Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CentralCali]

Perhaps this post should be a sticky, I've posted it so many times.

The "chain of command/support/complaints" is as follows:

Supervising co-teacher (aka "foreigner wrangler/handler")
Department head
Head teacher
Vice-Principal
Principal
School inspector at your regional Office of Education
Supervisor of foreign teachers at the Provincial/Metropolitan City Office of Education
Superintendent of Education

If you have to make it to the last person on that list, you're already living in a nightmare. At any rate, if there's no joy after seeing the Superintendent, then you can go for the Labor Board if you believe there's a case.

[YTMND]

I never had those levels, maybe it shouldn't be a sticky

Come on guys, maybe it isn't always one way that you see it. Make sure you know who you should answer to regardless of the infrastructure.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I still say if she yells at you walk out. That'll put the ball in the schools court to deal with it. Instead of trying to find the chain of command, have them come to you.

They have an obligation to provide a professional environment, and they're not providing it. They aren't meeting their side of the contract, point that out to them, and if they can't find another job.

Sometimes it's easier to just find another job. I've quit jobs, and never regretted it - my only regret was working there too long.

[Julius]

[Mix1]

[stevieg4ever]

Unfortunately there is little to nothing your girlfriend can do.

Your provincial office is very, very unlikely to step in. If you tell your district co-ordinator they will come back to you in few days' time and try and turn the tables on her insinuating that it is her fault because of x, y and z. Ive seen this happen so many times ive lost count. The office wont take action unless you start to do things against the school's wishes.

Koreans won't punish another Korean in a Korean-foreigner dispute; sorry, it just will not happen. They may have a quiet word but that's about it. Their main goal is to try and keep her in her position till the end of the contract.

Leaving is the best option. Is she tough? Cause she'll need to be to last.

[coratheexplorer]

I spent the last ten years of my career working in mediation, in the legal field. Usually a situation like this is not resolved unless a higher up can lead the way towards a solution. Or put some kind, even if it is only subtle, of pressure on the aggressive party to curb the harmful behavior.

The overall work culture is very important. A big part of our work was helping to reform corporate and company cultures to be more amenable to open conflict resolution and open feedback and dialogue. This is scary for most people, but essential because otherwise the good people go!!

In this situation, honestly it doesn't sound good. This woman has to feel there will be repercussions for her behavior. Has anyone else witnessed this?? She may feel free to "unleash" if you will, on a foreigner. People are often targets of harassment, mild or severe, when they are different or appear vulnerable in some way. A stranger in a strange land is inherently vulnerable, of course.

Or she may trigger something in this woman's personal history. Is your girlfriend quite attractive? That unfortunately was the cause in a handful of cases I dealt with. It was always worse when the up and coming young lady was very pretty. Middle aged women (of which I am one. don't mean to call out my sisters LOL) often do not know how to nurture young female talent. Is there any human resources office designed to handle such complaints?

I wish her the best of luck. Maybe it will just fade away. Maybe this woman will come to her senses and realize she was just acting from an irrational place. People can change!!! But usually mediation is necessary. But also miracles *do* happen

[coratheexplorer]

I just re-read it and I realize I didn't grasp the age aspect. I assumed the American teacher was younger but now that I read more closely I see it might not be the case. Interesting how I automatically assumed that

[coratheexplorer]

[Mr Lee's Monkey]

Central Cali nailed it, and it should be a sticky. Was once in a very similar situation and went through every person up to # 7 - that was where and how I finally got relief, because they really were concerned about the condition of English education and the treatment of foreign teachers. I didn't come away unscathed and it took a lot of time and inordinate patience, but the woman who harrassed me daily was finally put into a place where she could never work out on a foreign teacher again.
YTMND - there is no comparison to a hagwon, and I find it difficult to believe that you are the expert you seem to think you are. Not meant to be a personal attack, but you really do come off as if you think you know better than anyone with such high frequency that you've compromised your own cred - certainly in this thread. I'll add that smarm and snark are less cute than annoying - every time.

[YTMND]

[TheUrbanMyth]