Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lifeinkorea]

My co-teacher has no idea of what GEPIK is. The school I work at never told me about GEPIK meetings or anything.

So, I would like to know how dependent can I be on the GEPIK name? For example, say I was in the US and hired through GEPIK. Would that give me more rights than if I worked at a hagwon and then went to a school with "GEPIK" in the contract?

I have decided to play hardball, but I am afraid this school may not recognize GEPIK and say they are some independent public school who hired a teacher on their own (which they did, they hired me through a recruiter). However, I am trying to see what rights I have.

Specifically, I am about to go into work tomorrow into a different class where the head English teacher teaches and just sit there until they say "WTF, why aren't you in the English Center???". I never agreed to teach there, and since March, they have changed my schedule. I was cool about it in Fall cause they changed my schedule to a normal schedule as GEPIK would have outlined in its orientation.

However, they think they can switch back. I complained in March, saw no change to the way it was in Fall, and last week I dished it out to my co-teacher I wanted to either have the schedule go back to the way we agreed to in Fall or they can find another teacher.

So, basically I am worried about what they can do. For the most part, they are kinda cool about it besides not telling me who the heck is making the changes in the schedule. The principal tells me the teachers want the change, but when I question the teachers they say they can't do anything about it because the school made the changes. They are pointing their fingers at each other and I am tired of it.

[bogey666]

[D.D.]

How have they changed your schedule?

[lifeinkorea]

[lifeinkorea]

[fromtheuk]

Please explain what the schedules are. What was so messed about it?

Next to your nick it states you're in Pyeongtaek. My next job is in Pyeongtaek.

[bogey666]

this post is getting stranger by the moment.

you have a public school that is having you work 3-10????
is this an after school program? or a "regular" public school teaching position?

were you placed into this position by GEPIK,, or did you apply yourself/thru a recruiter?

if the former, your position will be stronger BUT it really doesn't matter.

DID or DID YOU NOT SIGN a GEPIK contract??

the contract is fairly clear about the regular working hour workday, following the schedule of "Korean civil servants", excluding weekends. (aka 8:30-4:30)

(there IS a stipulation that the principal can alter this, but I strongly suspect this applies to special/unusual circumstances and NOT a regular schedule)

anything OUTSIDE of those hours is overtime, and you can only be forced up to 6 hours of "overtime" a week. (and of course, you have to get paid extra, 20K an hour for overtime)

if you signed a gepik contract, contact gepik/dain bae (actually have a "come to Jesus" sitdown meeting with your coordinator or vp/principal if they speak English FIRST)

frankly the school sounds it doesn't have a leg to stand on (IF you signed a gepik contract) AND it also appears they've decided they don't really want to have a foreign teacher in the first place (If the princpal refuses to discuss it, and they want you to hand in a resignation notice)

[cruisemonkey]

[lifeinkorea]

Sorry about the mixup.

I was simply giving a little history of my situation the past year. The hagwon thing was different (a job I had before this one, but this public school is doing the same thing). The point was that I was expecting the public school to not do the same thing on me.

We agreed to a schedule. I went in for 2 weeks in September, and then the public school changed the schedule for October. I complained to my co-teacher about it. He talked with the head English teacher, and they changed it back.

Then winter camp came, another change in schedule (but one that actually has been the best of the three). Then, they decided to change back to the October schedule, and now they won't change to what we agreed on in August-September.

I stood in front of the English room this morning, and the head English teacher didn't know what to do. So, my co-teacher came up because he is the only one that knows English. They tried to tell me that they used a GEPIK contract cause they don't have any other contract.

I said, fine, then let's go by GEPIK's rules. They then said, no, we don't want those rules. We want these rules. So I said, fine, make a new contract and get a new teacher.

This happened for an hour, then we talked to the principal. She said, very sorry, can't change. I said, no change, you are trying to change. So sorry, can't change.

[alex83]

So...are they just changing your class times or are they changing the hours you work (i.e. you worked from 8:30 to 4:30, and now you work from 10-6)?

[lifeinkorea]

alex,

The point is, we clearly discussed hours and working conditions. It doesn't matter the specific schedule in dispute. They are changing back 6-7 months into the contract to something we didn't agree to and something I objected to.

I can't see how a school should have the right to do this. They should be required to have the schedule listed.

To give one detail about this is that they are saying there are 2 kinds of GEPIK jobs, and obviously I want the other one. However, they never told me this. They just gave me a template GEPIK contract and I thought that coincided with what other teachers here are experiencing. So, I took this job.

If I had known they wanted me to be a hagwon teacher basically and teach other schools in the morning (who come to visit for 2 hours), I would never have taken the job.

[alex83]

[lifeinkorea]

I just talked to labor board. After about 30 minutes of them telling me, "Well, since they changed the schedule so much, and as long as they are paying you, I don't know what I can do for you", I said, "What if I refuse to work those hours and they fire me"

Then he got excited, "Oh!!! Then we can help you!!"

Since they changed the hours, I never agreed to it. The hour change is not to do with the span of time I teach in a day or overtime. I am actually lucky in that they are paying me overtime.

So, as long as they are paying me, I can't do anything beyond refusing to teach.

[bogey666]

I'm still not clear about your "new" working hours.

it sounds like they are paying you overtime for hours outside of "regular" hours?

still..

[lifeinkorea]