Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rayjoy]

I was told when I came here not to be a contract-thumper... that life would be much easier for me if when asked to do a little here or there outside of my contract, that eventually I would reap some rewards from being the good guy or the cheerful foreigner.

My co-teacher even told me how much the other teachers at school are happy that I'm there since I'm agreeable and don't say things like "No, I won't join the volleyball team, it's not in my contract."

I'm in the final stretch of my first (and last) year and instead of getting benefits, my school is now waving my contract in my face.

I signed a "bonus contract" that my school gave me that was nearly a duplicate of my contract, but said I could get some bonus days off for good performance at the principal's discretion.
"Well, I don't think the principal will want to send the form to the education office."
"The EPIK contract doesn't say that and that's the more important contract."
"If we let you do that, others will complain."
"We must just follow the EPIK contract. We probably shouldn't have had you sign this other one."

The teachers around town are having powpows about this contract and pretty much agreeing on the most strict interpretation of it.
"It doesn't say to pay you for camps in the contract" (it doesn't say not to)
"It doesn't say you can work from home during vacation" (it doesn't say we can't)
"It says you must work 22 hours in the contract" (so they make me prepare lessons for a teacher's class each week that nobody shows up to)


I feel like I've done everything right. I went to all the dinners. Came to all the meetings. Helped at events. Received positive feedback on my teaching. And now that I'm trying to cash in three extra days to not come into school AFTER my (previously paid, now UNPAID) camps are over when I have 3.5 weeks with nothing to do until I go home.... I get a contract in my face.

And not even the one that SAYS I can have these days off!



So, what's your experience? We always hear about the annoying foreigner clutching the contract... but I think it's the Korean end doing it more and more.
"Well, we talked to other schools and we've all decided since it's not in the contract, that none of us will do this."

[sarbonn]

It depends upon your school, but it is very possible to run into a school that thumps the contract only when it serves their needs. I'm going through a bout of that right now, where the new manager is throwing my contract in my face ("you have to stay at school from this hour to this hour, even though you have nothing to do" kind of stuff, even though the old management told me they didn't care when I was there as long as I was teaching my classes). Every little line in the contract keeps getting brought up on an almost daily basis right now. What they DON'T bring up is that I haven't been paid in over two months, something obviously the contract would find to be a problem. When I bring it up, it's amazing how that is not important because "we're not discussing that right now". And they're going to wonder why I'm just going to disappear in a few days from now?

The problem is that when you have a contract follower that only follows it when it benefits them is that you really don't have a contract that's being followed. You have a series of directives that someone chooses to emphasize in lieu of all of the agreements that created the contract in the first place. I was originally hired to teach debate here, and all was fine, but now the new manager thinks that I should also be teaching English grammar to what is best discovered as a zoo of kids fresh out of kindergarten. I almost walked out last night because as I was trying to teach grammar, I finally gave up trying to talk over screaming kids yelling "We want ice cream!"

[Skippy]

Yep the old two facedness. I see where you are coming from.

Some teachers come here and they get asked something simple and they whine, complain and wave the contract around. While others will go with the slings and arrows of misfortune. Here on ESL cafe you will get the two types - one that say wave that contract, while another will say "what are you panicking about or well in Korea you should ....."

You have to remember contracts in Korea are generally not worth that paper they are written on. Unless you have the extra couple thousand dollars for a lawyer. Of course when it does suit the school or boss they say the contract is legit and even down right holy. The Korean business two facedness.

So the questions is what to do? You have to learn to pick your battles. The school wants you to clean your classroom. You think it is not your duty and is not in your contract. My opinion is if it is not too much trouble just do it. But there maybe that something small that can be big. Classic is health insurance. Schools say hey do worry we will cover you if something big happens and blah blah blah.... Heck you may not really care but it when it gets important like a serious sickness then you should fight before it happens. Argghh hmm I fell I am not getting my point across.

So pick your battles.. next learn to be stubborn and learn to say NO. That is what actually gets a whole bunch of people in trouble at times. They go along to get along. You are teaching that extra class which is no problem for you. True it is above and beyond your contract. Then things go bad. That class becomes imperative and then there is three more extra classes. You want to drop them and they say no, it is required and you have to do them. Learn to say NO if they really want you they should have to convince you. Either by changing the contract or by them showing it is in the contract. Or throwing money at you.

Another tactic is HONOR. This can work or just be down right ignored by the school. You bent over backwards and did a whole bunch for your school and then they the school tries to shaft you. That is when you try and make them feel unhonorable and liars. As I commented some schools will not care while some might change their mind as seeing they are acting like thieves.

Another aspect you have to see with contracts is organizational size. The bigger the school or business the more the more impersonal it gets concerning contracts. In the OP situation it seems like this is happening. He went along fine worked with the school,teachers, principals, VPs, etc. Then when it comes down to what is good for the OP they say we would love too but the all inportant school board say we have to do this way. So the bigger the organization the more impersonal and strictly business you should be. Small schools and hagwons the personal stuff can help you. And things can at times be off the cuff and pleasant.

I hope this helps a little. Geeze I hate Google chrome! Keep messing up my post.

[phutc]

maybe the VP would agree to you becoming sick for those 3 days - that way you get what you want and he wouldn't have to send a form to the office of education

[Big Mac]

I understand what you are saying about going with the flow and not being an annoying contract thumper.

However, in Korea it seems as though if you take that route you are telling them it's OK to take advantage of you.

You give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

If you thump the contract once in a while, they get the message pretty quickly that you are not to be screwed with. If you don't, you invite the screwing.

So I don't think there's anything wrong with thumping the contract sometimes. But there's also something to be said about picking your battles when it comes to that.

[rayjoy]

[patricktravels]

Well I don't play v-ball but otherwise yea I do the dinners, buy stuff for the teachers lounge(cookies or coffee packets when they are low).

However...

in the begininng of May I had no school for a saturday-tuesday, started again on Wed.
Monday was off because the principal decided not to open the school, no classes, no after school program, building locked.

Anyhow, I took a trip friday night out of Korea, came back on time and was in class as scheduled on wed.

Then I get "Did you leave Korea?"
Yes.
Why?
Because I had 5 days off and found a cheap ticket so I took a trip
"You cant do that, monday was not a real off day"
I said was the school open?
"No, but you had to stay in Korea on Monday"

So I said ok, show me where it says that in the contract?
"Well, it might not say it but the contract cant say everything so we have to remove 1 holiday from you"

And then they said "All Korean teachers know this"

I said "well I do not have the same contract as them, they get 3-4 months off a year and do work on saturdays and don't come in at all summers. So you can't compare their deal to mine, which is why we have a contract."

So they asked me to sign a paper saying "remove one day" I said no, I am not signing that until I am shown where it says I had to be there.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

The best contract is one that never needs to be consulted.