Korean Job Discussion Forums

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Check your calenders Hagwon teachers.

From Chuseok, that was September 29th, to the Lunar New Year holiday, which is on February 8th, we don't get a single day off.

No public holidays are on a weekday for more than 4 solid months!!!

This means we will have worked more than 16, 5-day weeks without a day off.

I find this appalling.

In the UK, if public hoildays fall on a weekend they are moved to the Monday so the same amount of days each year are always off.

I can't help feeling Koreans are so work-obsessed they don't care about losing their holidays or sometimes I actually theorise that Koreans don't actually like days off work. Maybe they don't know what to do with themselves on a holiday.

Anyway, I feel well and truly swizzled.

Sooke · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Location: korea

I agree. It sucks. I think next year is gonna be worse. With the exception od Seollal, most of our holidays in 2005 will be on a saturday or sunday. D'oh!

Tell you students about what we do if a stat holiday falls on a weekend. Mabye they can start a campaign or protest to change it. I think they'd like it too.

mithridates · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 8:27 pm Post subject:

A Korean girl I know started working at a company two months ago. I asked her when she gets a holiday and she told me that she's not sure; they still haven't told her. Maybe sometime...

d503 · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Location: Daecheong, Seoul

hey lunar new year is on my birthday. kick ass no work.

coolsage · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 11:38 pm Post subject:

With both Christmas and New Year's Day falling on Saturday, there's no break at all during this 'Holiday' season. I'm expected to work Christmas Eve. However, neither my students nor I expect to be there. One needs to draw a line in the sand sometimes, and that's mine. Of course, we as 'aliens' in this land need to accommodate the reality that exists here, but that has to be a two-way street. A little understanding on the part of the employer generates good will and good morale.

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Perhaps, international employees should get the holidays off for their home country and host country (similar to embassies employees).

Manner of Speaking · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

I'm on holiday for the next three months. Laughing

A well-deserved one, I should add. Sad

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

hari seldon · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Incheon

Three day weekends? Are you kidding? Koreans are still working on a novel new idea called the 40 hour work week...