Korean Job Discussion Forums

[zizi]

Hi-
I feel kind of stupid writing this out here, there is always someone getting fired at the end of their contract, and I'll probably get bashed, but at the same time I know there is invaluable advice I can only get here, so here goes...I have been fired four and a half weeks before my contact ends. It's been a long and rocky road with this hogwon. If this was word I'd just bullet it, but I'll try and keep it short.
I have a problem class. The students curse at me in Korean, push me, and when I try and collect their test they hit my hands away. I try to discipline them, but they simply laugh at me and won't listen. If you've read any of my other posts you know that my boss is unreasonabe and borderline insane. The reasons Iam getting fired: eating in class, throwing garbage on the floor, and creating a negative atmosphere for the students. None of this is true. She said I have received warnings for this before and I haven't. At the end of March I decided it just wasn't worth it to finish out the contract and asked them to sign an LOR. SHe was very upset and we talked for a long time and I agreed to stay until the end. I did receive a written warning last winter for hygiene and smelling like smoke. I just want to say I do not smoke at work, what happened was I didn't have hot water for over a month and I took the advice here and stopped showering. They fixed my water, but they were mad.
I'm incredibly upset right now so I'm sorry if this is not cohesive. I came over here based on the contract and written promises they made in e-mails. They did not keep many of their promises and I have had to fight for so much. I can't help but feel completely used at this point, and to be honest, used up. The feeling that I left my country and gave these people a year just to be screwed over, well, what else can I think but negative things. It makes me almost hate Korea, which I know is wrong, but so much of my life here is wrapped up in my job. I have felt on edge the whole time I was here and have gone above and beyond my job requirements to try and make them happy. As I write this I realize I have been incredibly stupid. I told my boss that I would take them to labor and she had to give me thirty days, so the meeting ended with her telling me the owner doesn't want me there anymore, but they would not agree to just let me go early then and pay my severance and airfare. She she would talk to the owner and if I stayed I would have to pick up all the garbage in the classrooms. I should note that I share the classrooms with all the other teachers and the garbage isn't solely from "me" and my students as she claims. I'm sorry if this post is ridiculous. If anyone has advice I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance, when everything goes to sh$$, one thing you can always count on in Dave's.

Zizi

[Join Me]

Sorry to here this. Sounds like you work for a real beauty. You could try and go back and reason with them one more time after they cool off. I wouldn't be agreeing to picking up any trash though. If they still want to fire you with four weeks left in your contract you could play hard ball with them. Doesn't sound like they have grounds to fire you so you may be right about them owning you for not giving you notice. You could also mention that you will be staying in their apartment for the next four weeks or until they manage to evict you. If you change the locks quickly, that won't be easily accomplished. Sounds like they are just another cheap Hawgwan trying to get out of severance and airfare. So, for your own benefit and that of the next instructor don't make it easy on them. Let us know how it works out. I would get on the phone with the labor board tomorrow and see if you can't get them to call your boss. Seems like the labor board really doesn't look that highly on the 11th month firings anymore. If you ask them nice, who knows they may make a call for you. In the long run it probably would save them time to deal with your employer now rather than later.

[Sody]

First of all, don't feel bad about hating Korea. I don't give a damn what anyone says, you have a right to feel anyway you want. It's your life and your thoughts and feelings. There are many Koreans who hate their own country so you shouldn't feel guilty about it either. Be honest with yourself, you are upset and angry. There are times to be calm and rational and there are times when you can use your emotional energy to defend yourself and help yourself. This is one of those times.

No you can't always depend on Dave's ESL Cafe, not the Korean forums anyhow. But I'm sure there are many posters who can help you and will try to help you if you post more info about your contract. Does it specifically say that your employers are required to give you notice? What does it say about paying back your airfare past the six month mark? For all intents and purposes 4 1/2 weeks is essentially the last month so I'm sure the labor board will look favorably in your case.

Some additional things to keep in mind:

1. Did they give you written warnings or performance assessments in the past when you talked to them?
2. In your contract does it specifically say you are responsible for helping to clean the classrooms? I work at a public school and it is a general duty that is customarily required of most teachers. But be sure about this since it is one of the reasons they are trying to fire you.

Contact the labor board asap and get the support of the other native teachers too.

[jadarite]

You are near the end of your contract. Look for a new job, and then decide if it's worth taking legal action. I think the answer will be no.

[zizi]

It says in my contract they have to give me three written warnings and thirty days notice. She says they gave me written warnings, but they didn't. She got very upset when I asked for copies of the complaints. I have thankfully recorded everything and I was just listening to it again and she was full-on yelling at me that she was my supervisor and I am lower than her so I will do what she says. About Korea though, my sister-in-law is Korean and I wanted copies of the complaints so she could read them. My brother just got transfered to another country and I can't help but be grateful that my nephew will now have a normal childhood instead of being shipped to a bunch of hagwons like all his classmates. I really don't want to bring my sister-in-law into this BS, she's five months pregnant and I just won't put this stress on her, and I love her as if she was my own sister. She helped me with the water problem. They actually had a garbage can and said that in Korea people just take sponge baths and not showers. She has often said when dealing with them that she is embarressed by their behavior. They tried to rip me off right from the start. My first phone bill came and it was rather large, and I got another phone bill that was in Korean. The one in Korean was not even in my name and my other bill was for two months. They fought with me and her tooth and nail. It was absolutely ridiculous. And it just goes on and on. I have no idea what will happen tomorrow, I have a feeling they found a replacement for me that is already in the country. Thanks for the replies. I'll keep you informed.

Zizi

[zizi]

[DongtanTony]

I know it's something you don't want to hear....but....

zizi....it sounds like you made the first move to leave this job???

Is that correct??

From your OP it sounds like you tried to resign...before you were fired???

Is that correct??

Then really....what did you expect??

You had one foot out the door...they're helping you get the other one out...and they're saving themselves your severance and airfare to boot.

Legally...they can. If they prove gross negligence of teaching duties or behavior...and they have the upper hand with the language barrier...you don't have much of a fight. Granted...quite a few labor disputes have gone the way of the teacher...however, more frequently, the opposite tends to be true.

It sounds like you have a job lined up...my advice...get the visa transfer to your new school...chalk this sketchy school up to a learning experience.

You might eat a few dollars...but ask yourself this...is a few bucks more important than your sanity???

Go to the new school...clean slate...start fresh. You now know what to steer clear of.

But really...it sounds to me like you said the magic words..."letter of release." Did you really think your last month or two was going to be a picnic??

And...why did you stay?? Why didn't you demand the release to move on to greener pastures?? Were you motivated by that little pot of gold...i.e., your severance...at the end of the rainbow??? If so...and I'm not saying that it's not a motivating factor...but in reality...it's just as much of a motivator for your employer to legally hammer you before you are entitled to compensation after a completed labor contract.

Just playing devil's advocate here....

[jadarite]

[poet13]

OP. There are little bits of decent advice in several of the responses. There is also some bad advice....like, walk away from your money.

Here's some good advice. Call labor (1350) and tell them your situation. Don't go on about garbage, and yelling, and students being disrespectful. That doesn't matter and there's not a whit labor can do about that.

Instead, keep it short and sweet. "I am at 11 months and 3 weeks....and my boss fired me without a good reason."

Labor has seen this over and over. They know the scam better than any of us. They don't like it. There are few things that they are consistent about, but from everything I have read, this is one.

Remember. Short and sweet. Don't interject your feelings, your opinions, or tell them WHY you think they do things. Until they know the facts, the above mean nothing.

Let us know what happens.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[big_blue_21]

This happened at my school, not with me, but with the teacher who our hagwon owner had called two weeks before "the best teacher at the school." Funny how entering that 11th month can change things.

They worked out a settlement (without going to labor) that the employer would pay return airfare but not the severance; I myself feel like she still got jacked. She got her bargaining power by getting the other teachers (who all loved her) to take her side. If the owner had shut her out of the airfare, it would have pissed us (her friends) off too much and also given us too many worries about how we'd be treated.

I think poet13 had a lot of good points. Also, I agree with another poster who said not to feel guilty about hating Korea or Koreans. I think anyone who came to Korea in good faith and got jacked over by his or her first boss had that hatred for korea and koreans. I know I did, and it took me a long time to rehabilitate my view of Koreans.

First, when things are settled, blacklist them on dave's so others don't work for this shithole. That's what I did, and I know it's saved a few teachers from sharing the fate of me and my co-workers. My only regret is that I waited until four months after I left the school and another teacher who got hired in the meantime later got sexually assaulted by the assistant director.--if only I could have stopped that . . . and I know, through the grapevine, that shit is still going on there . . . people don't change, don't be gentle with them in your postings . . .

Second, there's a nice sticky that has the contact for Labor. Let me know if you can't find it.

Third, use your sister-in-law!!! You have a witness and a translator/interpreter--that's power!!!

We're with you!!!

[ED209]

Certainly check out http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=119477on how to hammer your boss.


I'm sure there are things like pension and taxes with which you can bargain/blackmail your boss with. If you don't get the response you want from labor keep trying, they can be lazy buggers sometimes and need a push. Extras points to you for recording your conversation, get it transcribed and if you have a labor hearing see if you can submit it. Especially if it shows your boss is lying. Then youtube it when this is all over

[TheUrbanMyth]

If your boss is not paying pension or the proper amount of taxes (both of which are highly likely) then threaten to call the pension and tax office unless she becomes more reasonable. Make sure you know the numbers first and don't bluff.

[zizi]

Thank you so much for all the responses and support. My boss is paying taxes and pension, she is overtaxing us, but that's about it. I have all our conversations recorded which would show she's lying, I really hope it doesn't come to that.

[Big4Jerm3]