Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Snowkr]

I started a thread last week about working in January throughout the holidays that kind of went on a bit too long...

In any case, a decision made by someone in admin at my school resulted in my resignation from the position (public high school). It wasn't the only reason... I'd already had a small list of issues accumulating and finally just made the decision to break away at the 6 month mark.

At first, they pleaded and tried everything under the sun to change my mind... for hours. Today it was pretty clear that they'd accepted the decision when they said I either had to finish the contract or go home after this month. That means I've worked 5 months instead of 6.

I guess I can consider myself fired, yes?
I know there are certain restrictions against this kind of thing but are those restrictions still valid if the employee has given the appropriate 60 days notice as per the contract?

I'm not sure if this is retaliation on their part or just a means of saving money rather than paying another month's salary for hardly any teaching when the school term won't actually start until March, just as I'm leaving.

Very convenient for them but I feel so badly for my co-teacher that I really don't even feel like fighting it.

[yingwenlaoshi]

I believe the labor law states that you have to be given at least 30 days notice. However, if you sign a contract where they give you 60 days, they have to honor the contract. But you're probably up *beep* creek without a paddle because you probably need to work at least 6 months before they have to give you any notice.

Anyway, 30 days notice is a lot. I'd just go with that and try to get them to pay for your plane ticket back home somehow. Really, they should fly you back home and are maybe legally obligated to. Especially if you had no money with the 60 days notice the contract states they are supposed to give you.

[MrsSeoul]

Well,now you can apply to GEPIK. Ask for room 903. Best of luck to you!

[icicle]

You may find that what your employer is saying now is related to the fact that with the GEPIK contracts if you leave before the 6 month mark then you need to repay the school for the airfare which brought you to Korea, which they either paid or reimbursed after your arrival ... And someone may have just realised that ... and therefore changed their attitude to your leaving ...

In your position I would not consider myself "fired" unless they put in writing what they have said to your verbally ... I would take a strong line on the "but the contract says 60 days notice.. " and that is what I am giving you ... Legally you can't give me a choice between leaving at 5 months or working till the end of my contract .... And if you still had trouble on this point with your school ... I would talk to GEPIK about it ...

[Snowkr]

Thanks all.

It's being dealt with but I have a feeling things are going to get a bit ugly for the school.

The recruiting organization says they refuse to ever place another foreign teacher into that school if they force me to leave before completing 60 days and apparantly they have the ability to put a black mark against this particular public school after reporting them to the Ministry of Education, telling me that no other reputable recruiter will work with them.

I feel so bad about this. I think the people I work with really don't have any idea what my contract says and they are just like victims in this situation. I didn't know that a public school can actually be punished or "flagged" as if being put on some sort of blacklist.

I don't want this to happen to my school because there are good people there who will suffer. It really would have been in everyone's best interest to accept my resignation since I did honor the contract, but now that the admin has pulled this, they've opened up an entire new "bag of troubles". Now they're all going to regret ever having met me...

It's all just really unfortunate.

[mrsquirrel]

Do you have a copy of your resignation letter.

Makes sure you keep one, scan it and send it to the GEPIK coordinator explaining what is happening.

Make sure you have it all on record.

[spliff]

You'll have to pay for your own ride out and give them the money back for the one in.... Good Luck...

[mountainous]

[mountainous]

[georgewallas]

30 days notice is the minimum after 2 months of work.
If you aren't being givven the time, go the Labor Board and file a complaint. It takes 10 days for a decision

[Beej]

First of all, no one at your school will suffer. So they dont have a whitey teacher. Many schools dont. Your co teachers will move on with their careers. Nobody cares.

This is the main reason teachers pull midnight runs. Not homesickness, not careless, callous attitudes. This is it. Shabby treatment by schools once you give proper and fair notice.

[Snowkr]

They have given 30 days... just about.
It's no big deal. My airfare here wasn't that expensive and I'll miss out on the salary for Feb. but in all fairness to the school, the term doesn't officially start until March which is just when I'll be taking off.

I think the same thing would probably happen in the states. It's not all that unreasonable the more I think about it.

[Boodleheimer]

i think you're being too nice about the whole thing.

[Snowkr]

Probably, but I'm not in this for money and my co-workers have been really nice to me. I don't want any more trouble for them than neccessary.

Besides I need to get home and the sooner the better.

[mrsquirrel]

BACKBONE

Dammit

Where is your backbone.

The more I read this thread the more I think you are now just trolling. Nobody is this nice when somebody is trying to pork them in their azz.