Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Salios]

Hey guys,

I'm really not happy with my current job (I'm at three months and this posting is making me want to quit altogether and go home) and was looking around for some other opportunities.
One of the schools I saw was called Suwon Global Village. Does anyone know anything about this school? This is the posting I saw for them, but they were also recommended by a friend of mine teaching in an IB program. ( http://esljobslounge.com/esl-teaching-jobs/3-positions-open-fun-and-exciting-english-village-in-suwon )
Another school I was recommended was Gyeonggi English Village, Paju, South Korea. I know that Paju is far North, just next to North Korea, but this was recommended to me by a family friend, who had family that runs it. Odd connection, I know.

As a side note, and if I need to ask this again elsewhere I will, I'm at once terrified and confused on how to properly leave my current job. I'm truly not happy here and while I know I need a letter of release I'm not sure how to go about getting it.

Reasons I want to leave:
- I have been paid 3 times (been here 3 months) and every time has been late
- pay has never been full, deposited in chunks of 100,000 - 400,000 instead of whole amount
- no proper paystub, just a breakdown of payment including utilities
- utilities taken out of my pay, rather than me paying them
- seen the bill once, and it was about $500 for internet and tv, which is impossible
- director disrespects me constantly
- only foreigner
- no direct supervisor to mediate
- director speaks little to no English
- manager and two other Korean teachers left the same week in July
- I have to babysit the director's kids every week, at the home, under the guise of 'teaching' his three year old english
- my apartment is smaller than anything I've ever seen
- constant trouble with my applianes, director won't contact landlord
- landlord admitted to a friend of mine (he speaks no English so my friend translated) that my director has been late in paying my rent

So even if he becomes less of an ass and gets his shit together, my gut is telling me to leave as fast as I can.
As per my contract If i break it within 8 months I have to pay back my flight to him (my parents are prepared to cover the cost of that for me) and give him 8 weeks' notice.

Those things suck, but I can deal. But there is no way I'll stay here for eight months to a year, I don't hate myself.

So please, and recommendations and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[wonkavite62]

I don't want to be negative. But it would have helped an awful lot if you had asked hagwon boss before signing the contract if you could get feedback from another foreign teacher who has worked at that school. If they hadn't allowed me this opportunity, I'd have moved on. South Korean hagwons vary enormously. The stubborn, selfish and stupid old men and women who run some of them don't seem to realise that looking after their staff is a priority. Happier teachers will perform better on the job and vice versa. My guess is that this guy has had a string of "failed" teachers who quit or were fired after 6 months, and that this hagwon is cheap and mean with salaries.
I would advise you not to do a midnight run. At least don't do it unless you are in such a bad situation you really don't want to be in Korea again. There are other options. Is it possible to soldier on for another 3 months? When you reach the 6 month mark, the school is not legally allowed to claw back the cost of your flight to Korea.
If you leave now he will make you pay for that flight. You are more likely to get the release letter at the 6 month stage as well. You get the release letter by asking. However, if you were to leave right now, I am not so sure if you'd get it. It would take a reply from people who know Korea intimately-such as TomPatts to deal with that question. You can of course apply to other jobs right now and see what happens. They may ask for a release letter, but I am not sure.
There is a section on this website called "How to Legally Hammer Your Hagwon Boss into Submission". It may or may not be of help.
I wish I could be more positive. I had hagwon boss who acted nicer and spoke better English than yours did. My salary-in 2004-was 1.8 million won, but he withheld 500,000 won. In my most recent job in a public school, the NET salary was 2.3 million won. The quoted salary was what I got. My boss fired me after 6 months, as had happened to his other western staff.
Paju English Village seems good. You might want to try it. It's not so far from Seoul if you need to escape.
Oh and by the way, if things continue to be bad, by all means feel free to post the name,, location and details of this little school on Dave's ESL and other websites. This may make it harder for him to hire.

[Weigookin74]

Go to the labor board and complain. You will have full reason to quit and not be in violation of contract. Check to make sure your medical and pension are paid.

[ChrystalRein]

I worked here. I wouldn't recommend it. The atmosphere is really negative. The pay isn't worth the extra work. Your contract is only relevant when they want you to do something, not when they should uphold their end (i.e. pay you overtime or for national holidays). There's not a lot of teaching hours, but it's the extra stuff that's really ridiculous. If you want to be respected, don't work here.

[Hidalgo03]