Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yingwenlaoshi]

I started a job in March. After school program through an agency. I started in March, but my first teaching day wasn't until the 17th. Payday was April 10th.

So I check my balance on this magical day assuming that they were going to screw me. And they did. I had this feeling that they were counting the daily rate (dividing the gross salary by the number of days in the month), but planned at multiplying that only by the work days. How can you count Saturdays and Sundays in the mix and not include them in the pay?

Sure enough, their deposit was a joke. So I didn't go to work last Friday and this Monday. I didn't call the school or my Korean counterpart (she and I share classes: I teach one one day and she teaches it the next - back and forth - different classrooms) went ballistic on me. Had a meeting with the principals, her, and the English head. They were ticked, but we all left feeling better. I got 2 written warnings from the agency, but they agreed to pay me the correct way. They sent me an adjusted pay statement, but there was still something wrong. I transferred my visa to them on the 3rd and got my housing on the 10th. The first teaching day was the 17th, but my contract stated that it was from March 10, 2008 to March 9, 2009. I only get paid 50% for going in to work the week of the 3rd and the following week (3rd to the 16th - written in the contract that I only get 50% of the daily rate before the first teaching day). Weekend days were included in this with my teaching from the 17th to the 31st paid in full. Still, they were counting a whole month on the housing deposit and crediting me only from the 17th to the end of the month. So I contacted them again.

Anyway, that was adjusted from the 10th. But they're still only crediting me rent from the 10th, taking my housing allowance amount for a month and deducting the credit of the 10th to the 31st from a whole month rent and I lose money equal to if I were in the apartment from the 1st to the 9th.

You see? How can they just deduct regular the next month? The won't. They'll just leave this in the abyss. Well hopefully not. Sent them another e-mail saying that I shouldn't be deducted from the 1st to the 9th. Not if they're planning on deducting the whole thing from my gross next month.

I'm going to meet with them later because my contract should really be from the 3rd. That only gives them the option to not extend when my contract is coming to an end and give them a reason not to pay me severance. There's a clause in my contract saying both parties, upon agreement, can make changes to the contract. Probably I would just bug them about that before the time comes, but...

So my pay slip has been adjusted twice and now I'm looking for a third one. They could say that it's for the 10th to the 9th next month, but that's not how they pay partial months. So how can they really do this in the first place? You know?

So I'm still working there.

On top of it all, I got charged a 200,000 realtor fee. Didn't even know about it. Nice of them not to tell me beforehand. I hear they exist, but I'm not sure what they usually are. The housing deposit they paid was 10 million. That would make the realtor fee 2%. Is that usually the going rate?

One more written warning, and they would have to let me go. Nice way to start a job.

[victorology]

I think you're also in the wrong here. If you didn't get paid what you should have, you should have contacted the school. If I read your post correctly, you chose not to show up to work without any notice whatsoever.

In the end, I hope you get your fair share.

The realtors fee is calculated like this:

0.4 * ( [monthly rent * 100] + deposit )

If your realtors fee was 200,000 won and your deposit was 10 million won, your monthly rent should be 400,000 won. If the monthly rent is less, you probably overpaid the realtor. If the monthly rent is more, you got a discount.

[jadarite]

I think not showing up is a good way to deal with them. If they don't pay, you don't teach. I have done it myself with various jobs, and either they will pay you and ask you to leave or they will pay you and respect you more in the end.

If they pay you and ask you to leave, then you know they were trying to take advantage of you.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[poet13]

If you dont' go to work, they are well within their rights to fire you. yes, yes, it's why you didn't show up that's important....at least to you. It's not to them, and they are the ones who speak Korean to the Korean labor board people....

[mrsquirrel]

I thought you worked at the best hagwon in the world and loved your job, appreciated teaching good students etc etc.

Why are you are a bloody after school program getting shafted in the first month?

[yingwenlaoshi]

[spliff]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[spliff]

My employers have all been decent people w/ whom I've never had a disagreement or unkind words...everything is hunky dory...

My present position I've been at for two years and will stay a third, fourth..... My co-teachers are both experienced teachers who've taught me quite a bit about controlling large size classes and I'd like to think they have learned from my teaching example as well. The first year there was a little stress involved because I'm basically a shy person and as everyone knows it's a little difficult being the "new guy" around, but now, it's stress free and a joy to come in to work each morning, classes are running smoothly and the kids seem to be enjoying them and actually learning. I don't like it when there's a mens club meeting the night before a school day...I hate having to teach w/ any kind of hangover no matter the severity.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[spliff]

You'll get over it..just keep plugging on.