Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hapigokelli]

I work for a public school which I will be renewing with for another year in August. I have 6 days of vacation left and 2 extra weeks of vacation coming to me since i'm renewing.My school gave me the summer camp schedule and, surprise! No vacation time!

They told me that I can take my 2 weeks for renewing in December, fine, I can deal with that. Even though the contract explicitly states that I have to agree before they move those 2 weeks to a later date.

Now, in addition to my 3 weeks of camp, they want me to do a 2-day overnight camp in during the only other week of summer vacation.

That leaves me 3 days at the beginning of the break and 3 days at the end. To me, this is BS. I went to my head English teacher and pointed out that I would like to take at least 5 of the days consecutively, so that I can go on a trip with my boyfriend who teaches at another school. He said, "Yes, the Korean teachers have a problem with the schedule too, but they will teach anyway." I informed him that I am not a Korean teacher and that I won't be teaching the extra camp.
He said, "OK, don't teach the second day of the overnight camp."

Am I being unfair? I have never complained or asked that anything be moved for me the entire year. I have 3 weeks of vacation coming to me and they won't even give me 1 full week?

[VFRinterceptor]

If you feel you are being unfair, it just means you are getting what you deserve.

I've found that the Korean workforce, and arguably the entire social system, is based on suffering for your brethren, so in your case, if you are korean, then you're simply cashing in one of your 'Jong' chips.

As far as the vaca in general, if you are getting 6 days, you are getting 6 days. The school is not violating anything. In fact, you're pretty lucky considering vacation days are kind of at the mercy of your hagwon boss these days.

My advice, you put your foot down, keep it there and don't think about anything else.

[Seoulio]

[NYC_Gal]

Don't threaten to use all of your sick days. Just use them

It sucks that they're reaming you, but see if you can work out a "go home right after camp" deal. I only have 2 or 3 days of camp, so end up having to deskwarm most of the day for the duration (though I may get out an hour early or so, like last year, if my coteacher isn't grumpy about it.)

[Mr. BlackCat]

[Caffeinated]

I feel your pain. I have 5 weeks of camp and one week of vacation, but at least mine is one continuous week. I have told my supervisor that I expect to have two full weeks for winter vacation. Like the previous poster said it won't hurt to speak up. My co-teachers have stopped dumping requests for lessons on my lap at 4:40 the day before when I told them that they were asking for was unreasonable.

[AsiaESLbound]

Realize that public school contracts typically state you must take the 2 weeks renew vacay B4 your new term. They are trying to rake you over the coals on this one. They assume you are an easily manipulated pushover, because you didn't do any compaining. "Am I being unfair?" Are U serious? Of course you've been too fair to the point they think you have no assertiveness and sense of direction in looking out for your interests. It's a competitive environment; not one you can depend on to be honest. It requires challenging a few issues with your school early on to show you are assertive and won't settle for less than what you know is right or how it must be done. This goes for about any job if you wanna win. Working a job is always a competitive tug-a-war until they accept and respect you out of your initiative to take care of business. It takes guts and nerves of steel at times, but you gotta fight for your right to party. And that means getting your vacay and pay you are entitled to.

Directly oppose them on it and challenge their foul decision making authority by having a constructive, but serious argument through stating what you know to be right and then requesting it to be changed to what you need or want. If they don't back down then back out by withdrawing your renewal. Take a vacay and then take a new job!!!

[OculisOrbis]

No matter what happens with your summer vacation, get the details of your winter vacation with the re-signing two week bonus in writing and signed by your principal. Other people have lost that extra time because they were told to move it to the vacation period. When vacation time comes you are told you had to have taken it earlier and everyone who told you to move it 'doesn't remember' saying that so its now gone. Be sure to note a minimum number of consecutive days you will take so what is happening now will not happen again. Trust no one. Get everything in writing.

[lifeinkorea]

I don't do the direct approach because it involves getting someone to translate between you and the principal. If that is the head English teacher, then they are often busy doing their thing that when called on to attend a meeting they are less likely to listen to you and more likely try to end the meeting.

So, usually I go to the head English teacher and get an agreement about my schedule. Make sure you have the TOTAL number of days communicated between that teacher and yourself. They will pass that information to the principal and time more convenient for them.

Then, some schools have a book you sign to say you have taken time off. Make sure you do this together with the co-teacher. Now you have 2 people on your side who can speak with the principal. When you pay for a planet ticket or make plans, show them both the schedule so they know. The sooner the better.

Just because you get the principal to ok December weeks now doesn't mean something else won't come up. They haven't thought about the fall yet, so they are surely not concerned about your time off in December. You need to get the head English teacher and co-teacher aware now of what you want so when they are in "Korean only" meetings they can take your schedule into consideration. If they are unaware, then you will not be getting the times off you expect, and the school won't just change for you in November when you tell them, "Remember we agreed back in June".

[Mr. BlackCat]

[jonpurdy]

1. Get it in writing.
2. Use your days during regularly scheduled classes. If camps are priority and there is no other time then you just gotta use your days during classes. It's not your fault they over-scheduled camps. I've used about three weeks during classes this year.

[nukeday]

Why does SMOE mandate 3 week camps during vacations? It seems like it's impossible to take your vacation days and two week bonus. Something has to give. Postponing my two week bonus vacation to winter is just going to cause me to have a surplus of vacation days next year.

It's in the contract, I have to get all of my vacation days. Simple as that. Public schools need to uphold the contract or they truly are no better than hagwons.

[Seoulio]

[nukeday]

in my case (an august hire), during winter I took 16 vacation days, including the february break. that was with 3 weeks camp and the district mandated one week of desk warming. I guess that was their error, that latter part. I don't see how it can work out on the schedule if I end up having that bonus 2 weeks pushed back. 2 week renewal vacation and 1 week (maybe 2 if they nix the week of deskwarming) of regular vacation will leave me 3 weeks of vacation time to take in the next summer...

[Seoulio]

K I am clearly not getting what you are saying

There is no "mandated" deskwarming unless you are NOT using your vaction days.

Likfe for me ( I don't now if these numbers are exact but

My school is letting me leave a couple days early for Mxas vacation, so come of my 21 days are coming out of the regular school scedule.

I am using 15 ( 3 consecutive school weeks.

That leaves me with 6 to take this summer

After I do the 15 days ( 3 weeks) of mandated camps, there are working days where I can use 6 of them.

I am using 6 and then will deskwarm the other 9 because there are no maore vacation days for me to take.

There is no such thing as mandated deskwarming unless you have no vacation daya to work with.

so am I misunderstanding what you are meaning, or do you simply have really retarded people making your schedule?