Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kiddirts]

I started doing work for a company in Samsung that pays 45,000 won an hour, typical business english salary. The recruiting company that found me the job said they would offer me a visa if I paid for all the associated costs. They advertised a job near apgujeong that was from 10-12 in the morning with pay around 40,000 an hour. It was already being filled by a female as the company had requested. Then the day after I come back from Japan, they said the spot was open. I go with the recruiting agency to the interview at the company. Only 30 seconds before the interview does the recruiting agency tell me, "Oh, the time has been changed to 8am to 10am." They know that I work until past 11:00pm 4 nights a week and 3 nights I don't even come home until past midnight, after showering ect., dinner, it's impossible to manage any more than 4 hours sleep to get up at 6:15 for this job. I say it's impossible, and the company lets me work at 10:00am, for the first week...then says I must change over. So 2 weeks ago I changed over and I'm a walking zombie...ALSO, I've requested from the recruiting agency 5 times a week...hey HOW MUCH IS THIS JOB PAYING?...and they kept saying, oh we're still negotiating, again and again with this answer...which I felt was total BS...but they assured me that the pay was comparable to the pay from the Samsung job (45,000) Then just yesterday I told them that I can't continue to work at a job for 4 weeks and not even know what they're paying me, that's ridiculous, so tomorrow is going to be my last day...then immediately on the phone, he says, well, we're paying you 1.2...I was like what???? 1.2 for 40 hours a month at a business is 30,000 won an hour for a business job! WTF??? To which he said, I think that money is good (as if we both haven't been around the block in this esl business). The fact that they issued me a Visa (with me paying for the costs) makes me have to put them first, but Jesus Christ, friggin BEND ME OVER? What should I do? Quit? What if they threaten to take away the Visa? I'm already working a decent paying job for them without this 8am schedule ripping, sleep denying, ridiculously low-paying bullsh*t. I feel totally bent over.

[Real Reality]

What can you do? Can you just do your regular (visa-related) job?

Why do these situations develop so often in Korea?
It is like bait and switch. Is there another term or phrase to call this?

Kiddirts,
I hope you can find a good solution.

[Kiddirts]

Almost immediately after writing that, I called the recruiting agency and said that I couldn't work at this job any longer, but I will suppliment any other job I have at any other place with one of theirs on any 6 days of the week from 10:00am to 11:00 pm. When they heard that, he said, "Okay, we're going to cancel your Visa." I said, "Great let me know when it's cancelled so I can immediately stop working your other job in Samsung." It got pretty heated, I won't go word for word, but the conversation lasted around 15 minutes, with continuous threats about deportation and so on, but the fact that I'm feeling so ill from being overworked, I just didn't even care. Threat after threat, it was ugly. Lesson to be learned...if you think Hagwon owners have a bad rap for ethics and couldn't give a crap about you, you are just a money making numer to these recruiters.

[Real Reality]

Kiddirts,

That is unfortunate. What can you do?
Hagwons, recruiters, and universities seem to use similar tactics.
Bait and switch.

I hope you have some options.

What will you do? Good luck.

[Kiddirts]

Well, one of my retaliatory threats was that I would make sure their company is banned from using EnglishSpectrum.com since I told them I have connections to those in charge (bullsh*t). They do the majority of their recruiting on that site. It seemed to cool them off, I'll wait and see. If they cancel my Visa, fine...I can't keep up that schedule...another month I swear I'd be in the hospital.