Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gaychel]

Some details: I'm 9 months in to my year long contract at a hagwon in Daejeon. I am the senior foreigner at my school, with at least 3 or 4 months on the other foreigners. In the past few months, new enrollment has all but stopped and many kids are quitting. My director has blamed the economy, not us for this. We have all received our paychecks on time every month.

Now, my point: I was smoking with my director today and he told me that the school has been making no profit and that he has been taking out bank loans to pay us. Then he said the loan was pretty much gone. He then "sugested" that we end my emplyment two months early, around March 3rd instead of the contract date of April 29th. When I told him that interfered with my money saving plans, he assured me that my return airfare would be paid and that he would still give me my severance bonus since the contract was being broken on his end, not mine. Since my departure date is fairly soon, it makes sense to cut me loose first, rather than one of the guys I work with, with 6 months on one contract and 9 months on the other.

At first, I was thinking I wasn't down for this. I just spent all of the money I had saved to date on a trip to Thailand and a trip to Beijing, and need the 2 months worth of paychecks to do the traveling I want when I'm done in Korea. I wasn't expecting this talk at all, but once the shock wore off, I started thinking about things more logically.

If I could find a 6 month contract somewhere else, I could sign that and end up spending only 3 extra months in Korea. I could get my last 2 paychecks plus severance plus the airfare money from my current boss and I'd still have 6 months worth of work elsewhere to stack some cash. I could get this job in Seoul, as I really don't like Daejeon that much and would like to experience living somewhere else in Korea.

Also, I started thinking that if he's trying to cut me loose this close to the end of my contract to save 4 million won, he must be desperate. And if he's still holding up his end on the airfare and severance, do I really want to refuse and run the risk of him finding a reason to fire me, thus losing out on the airfare and severance?

So, basically, I need some affirmation that my decision to go into work tomorrow morning and tell him that I'll let the contract go early if he gives me my airfare in cash form instead of a plane ticket is the right one. Am I missing something here? Does any of this sound suspect? To me, he sounds like a desperate guy who needs to cut his losses, but is still doing the right thing by giving me my severance and plane ticket.

Also, how hard are 6 month contracts to come across? I've been looking on English Spectrum for the past hour or two and havem't found any.

Thanks for any and all help, answers, and/or sugeestions!

[Draz]

How much do you trust him?

[gaychel]

Good question. Like I said, he's paid all of us on time every single payday I've been here, and the two foreigners that have fulfilled their contracts and left during my time there have all been given their full severance and pay. He's definitely a tight wad, but he's always seemed like a reasonable guy and he has always lived up to what he says he will do.

Basically, I trust him to pay the severance and airfare if he says he will. I do not trust him to not find some reason to fire me and get out of all of it if I refuse tonight's offer.

[loralh]

Get him to put it in writing.

[wylies99]

First, you'd better SAVE YOUR MONEY if you want to work in hagwons. You NEVER KNOW when hogwans will fire you, lay you off, or simply go out of business. Sometimes the "saints" that own the few decent hogwans sell the hagwons and what was once a nice gig can become a living hell under new owners.
You can still take trips, but keep a minimum savings.

Oh, and what the owner said about "no money"- is it true? Maybe, maybe not. How many students are in the school? Has enrollment increased or decreased? Funny (not ha, ha) thing is that where were these "financial problems" during your first nine months?

If I were you I'd say "no deal" and tell him you'll finish your contract and that you expect it to be honored. Why should you sacrifice for his business mistakes? He makes money off your work and probably makes a nice profit-right? Then YOU are NOT the problem with HIS business.

[Whistleblower]

Like I have been saying for the past few months on these boards; you should make plans just in case the worst happens and you find yourself without a job.

It doesn't matter how friendly or kind your boss is or was at work, business is business and if a company is not making money they will get rid of you. The first thing business learn are to protect the ones that run them and those that are considered replaceable don't get the same benefits.

Get out whilst you can and look for a new job. I am afraid this is the tip of the iceberg and there will be plenty EFL jobs lost this year in Korea.

[gaychel]

Oh no, don't get me wrong. I have the money to get home. Like, enough money to buy a last minute, get on a plane tomorrow kind of ticket. When I said I blew through my savings, I meant I blew through everything EXCEPT that several million won cushion that was built up within my first three months here and doesn't get spent on anything until I leave the country.

The principle of things does make me want to say no deal and finish out my contract. But I've been whining to everyone I know how I don't want to stay here for another full year, but I don't want to leave Korea when my contract is up in 3 months either. This is kind of the perfect opportunity to make some more money (again, if I can find a 6 month contract somewhere) and spend another few months in the country. I can't look what, if all goes according to promise, is a gift horse in the mouth based on the principle of a contract. And again, there's the fear that if I refuse, he may fire me and I'll lose it all.

If I agree to this, it won't be to be accommodating, it will be to benefit me and my ass only.

[wylies99]

Hard to see how it benefits you. You just can't trust hagwon owners, ESPECIALLY in last few months of contracts. Funny how they SUDDENLY remember that they can't afford to pay you.

I'd refuse to make any changes and finish the contract, but that's me. It's your call. Good luck and let us know what happens.

[gaychel]

[gaychel]

It benefits me because the work environment there drives me nuts and if it weren't for the severance pay and airfare shaped light at the end of the tunnel, I'd have been looking for another short term job awhile ago. However now, I get the severance pay AND the opportunity to get the hell out of there before my contract is up. Sure, it's only 2 months, but it's something!

[gaychel]

[D.D.]

I would say draw up the papers now and give me all my cash now and I will sign.

Why stick around until he is really broke. Run. Its also a good time to get a new job in a public school.

[Xuanzang]

Sounds like a sinking ship. He sounds like a half decent boss but I wouldnt expect anything promised. These are desperate times.

[CPJ]

I don't see how it is a bad deal for you. Take the early termination and get your airfare money and severance. It seems your director is an honest enough person as he's giving you the cash. Why fight it when you're getting the best deal possible. If you said "NO" and it turned ugly, you could get fired without airfare and severance.

Get your release letter and find a new job somewhere else. You can just transfer your visa so it should be very easy.

Not finishing a contract is not the end of the world especially if you are getting paid. We teachers do it all the time whenever we see fit.


Also, I don't think the number of jobs are going to dry up in Korea. They might actually go up. I work at an ESL school in Canada and they are letting a lot of teachers go in the next few months. Too many students are going back home as it's too expensive to study abroad. When they get back to Korea, they'll be signing up at the hagwons so this should give them a boost.

[gaychel]

Do public schools ever do 6 month contracts?