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matt!!!
Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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 Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: Looking for some advice.... |
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Here's the situation:
I submitted my request for my summer vacation time to my school over two months ago and they approved the dates. I then booked my plane ticket and accommodations and such and all is well.
I received an email from the school board co-ordinator yesterday saying I cannot have this time off as I need to teach summer camps at this time. Obviously this is unacceptable as I've already been granted the time off.
I'm hoping it's just a misunderstanding but I'm preparing myself for a fight. I'm wondering what my options are.
Thanks! |
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mayorgc
Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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I'm going to be in the same situation as you are.
I've been told that I've got english camp in late july, so I informed my co-teacher that I want to take my holidays after. I need to pay for my ticket by the 25th, but I know that the district office will try to spring a seperate english camp on me. I'm going to confirm once more if I can take my holidays, then I'll pay for my ticket. If they spring a camp on me, I'm just going to tell them that I can't go. |
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OculisOrbis
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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| you could offer to change your tickets if they pay the difference in the price since your vacation time had already been approved. |
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Cerriowen
Joined: 03 Jun 2006
Location: Pocheon
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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I would say that you've booked an airplane ticket, and find out how much it costs to change it (and the difference in price because of the time diff), and tell them you're happy to change it if they will pay the difference.
I wouldn't let them bully you in to canceling the vacation or paying money out of your pocket.
To those of you planning on taking a vacation (w/ a flight)... make sure you get something in writing from the school. Write out something short asking for the time off... and ask them to sign it in approval... it's not iron clad, but it makes them look bad if they change it. |
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Robot_Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Location: Robotting Around the World
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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Yep, the last minute nature at work prevents me from locking in the dates despite trying many times as they don't know what they're doing this Summer and want me to do. I'm not told about anything until the day it happens or 1 day ahead of time at best.
OP, I'd just state that the reason why you confirmed your vacation dates so early is it's absolutely necessary to purchase vacation air tickets as you'd be hard pressed to change them now as hardly nothing is available for August despite it being 2 months away. Tell em', "Like Koreans, I too have to plan my holiday 3 to 4 months in advance due to the severely limited availability of air service in Korea during the Summer so I either go on vacation at the time we agreed or I go home." |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:51 am Post subject: |
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| Many have learnt the hard way unfortunately. Difficult to say this without sounding condescending matt, but you really ought to be talking to your handler about vacation times etc before you start booking flights. An ex-FT who I used to know did exactly the same thing; went ahead and assumed he'd be on holiday when in fact, the school wanted him in for one thing or another. Despite his pleas, they wouldn't budge. He lost about $1000 on the flight he never took. |
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OculisOrbis
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:24 am Post subject: |
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| he made a request, the dates were approved, he booked his ticket, then later they said 'oops. you have a camp'. What more could he have done? |
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Skippy
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:34 am Post subject: |
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Here is a link to one of my posts from a year back that will explain a little about schools and vacation.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=131078&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=Vacation
Not completely relavent but is shows you the hassles with NETs and Vacation time mostly those that work at Hagwons.
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Vacation is usually two weeks out of a whole year (for most hagwon contracts). But actually whats happens in most hagwons do is give just 10 days. That 10 does comes out to about 2 weeks. Thus 5 weekdays and 2 day weekend makes 7 Day week times 2 make fourteen. Of course with schools now a days they hate giving this all at once. So most will say one week of in Winter and one in Summer. These terms are usually stipulated in your contract.
I have done contracts without getting my FULL vacation time. Yes I got national holidays off and what the school gave off rarely which ended up being only two to three weekdays. When they gave me time off it was in the slow period when the school did not have any intensives or vacation programs on. Rarely could I get off a whole week. I was able to get two/thrree days around Chusok to make it whole week rather then. But I digress
Hagwons will offer/say they have vacation time. Then later you go asking for them. They will say NO or later. I have heard of, read and talked to people who have in weeks up to months ahead planned for vacations and then told sorry you can not go on it.
Heck one of my friends parents came to Korea to visit. He knew of the visit a month ahead of time. He asked for some time off to go do some stuff with them. Once again NO go. Not even a Thursday, Friday off to get a nice long weekend.
You have to understand that schools can not usually fill you position when you are gone. Know sometimes schools will get around a missing teacher by doing the following.
1. Combining classes. One class soon becomes 20 students for some poor teacher.
2. Assigning to a Korean teacher. Expect when you get back tanned and relaxed they will be angry surely and pissed off at you.
3. Hiring a substitute. And filling a foreigner with another waygook for a week is usually illegal and gets down right expensive.
Also you are forgetting one aspect of Modern Korean psyche - "inability to plan ahead". You can say NOW to you owner/ school head. I am going to ****** on January 10th, 2009 for 1 week. I am using my Vacation time. They say OK OK (whatever) and give your nominal permission. Every month you remind them. You show them paid for plane tickets. They say yayaya nice. You plan your vacation, book the plane hotel room. Then comes December. You remind them as usual. Then the panic starts! It starts to register in their mind. CRAP! what are we going to do." You thinking that by reminding them and telling them about your vacation they will have planned. They would have some teacher organized. They will handle the classes for the time you are gone. They start back sliding. They ask you to reconsider going. They will ask if you wait another month till February! NO. OK. Next, can you wait 10 more days till Jan 29th. NO you can not change the plans. Know if your luckey they will sigh and accept their fate. OR they will hand you a whole mess. For example expect the following messes
A. They ask you to find some one to cover your classes. If possible can they do it for FREE or cheap!
B. Give you a whole bunch of work they say will cover for the time you are gone. Or possibly afterwords.
OR
C. Your FIRED! Got to love this one. Their thinking is you will wantg to keep you job so you will give up your vacation. True it might work for them but it can ever mess them up more.
So overall Vacations and Hagwons are difficult at best. Amazing if you can get! So if you want Vacation next winter. Plan ahead eveything now. Push your school till the UNDERSTAND. Try to hammer down what is happening around that time. You wil not get clear answers but try for some clarity.
Good Luck |
Last edited by Skippy on Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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okayden223
Joined: 05 Jun 2009
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| yeah that's korea for you...people need to understand before coming here that the mindset is "group think." The needs of the individual are always put aside for the growth of the larger organization. I think anyone who wants to teach in Korea has to understand that. You can have a great time, but don't go into it thinking it's going to be like a western country located in Asia. |
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Adjumas Cheekbones
Joined: 26 May 2009
Location: director's pocket
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| okayden223 wrote: |
| yeah that's korea for you...people need to understand before coming here that the mindset is "group think." The needs of the individual are always put aside for the growth of the larger organization. I think anyone who wants to teach in Korea has to understand that. You can have a great time, but don't go into it thinking it's going to be like a western country located in Asia. |
wtf. Are you korean? stay away from this site you Korean pest |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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| wtf. Are you korean? stay away from this site you Korean pest |
Because Koreans have no right to visit this sight? I hope for some clarification on this statement, because if your suggesting that Korean people should be excluded from this site then that is seriously disturbing...
For all the griping we do about the xenophobic Korean people, we should hold ourselves to a higher standard.
As for what he said- it is true and it is sound advice.
Anyways... to deal with the OP...
Whenever you make any kind of request and get it approved, have it written out in English and Korean, and get it signed by SOMEONE at the school- preferebly the VP or your hagwon manager. Then when they say "oh you have to teach summer camp"- boom!-> signed agreement.
Keep you paperwork in order and gather evidence. Signatures and dated materials are key. |
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matt!!!
Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| just wanted to update that everything worked out. i held my ground and they eventually agreed that i wasn't at fault so i'll be enjoying my vacation and i'm not even teaching any camps. |
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nobbyken
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Location: Yongin ^^
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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High schools don't usually get told about camps till the last minute from the education office. Elementary schools nearly always have camps, so they can plan ahead a bit more.
I have to book flights nearly 3 months in advance to get about 65% prices on last minute tickets. This is the only way my family could visit the UK.
I inform my handler that I've booked tickets, but if the school want camp then I offer to do a double shift in the winter vacation.
You could offer to take unpaid leave if you booked flights which are longer than your contracted vacation period.
Just a few suggestions. |
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Rusty Shackleford
Joined: 08 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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| matt!!! wrote: |
| just wanted to update that everything worked out. i held my ground and they eventually agreed that i wasn't at fault so i'll be enjoying my vacation and i'm not even teaching any camps. |
Pleased to hear it worked out. People really need to take note of this, re vacation.
Lock it in early and refuse to budge!
Get it in writing and there is not much they can do about it. |
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