Korean Job Discussion Forums

[amemorylost]

Okay, I'd just like a little bit of perspective because I'm not sure if I'm being too stubborn with a demand that my current Hagwon are making of me.

My situation is tHis: I was recruited to a small Hagwon by a recruiter that told me I'd be working 1-7.30, totalling out at around 30 hours work. Unfortunately I was stupidly optimistic about Korea and didn't read enough to be aware of some tricks Hagwons use, like saying the 30 hours of work is only teaching time and time spent not teaching but still in work isn't counted towards this. I know, this part is my own fault for not researching enough.

Anyway, my particular Hagwon has recently fallen on hard times, meaning a few of my periods are 'free', though they manage to fill these in either with private classes with the manager's children or the manager himself. In the actual free periods I have, I'm busy making text-books because they're trying to implement a new system based on review lessons, which is where my new text-books come in.

Now, because my number of actual classes have fallen, they now want me to teach three extra classes at either 11am or 8pm to my co-teachers and managers, in a formal teaching adults environment. They say that because my contract says 30 teaching hours(this is only partially true: my overtime clause only specifies 'work' but they're not having any of that) that I shouldn't have a problem with this.

My actual problem isn't really about the work, as I probably would have agreed to it if they had asked me as a favour to my co-teachers. But I think that trying to force me into it after 4 months of a contract is a bit off, and agreeing to it would mean they could basically give me any additional classes outside of my 1-7.30 and say it's part of the 30 hours teaching time.

So, what I'd like to ask is this: is it very unreasonable to have a problem with this? On principle, I'm incredibly angry they've pulled something like this and I could live with terminating my contract and paying the airfare back. Or is this a huge over-reaction on my part?

I know that I'm to blame for a lot of this by not making sure I had a decent contract in place before coming here, but I was caught up like many are in the recruiter's impression of Korea and the idea itself. So I was wondering, if you guys were in the same situation would you grin and bear it, knowing that other people in Korea get screwed way worse than you do, or pack up and go somewhere else?

edit: and just to be sure I'm not trolling, the reason I might be over-reacting to this is that I have had problems that I've posted on here about regarding my Hagwon trying to charge me too much in tax(even now, I'm still on freelancer status, but they wanted to charge me 5.5% even on that).

[ontheway]

Whatever your recruiter may have told you regarding contract terms is totally irrelevant. Many recruiters are quite willing to misrepresent and mislead both the teacher and the school, make a deal, get paid and slip away. The key to your situation is in your contract.

Your class prep time does not count toward your teaching time. This is true even in public schools and in the US. Teachers do not get paid extra for class prep time.

30 hours per week is normal for hogwans.

If your contract does not mention or prohibit split shifts and if it does not promise overtime pay for hours outside the hours promised to you by your recruiter (1-7:30) then you can be assigned morning or evening hours as part of your schedule. Some people like split shifts. Others think it's hell.

Check your contract.


Your other problems about taxes, health insurance, pension, and being treated as an independent contractor are the bigger issues in your case. What does your contract say about taxes, pension, health insurance, severance pay, airfare, and whether you are an employee or an independent contractor? Do you have your E2 visa? Do you have your Alien Registration Card? Do you have decent housing? Are you being paid on time? Has your tax rate been corrected? You have no health insurance, no pension and taxes that are too high going into your boss's pocket (maybe)? Do you like this job? Do you trust your employer?

A bigger red flag is that your boss can't fill your class hours and you are the only foreign teacher with other Korean teachers. Your school could be headed for financial trouble which would mean that your already substandard pay and benefits are at risk. You might want to consider a change. Do you want to stay in Korea, work at a different school or go home? Do you want to risk staying where you are?

More questions than answers. Sorry.

If you are teaching 30 hours or less, then you should focus on the bigger issues.

[Kimbop]

ontheway is right. Contrary to what your recruiter told you, your school owns you. Since you now have fewer classes, they are getting their money's worth out of you. IE: what you signed up for. 30 hours teaching time.

Sign up with a uni, company, or public school next year!

[Draz]

Your contract doesn't say anything about working hours? It should say something like "30 class hours a week between 2pm and 10pm, anything outside of these times is considered overtime even if teaching less than 30 class hours a week".

[Ice Tea]

Your situation is just like mine two years ago. Do you know I had to ride the bus an hour a day with the kids, for free! How can that be classified as prep time? It's not the same as the US "ontheway". In the US prep time means prep time, not just more work time.

The airport is a lot closer than you think. The very reason Hagwons hire no experience kids like us is because we haven't learned to just stand up for ourselves yet. Pay day is up in two weeks. Buy a ticket disappear the next day. You'll start feeling better as soon as your in the air.

[Unposter]

You can take this for whatever it is worth (you should always consider advice very carefully.)

First of all, I strongly believe that establishing a good working relationship with any boss here in Korea or in your home country is essential.

But, you are not their slave and you are not a slave to the exact wording of the contract. You need to do what you think is right and within reasonable limits (whatver that is) what you think is best for you.

I do think you have a right to vetoing any scheduling.

But, please be advised that if you do not compromise or allow them some face saving measure, it is most likely to deteriate your working situation. This is in no means to say not to stand up for yourself as you must but just beware that they could see this as an adversarial relationship afterward.

Of course, if they are saying you are a freelancer than they have already established that they are cheating you, see you in adversarial way to begin with and I personally would not trust them.

My warning is merely to state things could get a lot worse if they don't like you as well. I would say you are in a very difficult situation.

Good luck!

[Unposter]

You can take this for whatever it is worth (you should always consider advice very carefully.)

First of all, I strongly believe that establishing a good working relationship with any boss here in Korea or in your home country is essential.

But, you are not their slave and you are not a slave to the exact wording of the contract. You need to do what you think is right and within reasonable limits (whatver that is) what you think is best for you.

I do think you have a right to vetoing any scheduling.

But, please be advised that if you do not compromise or allow them some face saving measure, it is most likely to deteriate your working situation. This is in no means to say not to stand up for yourself as you must but just beware that they could see this as an adversarial relationship afterward.

Of course, if they are saying you are a freelancer than they have already established that they are cheating you, see you in adversarial way to begin with and I personally would not trust them.

My warning is merely to state things could get a lot worse if they don't like you as well. I would say you are in a very difficult situation.

If you do decide to leave, I would not "offer" to pay back your airfare. Be prepared to negotiate. And, I would not play any card you do not have to. If they are listing you as a "freelancer" they are breaking the law.

Good luck!

[Otherside]

OP, sounds like a similar experience to mine.
Briefly, I was working in a Hagwon - working hours 2-9. 25 teaching hours a week.

First month, all was good, hagwon was new so not many classes. Worked from 1 till 7. (was happy to change the working hours cause meant 1 hour less for me).

Second month, was only teaching 18 classes a week, so director asked me if I would work at a "friend's" kindergarden for 6 classes a week. I wanted to work hard and do a good job etc so I agreed as I was still under my class limit and even by going there my working hours would still be less than 7/day (over the week). I was unaware this was illegal at the time.

Third Month, enrollment picked up, got my new schedule...and saw I was teaching 27 classes a week, in addition to my 6 at the kindy. Now 33 vs the 25 I'm contracted to do. When I got the schedule, I spoke to the boss and mentioned that "this is a lot of classes, I think I'll be due some overtime". He pulled out the calculator and showed me that 25 "teaching hours" = 1500 minutes = 33 x45minute classes. (when I signed up for the job I was told 1 teaching hour = 1x 45/50min class, not in contract though). I fought this battle, he put me through to head office, and I lost.
I licked my wounds, and decided, if this was the case I didn't want to work at the Kindergarden anymore. (While researching my 1st misdemeanor, I found out this was illegal and a whole bunch of other things). Next day, he tells me I have adult classes M/W/F from 11am-12pm and until 9pm. I was pretty bleak argued a bit, but my Tuesday working hours were now 1pm-6pm. So I took it like a man.

Later on, the morning classes fell by the wayside, yet my schedule filled up and spread out, so I was working a constant 1pm-9pm. An extra hour more than agreed. One day I was asked to "come in at 12;30 tomorrow". I thought it was a once off, little did I know, my working hours had been changed to 12:30 - 9pm. Thanks to this and a few other reasons (screwed on vacation, overtaxed, no healthcare, no pension, 30min commute each way, when I was told it would be walking distance, extreme micromanagement, final written warnings for trival offenses to line me up for an 11month firing, still sore about the "teaching hours thing" and a crappy apartment) I quit a few days later and started at a public school. I couldn't be happier (almost finished my 1st year there)

Moral of the story - If you give an inch, you're fucked.

[sarbonn]

As much as I hated doing it, eventually you have to put your foot down and not let them take any more inches from you. Several weeks ago, they wanted me to come in on my day off and do some kind of performance thing for the parents (to emphasize one of the programs we run, which I was specifically hired to create and implement). I had to say no, even though I hated doing so, cause I really like the manager of this place. I realized if I gave an inch on this, they'd just start scheduling me on my days off, realizing they didn't have to worry about me protesting my time off being neglected.

Fortunately, I'm seen as a very strong asset to the school, so they make such accomodations when I put my foot down. But I'm usually such a pushover in regular life, it's hard for me to stand up on these things that seem so unimportant.

[SharkDiver]

Sounds like your hogwan is run by scummy crooks. If they are not paying your pension and taxing you 5.5%, then they are ripping you off big time. You will not get credit for paying any of those taxes (they are likely not paying them in) so you will lose that credit, the money you are paying them as "tax" that thet are pocketing and upwards of 2 million on the pension (if you are from a country such as the US or Canada as nationals of these countries can collect both the pension amount that they pay in and the employer's matching contribution).

I worked at a place like that (Oedae Language Institute in Suwon run by Mrs. Ann) in my 1st year where they lied to me and tried everything to convince me the pension was bad and to not go into the scheme. Then they lied about my start date, deducted hundreds of dollars for the pension (didn't pay it in) and ended up not paying airfare. My point is that if they are already not paying you the pension, you will not only lose a lot of coin but they will likely also be crooks and all kinds of other things.

You're best to find a decent place that respects labour laws, your rights, etc.......believe it or not there are some places like that in Korea. You'll be happy about it when you recieve that extra 2 million plus from pension and pay less tax that you will actually get credit for paying.

Best of Luck

[TheUrbanMyth]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Quit.

[wylies99]

[WoBW]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Quittie, quit, quit, quittiness. Quittie, quit, quit, quit. Go-die, go-die, go-die, go, go. Go-die, go, go, go. Leavie, leavie, leavie, leave, leave, Leavie, leave, leave, leave. Adiosie, adios, os, os. Adi, os, os, os.