Kyrei]

Gord, get off her back.. the screaming was certainly mentioned in the post -- and that it went both ways. No Ghandi here... a fed-up-red-faced-waygook-explosion... and one that was earned I imagine.

Kyrei

[captain kirk]

whew, wrestling action. thrills and blow-outs. better than batman.
grand info re; the six month mark and summary execution, i mean firing, deserves a month's pay penalty to the lord. get a laugh out of that just picturing my boss, unable to squirm out of that one. how can a teacher sympathize with managers when they have utter and complete control in cahoots with immigration. together, those two can 'decide your fate'. whether you'll be let in for another go for a year. knowing that, some of these bosses, like catalina's ex-lord, want to see 'dedication'. i swear some of these schools are like sheep teachers quaking before the lord, and hats off to anybody blasting out.
speaking of bosses SCREAMING at you, lol. i've worked at this school almost six months (six months in a week, i guess) and because no-one alerted me, i missed a class. it was a girl who couldn't make a class, and came back an hour and a half later to make it up. i'm supposed to know about this, right? i say to the boss, who's bushwacking me in an ambush after i return from an hour outing, 'are you mad? don't get mad at me!'. i say this three times altogether while he's standing there with clenched fists and arms held straight down, like he's doing isometrics sublimating his terrible, corked up wrath. one more week, at the six month mark, he'll be mine. no longer his slave, but an evil genius poised like a venemous spider, apparently idly flipping burgers.

[Catalina]

Ok folks,

So it is post-firing day one. I am at a PC bang when I would be teaching a class - had I not been fired...

My co-worker just emailed me saying that the boss wants me back -apparently she was just warning me not to do report cards in class

If screaming "you're fired - leave now" and "fired - now go" in front of other people are warnings I wonder what is like if you are fired

Folks, the Labour Board has been called and a case filed for summary dismissal, the ticket is booked, the apartment is half packed, all my stuff is cleared from the school..umm, ummm

Advice please.

Catalina

p.s.

el Gordo - is your default position the Hagwon is always right? I never suggested satyagraha was my modus operandi. Do you get any exercise other than jumping to conclusions?

Rapier - let's start a club - "Better than Sex - Beating on the Boss" or "How to Fight with the Wajagnim and Win!!"

[Blue Flower]

I just have to say - that totally sucks. Your boss sounds like she needs some serious anger management. Writing report cards? Its not like you were doing something un-work related.

Don't even think of going back unless she not only apologises, but asks you herself. In fact, I woulldn't go back. She has no right to treat you like that, and then expect you to come back to the same shit.

I enjoyed meeting you the other night, and am sorry that you are leaving after I just met you, but you have to do what will keep you sane. N.