Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jpaul0983]

Hi,

I have quite a unique problem with my hagwon and hopefully someone with legal knowledge can advise me on the best course of action.

Ok so i came to Busan to work a 3 day per week job (with another 2 days part time work already organised - all legal and on an E2 visa)

The school was doing ok, had 2 korean teachers, me, the boss floating around and some other staff. The previous teacher stayed a year and got paid full severance package.

I got all the usual benefits, plus 2 weeks off in the summer and would finish before Christmas.

Then the boss started to have financial problems and korean teachers kept quitting, so the boss became one of the two korean teachers, meaning she couldnt cover me for 2 weeks and so decided to fire me (with less than the agreed notice).

I didnt mind strangely, but as her other foreign teachers (willing to work for less) didnt pan out, i sensed an opportunity. I agreed (not in a contract, just a verbal agreement by mutual consent) to forego my severance money (i planned to extend by 6 months anyway) and airfare and 100k pay cut in exchange for seriously reduced working hours and a lot of paid vacation.

Ok so here's where the trouble starts. She gave me 3 weeks paid vacation in the summer (i actually took 4 in the end) and I was out of the country for my June pay day (for all work done in May), then i just got back a couple of weeks before the July pay day and didnt want to press too much about getting paid for a month i wasn't even here (i'm not used to being paid for vacation!). But now it's August and i've not received a penny for May, June and July. I love the school and have a great relationship with the boss, but i can see she has big money problems as other korean staff have been paid late for the last few months. She told me her credit cards have been cut off and i can see she has replaced not only the korean teacher but even the cleaner! i think we all know a hagwon boss is desperate if she will stoop to cleaning her own floors.

I basically want to make sure, no matter what, that i do get this money in the end. So is there anything i should do, like get her to sign something, or should i start talking about changing schools. is there someone i should notify about this in case i need to take action in the future and need evidence? i don't want to mess up her business, and if she cant pay then she cant pay. I feel like China, its all very well having the united states owe me money, but if i'm never going to get it, it's time to worry. So is there any kind of insurance or law in Korea that will pay out if my school goes bust or can't pay? I don't want to be in a situation where I keep working and get nothing for it.

Thanks,
J

[nero]

[marsavalanche]

maybe the labor board can help you brah

[jpaul0983]

umm, thanks for that 'helpful' reply. I'm not working for free, i didnt say 'give me no money for 12 months' i have a contract, the same contract as when i started working there. the slight changes to working hours and pay i think were just verbal, although we may have signed something i'll have to check. im sure lots of people have been in a situation where the hagwon is struggling to pay. my question is how long do you keep working before enough is enough. considering that the boss is saving a lot of money by doing the job of a korean teacher and cleaner and the student numbers are about the same as before, i have reason to believe the hagwon might be doing better financially, but without access to her records its hard for me to be sure. also the family is quite rich, so i have reason to believe they could pay if it came to legal action (maybe shes too stubborn to ask her dad for money, as many hagwon bosses are quite proud people).

So how long should you wait and are there any procedures or paperwork that could cover my ass if i ever had to take legal action?

[marsavalanche]

[JAZZYJJJ]

[DaHu]

You ARE working for free. Should have left the minute you didn't get paid. Well, should have left when you were fired, actually. And to give up severance and airfare for a job? I don't understand that. Any place could give you a job and not cost you thousands of dollars.

[koreatimes]

Use this time to find a new school and get her to transfer you as soon as possible. No use trying to pump a dry well.

[Son Deureo!]

[oldtrafford]

She gave me 3 weeks paid vacation in the summer (i actually took 4 in the end) and I was out of the country for my June pay day (for all work done in May), then i just got back a couple of weeks before the July pay day and didnt want to press too much about getting paid for a month i wasn't even here (i'm not used to being paid for vacation!). But now it's August and i've not received a penny for May, June and July. I love the school and have a great relationship with the boss, but i can see she has big money problems as other korean staff have been paid late for the last few months. She told me her credit cards have been cut off and i can see she has replaced not only the korean teacher but even the cleaner! i think we all know a hagwon boss is desperate if she will stoop to cleaning her own floors

You're not going to get a bean fella. Classic post, cheered me up no end, move on, or continue working for free!!

[hogwonguy1979]

[jpaul0983]

Thanks guys. Some of the advice, particularly regarding the labour board is much appreciated. But i'm a little surprised at the attitude of some of the posters here. I know a lot of foreigners treat the local people with contempt and mistrust, refuse to go out with the boss unless 3 months notice are given, and then its only for 1 drink before they make excuses about having plans already. Some see Koreans to be used and abused but i dont go along with that, i chose this school because the boss was decent, friendly and above all willing to negotiate and work outside the normal rules, hence i will have received about 10 weeks vacation in a 18 months if it all goes to plan. Clearly most people here would have jumped ship after a a few days of not being paid and let the school and kids' education go down in flames.

However my situation is quite different as i have some sympathy for the boss as she busts her ass day and night to get back on good financial footing and i trust that now shes saving a teacher and a cleaners salary (and merged another 2 positions into 1) i have good reason to think it will recover. My only question was... in the event this drags on, is there anyone i should speak to, such as the labor board, to give myself a better chance of reclaiming money later on and to cover my ass. Also i'll point out i could have been more forceful about getting paid, but i didnt need it right away and i knew she was short on money and liked the idea of having the boss in my pocket so to speak. shes legally obligated to pay what she owes, so as long as she is bound by the agreement and pays in the end, i dont really care if its a month or two late. I dont see anyone accusing China of being mugs, yet they are owed a fortune they're never likely to see.

Thanks again for the posts.

[koreatimes]

[Hotpants]

[ssuprnova]