Korean Job Discussion Forums

zoeksk · Joined: 21 Jan 2012

So I just had my weekly meeting with my director and we were discussing plans for the december concert. I asked if after the concert we would be having out winter vacation as we clearly had no time before hand.

To which I was told that there may be a chance to take maybe one day here and another there, but there was no actual week off.

I replied that my contract states 5 days in winter and 5 in summer

the look of shock and horror on my directors face as she quickly and emphaticaly told me that theres no way she would have done that, because their is NO winter holiday.

I have checked my contract again, and yes I do have a clause that states 5 days in the winter and 5 days in the summer. It specifies that they should be normal working days, and that public holidays do not count towards my total.

So what I am wondering is, if I push this- whats the chances of an 11month firing? My contract ends late March, and this is my first year in Korea. I like my job although there are probably better ones, so although I was planning on looking around a bit, I figured I would resign and just got a house in my own name (paid key money myself) and my director pays my rent (which at 550,000 a month is clearly outside of what my contract says I'm entitled to)

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

Guajiro · Joined: 04 Dec 2008

s.tickbeat · Joined: 21 Feb 2010 Location: Gimhae

You could make the offer to her that, if she would rather not give you those holidays, that you would be happy to accept three 8-hour days worth of your salary, at your overtime rate, in lieu of holiday.

She would probably relent at that point. It's worked for me, every time.

s.tickbeat · Joined: 21 Feb 2010 Location: Gimhae

And by three 8-hour days, I mean however-many-days-you're-not-getting-vacation times 8 hours at overtime rate.

zoeksk · Joined: 21 Jan 2012

Thanks for your advice, I confronted my boss and showed her the contract and she said I could have my holiday but pleeease don't take it all in one week before the concert. So I get two days off next week to coincide with a friend visiting and 3 days at some point in January.

My director is usually pretty understanding but in the previous meeting with another teacher there she seemed very inflexible. She explained that I am the only teacher entitled to winter holiday so she couldn't have been seen to back down in front of other teachers, and also she wasn't aware that the clause was in there since my recruiter wrote the contract.

Not sure how true her excuses were, but I don't care because I got my holiday without an arguement Very Happy

Thanks again for all your advice- and I am staying in Korea so if they do fire me for any reason you can bet I will be following it up with the labour board personally.