Korean Job Discussion Forums

Blanca · Joined: 19 Apr 2012

My hagwon is playing hardball over payment. On 30th September they owed me ~1,400,000KRW, and they are about to pay into my account (supposedly) 900,000KRW citing various reasons too numerous to mention here but are most definitely non-contractual.

This is an open-and-shut case at the labour board, but the kicker is I leave the country in 11 days. Do I have a snowball in hell's chance?

Another twist in the tale - for the month of September, the school changed the contract. One of the three schools closed for a month, so instead of paying me 2.3+housing, they only said they'd pay 1.5+housing. If I go to the labour board, they will go according to the actual contract and the school will owe ~2.1, not ~1.4.

I realise I've been a little vague on details, partially because it's too long a story to write out here, also because I don't want to be too specific about an ongoing dispute on a public forum. Feel free to ask for further information but I can't guarantee I can give it.

Thanks in advance guys.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Would you eventually win at the labor office = yes

Can you do it in 11 days = a not snowball's chance in hades (and you can bet your boss knows it).

.

Blanca · Joined: 19 Apr 2012

Hmm I feared as much. I realise I'm clutching at straws here but is there any way they can pursue the case in my absence? I.e. I present them with the necessary documents (in this case a bank book and copy of the contract) and they do the rest?

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

Get with one of your friends who will be staying in Korea. Go to the Labor Board for your area. Execute a form assigning your friend as your agent for all matters pertaining to your complaint at the Labor Board. If, for some reason, your friend can no longer do that after you've left Korea, find out if another friend can do so and then you go to a Korean consulate serving your area to execute the same form assigning this friend as your new agent. Without you or your agent present, the Labor Board will not consider the case.

One of my Korean friends just went through the Labor Board for herself. It took her appearing almost daily to prevail and the former boss still hasn't paid. The friend is getting ready to go to court.

Welcome to the fun, fun world of dealing with dishonest bosses.

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

Blanca · Joined: 19 Apr 2012

I think getting a friend involved after I leave would be an unimaginable ball-ache for that friend. It sounds like it'd be too much to ask.

However I just learned that these cases stay open for 2 years, which is interesting since I'm probably coming back to Korea after I've had some months at home dealing with my newfound condition (I went into hospital halfway through September and pretty much now can't work for another 6 months until I've recovered). Would I have to lodge a complaint and then pick it back up if/when I come back next year, or can I just lodge a complaint if/when I get back?

And yes, the 900,000 does include a full housing allowance of 300,000, although the boss was extremely reluctant to pay that out, and said if I argued about money she'd get even more angry and pay me nothing. I left it and started to draw battle plans.