Korean Job Discussion Forums

pogoro · Joined: 27 Apr 2008

We came to work at ECC because they offered a higher salary than most hagwons. We had a fairly good relationship with the employer until recently. Now they are in the red, facing bankruptcy, losing students and blame us for it. We feel that they want us to quit so they can save money by not paying our severance pay, held-back wages, air fare and security deposit. In exchange, they could hire teachers for a lower salary who are newbies they can push around. To force our resignation they're making things difficult for us: giving us classes with too many students, demanding more unpaid overtime, lodging complaints that have no basis in fact, and generally trying to bully us into submission, acting irrational and making us as angry they can, hoping we will lose our tempers and jump ship.
They don't want to fire us because they would face legal action: our salaries have been consistently late, they haven't paid into income tax, they have not deducted for retirement pension, and our medical insurance has not been kept up to date.
It's probably been asked before, but how do we contact ATEK, or can they help at this point? Any advice about what is the best move to make?
Has anyone experienced similar problems with ECC or with any other hagwon recently?

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Well here's a chance for ATEK to prove the naysayers wrong and show what they will do.
Rolling Eyes

OP don't hold your breath. ATEK does not have the authority to interfere in a labor contract. Go to the relevant offices for tax, and pension.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Well here's a chance for ATEK to prove the naysayers wrong and show what they will do.
Rolling Eyes

OP don't hold your breath. ATEK does not have the authority to interfere in a labor contract. Go to the relevant offices for tax, and pension.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

So contact the local tax office and complain. Call the labor board if you aren't getting paid. Force them to fire you unjustly.

If they demand unpaid overtime, and it's not in your contract, then simply say "no."

ChinaBoy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007

One would wonder when the OP became the school's accountant and realized they were "in the red, facing bankruptcy."

I don't see anything they've done that every other hagwon doesn't do on a regular basis.

matthews_world · Joined: 15 Feb 2003

To me it sounds like that they are putting extra kids in your class, hopefully not just to milk you, but also to try to get in the black and to be able to pay what they owe. It 's up to you to decide what this is worth.

Have both parties been upfront and open?

Don't let hagwon owners dick you around. Have a sit-down meeting about the contract and talk about what is coming to you.

Just some advice - take a hidden pen mic into the meeting with your boss to record their interpretations. Don't tell your boss that you are recording the conversation, of course. If there are any discrepancies, use said audio file as evidence in your proceedings with the labor board, .

pogoro · Joined: 27 Apr 2008

harlowethrombey · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul

How much time do you have left? (is it worth it to stick it out?)

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

ontheway · Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:49 am Post subject:

the ireland · Joined: 11 May 2008 Location: korea

Got to say, I worked for an ECC hagwon, and the owner of the school was awesome, so was the principal and all the korean teachers spoke very fluent english, it really was a great place to work for.

sorry to the o.p for his situation but just want to let others know that not every ECC is shitty!

pogoro · Joined: 27 Apr 2008

Thank you everyone for your support and helpful advice. We have adopted a "wait and see" attitude right now but are not willing to wait very long. We will contact ATEK for their input, and advise others to steer clear of ECC Seo Incheon.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

bump

Any updates?

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

Contact the Labor Board now. You need to make initial contact with them, because this is only going to get worse.

Document everything --- try to think of as many ways to document it as you can. Write everything down and date it at least.

Stick to your guns about your contract. It will help some with the Labor Board if you don't just rollover for the school's demands.

--- I have a confident feeling we're going to see more and more of this in the next two years.

I was in Korea for the late 1990s collapse of the Korean economy. Schools went under left and right and the abuses that were already common in the hakwon industry became rampant.

The global economy is going to suck for a few years. It will hurt an exporting nation like Korea a good bit. Extra money for things like hakwon classes is going to tighten, and the already fierce competition between schools is going to increase.

It won't be pretty...