Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I_Am_Wrong]

what's with the "they" and the "typical korean"...why does it always have to come back to a racist ethnocentric stereotype with some of you. Last term I came to work massively sick and my school principal drove me to a doctor and then drove me home. When I had gastro-enteritis just before Christmas I took two sick days and the my Principal called (not to check to see if I was bluffing) but to see if I was ok because he was worried and if there was anything he could do. My co-teacher did the same thing. When I went to school the next day I was still sick (but able to stand) but my co-teacher said "take a rest on the sofa, I can teach by myself today."

[JacktheCat]

[the eye]

while it's not cool for them to come knocking, i would like to do that to my coworker who lives next door.
hangovers don't count. i'm getting sick of picking up the slack while she's recovering from a boozefest.

[Grotto]

wow..racist

sorry merely an observation.

Koreans come to school sick, on their deathbeds, in pain.

Westerners call in sick, take time off and stay home.


Maybe I am becoming a bit racist about some things.

The long story short it all depends on WHO you work with.
If you work with good people then thats great. They can see past the differences between our cultures and make adjustments/allowances for that.

If you work with typical Koreans who believe that you should never take a sick day, you should work more than what you agreed to(for the betterment of the company/school), that you should totally adopt all Korean customs and mannerisms then ....welll life can suck at times.

I am not Korean...even foreigners who have lived here 30 years and speak the language fluently are not Korean and guess what buddy...they never will be!

[manlyboy]

I took a sick day last year. My wife phoned the co-teacher at about 7:00. The co-teacher said "OK, I will tell the Principal". I stayed home in bed all day wondering about what kind of crap I would be subjected to for having taken a sick day. When I went to work the next day, everybody asked me how I was feeling and if I was OK. Nobody gave me any grief whatsoever. I wasn't asked for a medical certificate, or even what was wrong with me. I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised.

[GeoMaster]

Sounds like to some, getting ill is more stressful than staying healthy in Korea...

And to others, sounds like they get sick too much...

Finally, it also seems to be quite the blame on the Korean Culture being IMPOSED rather than not being able to adapt to a new environment for some...

If I missed any, please let me know...

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

I have had more flus and colds this year than any other year...why? Because we are demanded never to take any sick days and lose a whole day's pay if we do...
Bullsh*t if you ask me...too many sick people equals low productivity and spreading germs around. Whenever I'm really sick and demanded to come in anyway, I just refuse to teach. Luckily I have a TV and VCR in the classroom and I just pop in a video. One time I was so sick, I just left the students with a movie and I went to sleep in the nurse's office. Aaah, one of the benefits of a big high school.

[GeoMaster]

I agree with you PTG, and no one should be demanded to come into a working environment when they have health complications to tend with. Hence get rid of the bug and there is more productivity, even though this is the first year I have not been sick yet.

Quite interesting how nature and the human body works! Maybe I am not working hard enough in this public school position...

[some waygug-in]

At least you get sick days. At my first haggie job, we were supposed to get 3/year. But I found out when I first took one that we had to pay out of our own pocket for a sub.

Needless to say, I only took that 1 day.

So I was coming to work, sicker than a dog, spreading germs to all my students, doped up till hell wouldn't have me on cold medicine, and the boss schedules a company lunch during our off hours.

I didn't go because I was home in bed trying to recover, he interrogated me for 10 minutes the next day, and made sure I knew that he was "unhappy".

It definately is a cultural thing here, like a lot of other cultural things it sure seems stupid from our perspective.

[Grotto]

They tried doing that to me at my first hagwon. I laughed in their faces and told them to go stuff themselves. They didnt like it much but tough cookies.

[the eye]

there are an awful lot of people signing contracts that don't include sick days.
why would you do that?

[some waygug-in]

It's one thing to have sick days in your contract. It's quite another to ever be able to take one and get paid for it.

The second job I was at, the employer tried to make any teacher who was sick extend the final date of their contract, to make up for any sick days taken.

If you get them, you should consider yourself lucky.

cheers

[Paddycakes]

I did a one year stint in the EPIK program, which I guess is very similar to GPIK or whatever it's called.

I swear to God I spent 3/4 of that whole year sitting on my arse doing nothing but mulling around this delaptitated teacher's staff room surfing the Net. For some people I suppose that would be heaven on earth.

The ennui of spending so much time in an ugly office, however, with a bunch of Koreans who can't speak English nearly drove me to the Brink. I say again -The Brink!

I rarely get sick, but in Korea I got sick all the time, and I think a lot of it stemmed from the torture of doing nothing all day combined with the sense of isolation owing to the language barriers, not to mention the pressure of being under a microscope 8 hours a day while you're sitting in that junky staff room just because you're the only foreigner.

However, if the Koreans could speak real English and understand 100 percent in a natural way what I was saying (which we know is not possible unless they're Kypopos), then sitting around all day doing nothing wouldn't be so bad. But the ackward pauses and and broken Konglishee just don't quite make for a good time.

Generally speaking in retrospect I'd say the Adult hogwan I was at was better than EPIK, simply because we weren't subject to these absolutely bizarre rules and there were other foreigners to work with who you could actually hold a converation with.

Sometimes I just wake up every morning and thank God for not making me a Korean (or any Asian for that matter). They're all treated like dogs here.

[teachingld2004]

GEPIK...
Well, some of you have it bad it seems, and some do not. Just like any of these jobs here, they all are a crap shoot.

I would not mind getting paid for sitting on my butt or playing on the computor, At least your contract says 15 sick days, and you work what ever, 8:30 till 4:30.

Sounds good to me. You get paid 2.3 and have 3 weeks vacation. You teach what, 22 hours a week and get paid over time if you do more teaching hours? You have an apartment bigger then an 8 pyung box?

I am not saying you don't have things to complain about, but....

At home you may make the same amount of money but you have to pay for an apartment, and utilities. So, what can you save?

What about the people who work real hard, 30 hours, and 1 or 2 or no sick days?

ANd you may have a lazy co-teacher, but you at least have one. ANd you CAN complain to "the powers that be".

There are ups and downs. Me personally, I would not like to be the only foreigner in a school, but some people I know love it.

Yes, the administration here is absolutely wacko. Teachers and children come to school half dead. I ask them why they arent home, and they say "I'm not sick, or Mom says go to school". Their heads are hot, they cant see, and look like they belong in the hospital.

So, they come in sick, we get sick, they get sicker, and the cycle goes on. What is my solution? No solution.

When I was back home, everyone (or mostly everyone) complained about their jobs. This is what we do: we work, we complain, work and complain...that is life.

But here at least we have jobs. So people. just relax and enjoy them....if you can.

Yep, there are some crappy jobs out there, but there are some crappy teachers also.

Am I happy all the time? Certainly not. But most of the time. I have been lucky I guess. My jobs have been good ones. (mostly). But then again, I am good at what I do,

I am not saying you all arent good at what you do, but if thigs are so bad, leave, or don't resign.

Now I better get off this site and grade these tests.

Less then a week to go at this job. And today I got the most wonderful goodby letters. So, gonna grade papers, cry, and tell myself not to read e-mail or go on the comp. for the next 24 hours. Too busy.

Have a good day people.

[Tiger Beer]