Korean Job Discussion Forums

[talentedcrayon]

Hi there!

So my contract says 35 hours per week. But, in reality I work about 45 hours and the school is a little too picky when it comes to those extra 10 hours (very high expectations for work they aren't willing to pay me for.) I pull all nighters for them marking and writing reports they magically expect me to produce for my kids in my free time. (They give me stuff last minute, which forces me to work weekends and work until 4:00am marking).

Additionally, there are no breaks at my school. I am suffering from burn out...

So, I've decided to start looking elsewhere. I expect the school will give me a release letter. They are not bad people... just not the best bosses. Also, they know that without the release letter, I might as well pull a runner.

I am not really expecting a reference though. They won't be happy I am quitting. But, I am willing to work for the last month even though I won't get paid for it... They have a penalty clause in the contract. Basically, if I quit, I forfeit my last month's pay. I know that's illegal...

I did the math... by the time I finish my contract, I'll have worked about $8000-$10,000 in unpaid overtime. Its worth quitting forfeighting the $2200... I'll also get my sanity back.

Does anyone else have experience with this? Do new schools look at this unfavorably? I am not a quitter... Its just staying up until 4:00am writing reports is insane and not what I signed up for. Most hagwon teachers are shocked when I tell them how much marking/report writing/extra hours I do.

[Troglodyte]

If you're sticking around in Korea then you don't really have to forfeit that last month's salary. After you get your new job, just go to the labor board and report your old employer. Tell them that you haven't been paid for the last month you worked. It might take a while to get the money (a few months even) but you'll get it eventually. Even if you have to go to court over it, you'd just need someone with you who can speak Korea (unless you're fluent already). It's an open-and-closed case. There would have to be some really odd circumstances for the court to find in favor of your ex-employer. Even if you pulled a midnight run and left him holding the bag for the classes he had scheduled, it would not be justification for not paying you for the time that you did work. If he doesn't pay after that, the court will just have the money taken directly from his bank account. Korean laws and the courts strongly favor the employee.

About the LOR, don't count on getting it. Start putting together another set of documents. If there is a clear case of your employer already underpaying you, then you could take that to the LB and the LB guys can give you their equivalent of the LOR. Don't count on your boss doing it though.