Korean Job Discussion Forums

[interestedinhanguk]

Was I supposed to get my boss a gift? Over past holidays, the Korean teachers usually took up a small collection and bought a collective gift for the boss. My boss would also give me a box of socks or towels.
This Seollal, nothing. No collection, though they may have done it themselves without me or the other 2 foreigners. I got nothing from my boss. I'm leaving soon, and I'm thinking that might have something to do with it. Frankly, I don't care too much, but I'm just thinking.

[johnnyrook]

I got a huge box of meat from my boss this year and last year, all the other teachers (koreans) got the same gift. I was mulling over buying gifts for my co-workers and boss, but I understand bosses traditionally give bonuses at this time of year, and given that none of my co-workers gave any gifts (well they might have exchanged gifts privately with each other) I figured it was just his duty as the boss, so I didn't give anything.

[kardisa]

I got precisely squat from my boss. In fact, he didn't even speak to me last week, other than to ask if I'd turned the heater off in my room. I think he's still upset that my coworker and I refused to wear his new "uniform" of a doctor's lab coat...

I'm just going to consider these 5 days away from work as my gift. That said, I didn't get him anything either. Perhaps if we had a better relationship, I would have, but there didn't seem to be a point in spending the money.