Korean Job Discussion Forums

[traxxe]

I am not in love with my school by any means. They plan to switch from one franchise to another in Feburary. My contract is up in March. I made them attach an amendment to the contract stipulating they will honor the prior companies obligations. No teachers are renewings their contracts as they hate the place.

Most of it is our fault. We serve the kids breakfast and lunch but don't get paid for it. We work over 30 contact hours if you include the breakfast (30 minutes) and lunch (50) minutes everyday. We have no breaks between classes either. One class leaves and the other starts. We vacume and clean our own classrooms when the day is up (That doesn't bother me too much actually).

So its my living conditions that are getting to me. I am in a small apartment that has had chronic problems. Half the teachers live above the school in nice places and the other half about ten minutes away in crappy apartments.

When I got her my Air Conditioner leaked like crazy. I had to keep a pot below it catch water. They tried fixing it about ten times until finally I said they had to replace it or I would quit. It took three and a half months to get a working AC.

The problem is that mold developed along the wallpaper. I developed a respitory infection, the bed can only fit in the space just above the AC and the mold (that is blowing on me). I never had breathing problems in my life and then was plagued with them. I have only missed one day because of it but have been put on a steroid inhaler, etc. The doctor even wrote a note I brought to my employer saying that the mold needs to be removed and is causing my respitory difficulties.

So after that they take three weeks to fix the mold. What did they do? They changed the wall paper in 1/5th of the apartment. I have old wallpaper but the new stuff is around my bed. The old stuff is sort of yellow stained now. Asthetics though are not my concern.

The mold came back. I told them monday. The owner said he would get me something to spray it with. Two reminders later still nothing.

***

Another friend here just has his wallpaper replaced for mold and the wall bleached. My other friend across the hall had his sewage pipes above his toilet burst and leak all over. (Talk about gross, whenever the guy above him would poop it would drop down to his bathroom) He also had similar AC/mold issues.

I asked for a new apartment and was denied. We all were denied. I guess they have a contract here or its hella cheap. I have five months left. I want to ride it out and with the new Visa changes and all does this seem to be the best course?

I think I can tough it out.

[marlow]

Shit dude. I'd get a cheap rental place to live in like one of those monthly places with no kitchen or whatever (can't live in filth). I'd keep going to work, but I'd get ready for the new E2 stuff, I'd get a job finding kit ready and I'd put all my money right in the bank - live minimally so I have funds on hand. When I move out of the shit hole I'd ask for a cash supplement each month.

[oldfatfarang]

This mold thing is not good. Not good at all - for your health. You should either move - or kill the mold yourself with a bleach.

When I was much younger - I lived in downstairs basements (to save money on rent). BIG, BIG mistake. Every winter the mold bloomed - on the walls - in the closets, in my clothes - and in my lungs/body. I got sicker and sicker - lost days of work etc. In the end I realised that it just wasn't worth living in a 'sick' environment to save the cash. Interestingly, my first K employer tried to force me to move to a (cheaper) moldy apartment. I flat refused. And so should you.

[PRagic]

Way back when I worked for a place part time that housed a couple of new teachers in a really sickly place. They complained, but upon deaf ears. The way they handled it was classic.

They just stopped coming to work. When the school called, they just said that they were in bed trying to get some sleep. As they couldn't sleep in the place at night, what with the mold, the noise, and the roaches, they had no choice but to sleep during the day. Really want to work, you know, but what can we do? They sent a manager to the house to get them to come to work, but they wouldn't budge. Nope.

They were in a new place in three days. All moved. All happy. They really didn't care about the job or whether or not they got the boot, which gave them a leg up.

[Fresh Prince]

For the mold problem: Pick up a 1000 won spray bottle at a Home Plus or similar place, and fill it with some bleach mixed with water and spray everything that has mold on it. The bleach will kill the mold that it touches in a really short time. The mold will turn grey usually in about an hour or so which means it's dead. The bleach will mess up the color in the wallpaper though, and you'll have to leave the windows open for a long time so you don't get overpowered by the bleach fumes.

[Adahma]

Wow that all sounds bad ..

[Snowkr]

OP

The mold thing is unnacceptable. I went through the same thing during my first year in Korea. Luckily, I had a great boss but it took extreme measures to get him to do something.

Mold can probably be killed but you never know if you've gotten it all or not. It's not worth the risk. You could develop permanent respiratory problems if you don't get rid of it or get out of the apartment. Koreans don't seem to get that. My boss wanted to wash the walls and put new wallpaper over top of the affected area.

I had to put my foot down. I didn't ask permission.. I just moved out and moved in with a friend until he bought me a new a apartment. It was a really nice one too and I took care of it... no mold issues after that.

If I were in your position, I'd leave... but then again, I don't know what your situation is. If you need the job that badly or just feel like you have to stay until the contract finishes, then maybe you could try what someone else suggested and refuse to work until it's sorted.

You seriously cannot stay in a moldy apartment.

[renzobenzo1]

Use up as many of your 15 sick days as possible....when they ask why you aren't turning up to school tell them that your apartment is making you sick.
If they won't find you a new place, then yes, move out and make them give you a supplement allowance for accommodation.

[Milwaukiedave]

I tend to agree that your housing situation is bad. I've dealt with moldy walls here in Korea and often once the mold gets into the wall it's pretty difficult to get rid of completely (even with bleach). The place I lived last year was mold free when we move in, but mold developed during the winter months because we used a humidifier. Also not airing out your apartment can contribute to the growth of mold.

If you are 7 months in, that makes it difficult to say one way or another if you should leave. You might try looking into the suggestion which someone else made and get your own accomondations. Keep pushing them and try to get things fixed.

[The_Conservative]