Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ChooChooPongPong]

I recently finished a one year contract with a privately funded public elementary school. Needless to say, I took this job thinking it would be a positive change from hakwon hell, and that I would be treated like a real teaching professional alongside the other teachers and would be granted respect from the students. This never happened, and if anything it was worse then hakwon hell, because only a couple of the teachers at the school could speak English and the rest of them would be hesitant to sit at the same table as me an my coworker in the cafeteria. But this is all beside the point.

The point is, we signed with this school through an agency, an agency well known in Korea as a large publishing company, that for some reason decided to get into teacher recruiting in order to try and sell its lame line of English study books and create a camp program that never happened. The company experienced huge financial problems, and was continually late in paying (up to three weeks late), and recently the government dragged it out of the water. This is also besies the point, but it must be said that this company supposedly was there to support and interface relations between me and the school, but all they were really interested in was skimming there 200,000 a month from my pay, and writing a contract that would confuse the crap out of anyone who signed it in the hopes of saving money. Lucky for them its not open to interpretation, and their lack of english skills have failed their agenda (in my opinion).

So....let us now examine the "end of contract." After nearly a year of being "lost in translation" at this less-than-foreign-friendly environment, and encroaching on the winter vacation, I asked the school if they would be interested in extending my contract following the spring vacation in February. Since I am not payed for either the summer or winter vacations, and the Korea school year has this strange scheduale (where the kids are off for over a month, and then return for a little over a week, and then have the rest of February off which marks the end of the school year) I asked the school if they wanted to keep me on. I asked this because I didnt think it was worth waiting for over a month to go back to school and work a week and then have no job. I had a strange feeling that they wouldnt resign teachers that were attatched to a bankrupt agency that didnt pay us on time and therefore caused us to complain to the school. But, I was a good teacher, and I coped in a very cold environment that most foreignors would have avoided. I'd never missed a class and the kids enjoyed me....so why change the teacher?

So I waited the month of January, assured that the school wanted to keep me, and I didnt take advantage of this fruitful job hunting season. I worked some temp here and there, and saved myself some boredom and relaxed. Following this period I returned to the school, and assumed my role once again alongside my other co-worker (who, incidentally, never signed a contract at all and was working illegally without an E2 from that school (although he had one from his evening job)). No one said much to us, and it seemed like something was up in the air, subject to last minute decisions.

The school informed us, one day before the spring vacation, that they were going to change teachers and not deal with our agency. I had wind of this when I saw my postion advertised on English Spectrum a few days before I got the news. It was just too coincidental that an elementary school located at the same subway station (seokgye) would be hiring. But.....the pay was 300,000 �� less a month. Hmmmmmmm.....

So they want to save money. Fair enough. And the school was kind of getting old anyways. I could use a change of scenery....BUT it would be hard to come up with a comparable morning/afternoon job that would allow me to make similar coin. Anyways....at least I get paid for February...even though I only worked 6 days of it. Hence the supposed frills of working at an elementary....guaranteed pay and constant cancellations of classes and no money grubbing from a hakwon director.

Thats what I thought.

So, the school said adios and sent us on our merry way. We got letters of reference and we were assured we would be paid in full for that month on the 25th. Since this would mean the end of my E2 and I wanted to find another job, I dedided a vacation in the Philippines was in order as it would also serve the purpose of establishing a tourist visa.
So....fun in the sun and back to Korea. Stick in the old pass book at the KB and voila....NO CASH! Hmmmm. Looks like I need to remind them. It's over a week late at this point.

So, I politely call the only teacher at the school who was ever helpful and who could speak English well. She said she'd look into it and get back to me. She calls me back and says that the treasurer says that my contract was only for 9 months payable, and that February was not included. Oh reallllllllly? So I waited all of January to come back and work 6 days for free??? Aren't I a nice guy.

So, the teacher says my agency will call me. But no call. As it happens, this company has had three different people take on the same job in the last year, and the first one barely knew what was going on, so after they quit, the second one was either fired or quit, and the third one, whomever that may be, probably doesnt even know a thing about the situation, let alone have copies of the contract.

I look at my contract (lucky I held on to it), and indeed it says the period of employment is until the end of February, saying nothing about not being paid. If it had would I have signed it??? Sure....I can see why the school wants to save money....thinking "hmmmm....he only worked 6 days of this month....that's a lot of money to give the waygook." Although I'm sure the REAL Korean teachers get paid. I guess they wait until AFTER Elvis has left the building to try and screw him.

So...after talking to the nice teacher....whome agrees with me and is not sure what they are thinking....she tells me that the treaurer is being stubborn about it. Perhaps he does indeed have a different version of the contract, a Korean version, but I have mine, two of them acually, one with the school and one with the agency, and while they did try and get creative in it, there is nothing saying I'm not to be paid for February. The short and long of the matter is....the last time I was paid was December.25th. The last time I worked was February 12th. They havent even tried to get creative and pay me for half the month. Not a penny at all and time is wearing thin.

So, I've told the school that they have to pay. If they don't I will take legal action. Orally, and literally, they have broken the contract. Morally, they are walking a thin line, and I'm wondering what lows they will lower themself too, and what methods I might have to resort to (standing outside the school with a placcard? Handing out letters to the kids to take home to their moms and dads so they know how their school treats its foreign teachers??).

So...advice and or comments are welcome. Legally, whome could I contact if it comes to that....and does anyone know a good lawyer? How much is this going to cost me? Am I fighting a losing battle? I don't think I am. It's pretty black and white to me.

Anyways...thanks to all those who took the time to read.

[schwa]

Thats quite a story. Give 'em hell. They've got the money socked away somewhere in their budget & the public school system is awash in it. Dont take no for an answer.

[Gollum]

Be sure you don't just say, "I'm going to take legal action."

What usually scares them into doing something to pay you is the specifics of where you will go: "I'm going to the labor board and filing a complaint. You will be contacted by them as to when the hearing will be. If you want to avoid any problems, please pay me for the days I worked."

Something like that.

[Mr. Pink]

This is your problem in a nutshell:

You had a "middle man"

Advice to others out there: avoid these "middle men"

I had one my first year at my high school and I gotta say it SUCKED.

He took 500,000 extra a month...that means the school paid him that much more than he gave me...and he did NOTHING...I mean NOTHING for that cash.

I thank God he went bankrupt and the school decided to just sign us themselves.

[kylehawkins2000]

Play hardball, they deserve it. Get that cute little girlie of yours to write you a note, lay it on the table, and hold your hand out......see how quickly it gets filled.