Korean Job Discussion Forums

[LOVYDOVY]

I absolutely hate the apt. that the school have provided. Beside being small, it feels lilke a jail. There is no window except the one by the balcony. The bathroom has no place for a shower, (the hose experience). I will not gross you out about how dirty the apt. was, espacially the shower, bathrooom, etc...

The school told me that for me to be able to leave ( not pay the deposit fee and get paid monthly housing fee ) someone must take over the apt. How true is this? I can't survive for one year in this place. ( the place has many problems. few got fixed but.... the washing machine still does not work, etc...)

I read some time ago that I am able to leave if I have not stayed a month. What are my options?

Any advice is appreciated.

[ED209]

If it's that bad threaten to quit. And do it.

[Bibbitybop]

Unfortunately, you might be screwed. The new SMOE contract states that once housing is decided by the employer, the employee can't move. This is new contract wording. It hurts teachers in bad apartments and it hurts SMOE and schools when those teachers pull runners.

If your school is allowing you to move if you get someone to move in, that's more than the contract calls for.

I remember hearing about a guy in a bad apt. who played hardball and moved on his own, demanding to receive the 500,000 allowance and he got it. He may have been on an F-series visa, though, and could change employers at will. Maybe that guy will chime in, or others who have been through a similar problem.

Keep in contact with your school and with SMOE. Be firm and respectful. If that doesn't work, play hardball, take sick days (due to the apt. mold, etc., of course!), let them know you aren't happy at school and can't focus on work b/c your are stressed and upset with the living conditions.

[TBirdMG]

This is what happens:

1) No more teaching until the housing is corrected. Period.
2) Go to your school, explain to your co-teacher, VP, and Principal that you are not willing to teach until the housing situation is fixed. Present a reasonable solution to the problem...essentially finding appropriate housing immediately, a hotel or other SMOE teacher's apartment until housing can be located, or a ticket home. Be firm and ready to act on all those options. But no teaching until you move into a new place.
3) Ask for a meeting with SMOE officials and explain the situation again if necessary.
4) Continue to go to your school, but do not teach. Maintain contact with SMOE and force them to acknowledge the problem. If nothing happens in a couple of days, go directly to SMOE office and camp out there until a long term solution is found.

[cruisemonkey]

[cruisemonkey]

[cruisemonkey]

OP - take 'Bird's' advice with a grain of salt. It's not necessarily wrong... but be very careful about refusing to teach... it could come back to bite you on the ass if you ever end up in front of the Labor Board. Especially in a public school situation.

[prideofidaho]

Sorry to hear that your apartment sucks...that can make life difficult for you.

Bear in mind that your school probably has a lease on the place for a year, possibly more, which is why they need someone to take the apartment over. I've heard of people being in the same situation moving out but having to pay a penalty for breaking the lease early. I know it's not ideal, but if you really can't deal, and have the cash to do so, it's worth a shot. I think my friend payed about a grand to reneg on the lease her school had. As I said, not ideal.

I moved out of the housing SMOE provided me quite easily, but it was a completely different situation, and possibly so easy because SMOE didn't have to do anything except pay me the housing allowance.

What's been said about the new clauses for housing in the contract is really unfortunate. I don't think you're alone in being dissatisfied with the housing you've been provided. I'm hoping you have a network of people you met at the orientation...try and find out about others in the same situation and band together.

Please, whatever you do, don't refuse to teach. At the end of the day it's a bit tacky and unprofessional to do so, and realistically it's not the fault of the children you're meant to be teaching....so why take it out on them?

Best of luck.

[Faunaki]

My advice is to be really chummy with your head teacher and then beg her/him to find housing for you - they can use the 500,000 a month housing allowance you get. The school I worked for had rented an apt for their teachers - I didn't need it, so they let it go. Every school can do this is they want to.

Invite your head teacher over to the apt. just so they can see what it's really like. Hopefully they'll have pity on you.

About playing hardball with SMOE, that sounds like a no win situation cause they've got lots of new teachers around this year and have dealt with this co-op situation before.

[Bibbitybop]