Korean Job Discussion Forums

[normalcyispasse]

Okay, this is just to vent on a forum where people are sympathetic to/understanding of such issues.

I work for a private elementary school. While the school has a good reputation for education in the area, in practice the working conditions combine the worst of public schools (long days, mandatory attendance when the students aren't even at school) with the worst of hagwons (long prep times, etc.). The school is apparently subject to public mandates (e.g. 32 lessons/semester) but has no set curriculum (that is, of course, to be developed by the foreign teacher). Awesome.

Anyway, last semester I had a number of rows with the management and came very close to quitting a couple times. One specific instance was when the school failed to schedule me for a couple classes; I came in to work, of course, but I wasn't scheduled to teach. At the end of the semester they saw that I was going to come up short and they told me I would have to either work on a Saturday or teach 20 morning classes for a week to make up the time.

Well, therein lies the rub. Some choice passages copied directly from my contract:

-Class preparation and consultation from Monday to Friday.
-The Employee will be assigned to teach a maximum of 24 class hours per week. (Regular class: 16 class hours, After school class : 8class hours)
-Even if the employee doesn't complete weekly hours 16classes, due to school's events or schedule, the employee will be paid in full for 16classes.
-Overtime will be given only when the employee exceeds 8 after school classes a week.

So, basically, they wanted me to work well outside the bounds of my contract. They were completely unwilling to pay overtime. I gave no ground and was preparing a resignation letter when they figured out a way to finagle the schedule such that I was working a normal week, completing the mandatory classes, and not doing overtime. It was a HUGE fiasco. My wife (with whom I work) and I were ready to walk over this.

I figured it was over.

Nope.

Now, I've done a number of favors for the school. I've prepared a comprehensive curriculum, I've gone along with their RIDICULOUS "open classes" and teacher-observation bu11sh!t, and I've even worked an unpaid Saturday to help them out. They've promised me extra time off for my efforts, but they have not even THANKED me. Not even a thank-you, let alone time off. Am I going to bend over backwards for them now? Hell no.

So, what do they do now? This week they decided that, due to school scheduling, I can't teach my normal number of classes. They've told me that I have to either come in on Saturday or teach 20 morning classes a week.

Ha.

Nope.

The kicker is that, anticipating that this would come up, I built extra lessons into my semester plan so that this very thing could be avoided. I've explained this to the administration, but they just don't seem to get it.

Contract? What contract?

[ED209]

[nomad-ish]

[normalcyispasse]

Oh, believe me, I've not done them any favors only for favor's sake. I'm very adamant about a fair working environment and I'm not ABOUT to be pushed about like a Korean; I've told them very clearly (and with a translator) that if they want me to work Saturdays, etc., I should get the same vacation to which K-teachers are entitled (that is, no camps).

I did them a favor on that one Saturday because I'm very, very vocal about how the foreign teachers here are treated. I'm the first one to sort things out with the administration, and as such I tend to get treated poorly. I wanted to make a peace offering but it went completely unappreciated.

It would be impossible for them to not know how I feel about this. I sat down with a translator in a meeting last semester and laid it on the line: Either I get paid overtime (no), I don't work the hours, or I leave.

Looks like we'll have to do that again. Great.