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steveohan
Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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my director is also counting saturday and sunday as vacation days...what a douchebag
steve. |
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Squid

Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Anyang
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:05 am Post subject: |
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joe doufu has it down pat.
You need offer no explanation.
It's simply no
I have been in this situation and everyone expects the foreigners to make wild excuses and not show up anyhoo.
or...
Tell him yes- then don't go. Screen your calls the first day. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| Kimchieluver wrote: |
| Just because your boss has lived up to his/her contractual obligations doesn't or shouldn't win him brownie points. Heck, most western bosses are expected to be good to their empoyees. So what if he gave you some slack during Christmas, when is he going to give you your summer break? You've probably been good to him too. Really, don't think that because he has not screwed you around he deserves a "Director of the Year" award. Make sure you get the vacation time alloted to you. The best way is to just say NO. I can't do it. I made plans and have to keep them. |
Mothers are supposed to be good to their children too. But so damn few are. If we get a mother that simply lives up to the minimum idea of motherhood, we thank her. A lot.
I've found in the real work world what entails a good employee and a good boss is not some working demon who plugs away 10 hours a day and farts the company mission statement in his sleep. An employee that simply does 100% of his job -- no more no less -- is judged as a good employee. A manager who simply performs the duties of a manager as expected ends up being considered a great manager.
Last edited by mindmetoo on Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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casey's moon
Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: Daejeon
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:11 am Post subject: |
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I agree with not giving a big explanation and with sticking to your guns. Just because your boss has been fair in the past doesn't give him/her an excuse to be unfair now -- that's ridiculous!
There are two things I believe that foreigners in Korea really should do for their own sake and for the sake of all teachers here: 1. Be great teachers, or at least do all they can to be the best teacher they can be. 2. Be respectful to and at the same time expect and demand respect from employers -- which includes honouring your contract, and expecting (sometimes forcing, sadly) them to do the same. |
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coolsage
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: The overcast afternoon of the soul
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:39 am Post subject: |
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| You're here as a teacher, not someone employed to hump desks up the stairs. Don't let yourself get exploited that way, because it won't end with this one. If you say 'no' one time, it gets easier. |
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joe_doufu

Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Just make an excuse. Sorry, boss, my friend invited me to go [travel] on that day, and she can't change it. I won't be able to help you move.
Send it by e-mail so he can't follow up. |
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Grotto

Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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First day of your holiday head off to ...Seoul, Pusan, Gangnueng..etc. Go away for a few days and have fun..when you return if you boss asks why you werent there to help feign surprise: "what ohhh you meant the first two days OF THE VACATION...I thought you meant the first two day AFTER THE VACATION I am so so sorry.
If you were hired to lug furniture around then by all means do it, if you were hired to teach English flat out refuse or allow all to save face by lying about it. |
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plokiju

Joined: 15 Mar 2005
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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So here's what I did. Yesterday my boss told me what time to show up to with the move. I told him that I didn't think I would be coming and then decided to be more firm and just say I wasn't not coming. It wasn't fair that I should come in on my vacation. Anyways, I ended up saying I would go for 2 hours or whatever basically just so I could go home. I could unpack my stuff and go.
Anyways, I went out last night. I told him I would come at 9:30 and it's now almost 10:30. I'm not going to go. I got a phone call 10 minutes ago. I wonder who it could've been. So now, I have the thrill of waiting to see what will happen next Wednesday. Aside from talk about my attitude and not being a team player, etc. what do you think is the worst that will happen?
That would be ridiculous if I were fired for actually using my vacation day as a vacation day. Those are the only days he cannot tell me what to do. |
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Grotto

Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Dont worry about it. You are the bread and butter of the hogwan and they wont fire you over unfair slave labour. And if they do then you are free to find another job at a better place. |
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canukteacher
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul, Korea
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Good for you! I bet it felt good to stand up to him. I don't care who your employer is, how good he treats, or even what country you are in, you should never have to give up your vacation unless it is an emergency situation. I hardly call helping this s.o.b. move an emergency.
CT |
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JongnoGuru

Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| PolyChronic Time Girl wrote: |
| Plokiju, aren't you the one that posted that long, blathering letter/email by your boss who wrote you and how many thought that this boss was so articulate/kind/fair? ... |
I thought that was another poster/boss/email, not plokiju. It was a poster called thaitom, unless I'm thinking of a different thread. |
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desultude

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| stumptown wrote: |
| Grotto wrote: |
| tell your boss that you have made plans and wont be available those days...darn it all |
Have you ever been in such a situation or are you offering useless advice? |
I think it is good advice, and I have seen it work for teachers here. I know one teacher who had "had family plans" prevent her from teaching two different required camps. I've worried about being so assertive- she is on here third contract here and looks to be rehired again. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| steroidmaximus wrote: |
has he been punctual with pay?
has he helped you out?
is the job good?
is the apt. good?
if yes, then he's kinda of expecting that you 'give a little back'. |
Except for number two, all the the above are expected conditions for the job. None of them (except for #2 and that depends on the kind of "help") obligate the teacher to "give a little back". Pay should be punctual. The job should be good (one should have done their homework before and once in the job do their best to make it pleasant). And as for the apt being "good" well one should have checked it out beforehand and made sure it was "good" before signing.
. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
The more you explain and qualify your objection, the more you open it up to being criticized or argued against. The best thing you could have said was:
"No"
Another equally effective but more diplomatic answer you could have given would be:
"Sorry, no" |
Bingo. I learned years ago to get out of all kinds of horrid activities by simply saying, "No." Don't give them a way in to argue.
Similarly, if you ever apologize, don't make excuses. Just say, "I'm sorry." Life lessons at Dave's ESL! |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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| plokiju wrote: |
Unfortunately, I'm not that fast on my feet. I also really prefer not to have to do any lying. Besides my parents were just here a few weeks ago and I haven't been here that long.
The strange thing is that he is hiring movers for the tables, chairs, and books, etc. So I really don't know what else is left.
I feel like just demanding he add a few days at the end of the vacation but I'd imagine he'd just either say no or someone else would end up taking my classes, neither of which are really that fair. I think he may have been generous with the xmas vacation so he thinks he can cut this one short. I wasn't there for that holiday, of course.
I don't mind helping in the move all that much I just wished I got some kind of compensation, financial or otherwise. Maybe there is. Our teacher's meetings are 90% Korean and sometimes they take it for granted that we understand certain things. I really don't like this 'the boss is king and cannot be questionned' kind of attitude that seems exists here or is that just my impression? |
Dude, just tell him no. Sorry, I don't want to. What's the big deal?
Stand up for yourself. You can't be a pushover, especially in an industry where they try push people over so much.
Last week, I wrote my boss explaining very clearly that I expect my payment never to be late, and I do not ever want to remind him again that he needs to pay me. I didn't squirm around for five days hoping to get paid like my Korean co-toeachers.
EDIT: Just read the update post. Good for you. Let your life of individualism and happiness begin! |
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