Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cornholio1]

Hey everyone,
First of all please no trolls. Serious situation which needs serious testemonial.
A friend of mine is working at a bad hagwan with a reputation for not paying their teachers. I have spoken with my hagwan president and she says she can help. We both talked to Immigration officials and they informed us that if she gets the required documents for an E-2 visa sent to her again she will be able to apply and get approved for a new one. then she just has to go to japan get an entry stamp and come to work for us no huss no fuss with the other hagwan. The problem is she is so worried about her boss finding out and taking some sort of legal action against her that she can't make up her mind. Also a recruiter who is still trying to get money from the same hagwan (former teacher who has already left the hagwan) has told her not to do it but I think he is worried about getting his money from his original contract with them.
I have been here in korea for six, almost seven years now so I am pretty fearless when it comes to things like this, but she is new and afraid.

Also I have heard this a lot before but never had any hagwan ask me for it. THE "letter of release" what is the deal with that? she say's she's worried about it but like I said, never had to show it or even had a hagwan boss ask for it.
Please if you have been here for a while and have any helpful insight let us hear it she needs a lot of convincing. There have been at least six or eight teachers screwed over by the same hagwan. They start off the same with everyone, pay on time for the first two or three paydays then slack off and start paying late.
The first paycheck she got was given to her after six weeks and the explanation she got for that was that the hagwan had to recieve a security deposit for the apartment they put her in, which is of course bullspit because they own the place...anyways, gotta go to class now. Please any input you have will be helpful.

[moosehead]

don't throw good money after bad, I always say - in this situation, one is likely to think one should stick around in order to get paid, maybe even that things will "work themselves out." but the longer one is there, the more free time one is giving away to a greedy sot that probably plans her departure even as we speak.

if she can hack it, I'd say start packing up and then coming in late and force him to fire her - do it now, so he'll do it quick enough. then she goes w/him and/or one of his employees to immi and gets her visa cancelled - then she does NOT need the LOR - I repeat - if he FIRES her and she can prove it (by going to immi w/an employee, or him) they will cancel her visa and give her an exit order and she has 30 days to find a new job.

I would NOT share this with the recruiter tho, he might be pissed because if she gets fired he's probably screwed for sure and is liable to rat her out - after all - he placed her there and knew the score. I'd stay away from him - sounds like bad news for sure.

good luck - and by the way - you're a good friend

[wylies99]

Why not post this on job discussion?

[lastat06513]

If she has the opportunity to work in a better place and all she has to do is get the necessary documents to do it, then all she has to do is to get them in a hush-hush manner and when she has everything in order, all she has to do is give the current (soon-to-be prior) hakwon 30-days notice (or how ever much time notice as stipulated in her contract). The only problem is, they probably will stick it to her by holding back all kinds of money and stuff (which you might know about because you had been there awhile and know that is how hakwons work anyway).
As for any type of legal action by her institute, they can threaten but if they do things to her that is not in the contract signed and stamped by both parties, they are pretty much in the wrong for not living up to the agreed conditions of the contract, so their legal leg is weak to stand on and because she is a foreigner, it would be impossible to collect any real damages if they do win.
But as for the money, considering the situation and the possibility that she can get out of the contract early, it might be considered an acceptable loss if she can start working for a more reliable place.

Good luck to your friend............

[Yesterday]

There is an easy way out....

but it will cost here 400,000~500,000won....

the weekend just before pay-day - take a weekend trip to Japan...

She will arrive back in Korea on a tourist visa...

Then the next week when she gets paid.... don't ever go back to the school again...

go get another job...

[ryouga013]