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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:24 am Post subject: Re: Another of Korea's victims? |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| Pojogae wrote: |
Okay, so I'm in this contract half-way through. It's a lousy job that I regret taking, but it could always be worse. Since the first month I have always been paid late, sometimes by as much as 3 weeks, and the place is clearly having some money problems. My boss even takes the batteries out of the air-con remote (it is outside my classroom) so I can't use it outside of class time. The worst was when she downsized the foreign staff from 2 to 1. She asked me if I would take on the extra classes for more money. I said yes. However, when the next pay cheque came along and I questioned why there was no additions to it, she had no recollection of the previous verbal agreement. Now a few hours a week overtime are unpaid, there's no health insurance, no pension (this doesn't bother me because my country has no agreement with Korea), and horrible kids. The atmosphere is also unfriendly: I am the only foreign teacher and am basically ignored unless they want me to do something for them, despite me not really having ever done anything to deserve this contempt. My boss clearly hates foreigners, which makes me wonder why so many Koreans who harbour this prejudice get into the hagwon business where they will inevitably have to deal with us. The only good thing is she is never peering in through the window or telling me how to run my classes. She just leaves me to get on with things.
Why did I take this job? Because it is in the middle of Seoul, and this is the only thing I took into consideration when accepting it. Well, I got what I wanted.
I've made it half-way, and am only in Korea now for that juicy final pay-out so I can go on a long holiday afterwards somewhere to recover, so I am willing to tough it out for the money.
Look, I am obviously teetering on the verge of doing a runner, which I don't really want to do. But the above signals suggest that severence is unlikely, right? I can't think of anything more depressing than making it all the way and then getting shafted at the end. She did pay out the previous teacher, but this was when things were financially healthier and maybe because that teacher re-signed. I thought I could threaten her with the labour board when the time comes, but do employers even really fear that? There is nothing to definitively suggest that she won't pay, but given the amount of lies I have been subjected to and the general state of the company I have serious doubts.
I'll probably make up my mind next week. Any suggestions you guys can give will be gratefully received. My heart says run, but my mind says stay. |
First, I'd stop teaching extra classes until you get paid for the ones you weren't paid for. You could also tell her in writing that she needs to keep her word or you WILL go to the labor board, or better yet, not show up for work. You need to be able to carry out this threat, too.
Then if she won't listen, try taking legal action with the labor board or with whomever. If you don't care about staying in Korea, I guess there is nothing to stop you from pulling the runner. |
I wouldn't pull a runner. I would say I need my pay now, and I don't work for free. If she balks, then go to the labor board, contact pension, and the tax office if she is not paying taxes. Hoping that she will pay your severance is like hoping it will rain in death valley in the summer. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 5:22 am Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Well good for you.
In my case the labor office didn't have anyone who spoke English.
They refused to hear my case and promptly asked me to leave.
Like everything else in Korea, it depends where you are and who you talk to.
Shame on you for thinking that everyone will be as lucky as you were. |
Well if luck involves paying a bi-lingual speaker to translate for me and being prepared with all necessary documents then yes indeed shame on me.
Obviously if you spoke no Korean and they spoke no English...it would be impossible for them to hear your case. In that case the onus falls on YOU to resolve it. |
And you automatically assume that I didn't try to do that?
I couldn't get anyone to help, so I had no choice but to walk away. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Well good for you.
In my case the labor office didn't have anyone who spoke English.
They refused to hear my case and promptly asked me to leave.
Like everything else in Korea, it depends where you are and who you talk to.
Shame on you for thinking that everyone will be as lucky as you were. |
Well if luck involves paying a bi-lingual speaker to translate for me and being prepared with all necessary documents then yes indeed shame on me.
Obviously if you spoke no Korean and they spoke no English...it would be impossible for them to hear your case. In that case the onus falls on YOU to resolve it. |
And you automatically assume that I didn't try to do that?
I couldn't get anyone to help, so I had no choice but to walk away. |
What? I'm not making assumptions... I just told you what I did. All I am saying that it wasn't luck in my case but preparation. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:37 am Post subject: |
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But you implied that somehow everyone should have the same situation as you did.
TUM wrote:
As for blaming people, if they believe what their boss says about the contracts just being pieces of paper and spinelessly knuckle under, then I will continue to blame them. I wish people would do their research before coming here instead of believing all these old wives' tales. [quote]:
If you live and work in smaller centers, things do not always work the same way as they do in Seoul. These are not "old wives tales", they still can and do happen. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:58 am Post subject: |
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[quote="some waygug-in"]But you implied that somehow everyone should have the same situation as you did.
TUM wrote:
As for blaming people, if they believe what their boss says about the contracts just being pieces of paper and spinelessly knuckle under, then I will continue to blame them. I wish people would do their research before coming here instead of believing all these old wives' tales.
| Quote: |
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If you live and work in smaller centers, things do not always work the same way as they do in Seoul. These are not "old wives tales", they still can and do happen. |
I think he implied or meant that preparation, using your experience and other factors can remove the "luck" factor when looking for work. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:58 am Post subject: |
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Well, that looks good in theory.
But the way hagwon are run in Korea, there's no telling what you are going to be faced with.
I had already had 2 years in Korea when I got into a bad situation.
Bosses change, head teachers change, schools change ownership.
You just never know when a seemingly good job is going to turn sour.
As far as the labor board goes, it may be OK in Seoul and Busan and perhaps a few of the larger cities, but it certainly was useless for me. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
But you implied that somehow everyone should have the same situation as you did.
If you live and work in smaller centers, things do not always work the same way as they do in Seoul. These are not "old wives tales", they still can and do happen. |
I've never lived in Seoul. Actually with the exception of 1 year in Ulsan I've always lived and worked in rural areas.
So I'm quite familiar with the way things work in "smaller centers" thank you very much.
As for the "old wives tales" thing that was in reference to the contract being "just a piece of paper".
I'm sure with all the experience and contacts you have made in Korea that you would not let your current or future boss(es) get away with making this claim now.
And no I wasn't implying that everyone should have the same situation...I was implying that preparation pretty much removes the luck factor. They didn't speak English at my labor board either...which is why I looked for, found and paid a bi-lingual speaker to translate for me. |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
Just trying to get people to see that things could be much worse.
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This is exactly the attitude an employer often hopes the employee will take. It's the perfect attitude to foster the erosion of good work conditions/pay.
Act and think like a sheep and you tend to be treated like one.
Perspective is nice, but things could ALWAYS be worse. That's not much of an argument at all and it doesn't help to bring up work conditions from a century ago.
Yeah, some ESL gigs can be cushy in comparison to some other jobs, but the pay is rarely stellar even on the best of days. Saying "it could be worse" is essentially bending over and lubing up. The more people think this way, the worse it is for everyone. |
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thunderbird
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:44 pm Post subject: Re: Another of Korea's victims? |
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| Pojogae wrote: |
Okay, so I'm in this contract half-way through. It's a lousy job that I regret taking, but it could always be worse. Since the first month I have always been paid late, sometimes by as much as 3 weeks, and the place is clearly having some money problems. My boss even takes the batteries out of the air-con remote (it is outside my classroom) so I can't use it outside of class time. The worst was when she downsized the foreign staff from 2 to 1. She asked me if I would take on the extra classes for more money. I said yes. However, when the next pay cheque came along and I questioned why there was no additions to it, she had no recollection of the previous verbal agreement. Now a few hours a week overtime are unpaid, there's no health insurance, no pension (this doesn't bother me because my country has no agreement with Korea), and horrible kids. The atmosphere is also unfriendly: I am the only foreign teacher and am basically ignored unless they want me to do something for them, despite me not really having ever done anything to deserve this contempt. My boss clearly hates foreigners, which makes me wonder why so many Koreans who harbour this prejudice get into the hagwon business where they will inevitably have to deal with us. The only good thing is she is never peering in through the window or telling me how to run my classes. She just leaves me to get on with things.
Why did I take this job? Because it is in the middle of Seoul, and this is the only thing I took into consideration when accepting it. Well, I got what I wanted.
I've made it half-way, and am only in Korea now for that juicy final pay-out so I can go on a long holiday afterwards somewhere to recover, so I am willing to tough it out for the money.
Look, I am obviously teetering on the verge of doing a runner, which I don't really want to do. But the above signals suggest that severence is unlikely, right? I can't think of anything more depressing than making it all the way and then getting shafted at the end. She did pay out the previous teacher, but this was when things were financially healthier and maybe because that teacher re-signed. I thought I could threaten her with the labour board when the time comes, but do employers even really fear that? There is nothing to definitively suggest that she won't pay, but given the amount of lies I have been subjected to and the general state of the company I have serious doubts.
I'll probably make up my mind next week. Any suggestions you guys can give will be gratefully received. My heart says run, but my mind says stay. |
shes probly not pying your pension either so youll get shafted outa another 9% of everything youve earned |
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Swampfox10mm
Joined: 24 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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I knew a guy like this once. He ended up selling everything in his apartment that was provided, stopped paying his utilities, and pulled a runner after he got his pay for the month.
And btw, you can purchase aircon remotes for 6,000 won from corner handy stores. |
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son of coco
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:40 am Post subject: |
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| GoldMember wrote: |
Another of Korea's victims. The title says it all. Poor baby, must be terrible being a "victim".
No, not a victim, a weak and stupid person. You are not a bank, you are an employee. By not getting paid you are in effect lending money to your employer. Now if you don't pay your credit card bill back home, does the bank lend you more money in the idiotic hope of getting the original amount back. No they cut you off.
It's easy, no money, no honey. Even an uneducated Thai bar girl knows that.
Smart Korean 1: So called intelligent educated whitey 0 |
The stupidity contained in this post jumps right off the page. It's off the scale! |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:47 am Post subject: |
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Well, if you look when the post was written, you'll see it was early Sunday morning, a time when GoldMember is always the worse for wear.
Plus he had been probably doing time with Tigerstyleone on his dinghy and had a touch of the sun as well.
But even all that can't explain it. |
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