Korean Job Discussion Forums

Cerriowen · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Location: Pocheon

Hey guys.

I just started a new job. They got me an apartment last monday, and promised it was already fully furnished. I showed up to an empty place, with a toilet and a stove that wasn't hooked up. That's it. No fridge, bed, dresser, phone etc...

I've been going to the school every day for various things, and each time I remind my boss that my place still has no furnature. She nods and says she'll have someone take care of it.

I went in this morning, to ask again if she could please make sure it's taken care of today so I don't have to go all weekend without anything in the house. She doesn't work today.

I'm kinda pissed off that it hasn't been done yet. Mostly just the bed situation. I haven't been able to sleep.

What do I do? I realize that Koreans seem to operate on their own time schedule, and that the school is kind of in chaos right now with a new group of students starting monday.

How do I get this handled without causing bad blood between me and my boss?

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

Wow...that's bad. You shouldn't have to put up with that. Tell them that if they don't at least get you a bed soon that you won't be able to teach because you're too tired.

Perhaps Koreans think we don't need beds. My director always told me that I should try sleeping on the floor because it's better for your back.

If furnishings were promised in your contract, you shouldn't have to beg for it.

But I would be careful about approaching it too aggressively, because you're right...it may cause bad blood. I've learned from experience to be careful with that stuff...or your boss will make your life miserable for the rest of the year.

If this is just the beginning, I wonder what the rest of the year will be like. What's your contract look like???????

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

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

Not too long ago, I saw a oster ojn here complaining about the same thing and he/she was gone in 2 days. After repeatedly asking for furniture, no one did squat to help this person. When this poster arrived to an empty apartment, and asked about furniture, the director and manager said "like what"? They should have been asked "WELL DO YOU HAVE FURNITURE IN YOUR PLACE"? I bet they did, but a foreign teacher doesn't need furniture, eh? Idiots!!! Yes, this is one battle you'll want to pick.

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

The'll be perfectly happy to let it slide for as long as they see fit.

Perhaps start acting like a homeless person at work.Roll out a little sleeping mat.Hunker down in the lobby with a little gas-cooker boiling water for noodles.Start pan-handling the parents for some money to get things for your house.Walk with a limp....

I dunno.Try what you can.

At my first place there was no washing machine for 2 weeks.So,I put on my crappiest clothes-norton t-shirt,ripped khaki shorts and steel-capped DMs.I asked to use the school washing machine.They looked me up and down and said my washing machine would be installed by the end of the day.

kiwigirl :O) · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Bundang

kiwiliz · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: New Zealand

Yes, you need to stand up for yourself. if they are going to ignore your needs now, at the beginning what do you think it will be like later on?

once you have furniture you ccan work on mending any fence but hey..to not provide furniture and yet still ex-ect us to fulfill our part of the contract...why are you letting them get away with it?

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

This is why hagwons will continue to walk all over foreign teachers. No one will stick up for themselves for fear of rocking the boat. Crying or Very sad

John Henry · Joined: 24 Sep 2004

plattwaz · Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Location: <Write something dumb here>

This happened in my last job -- although we were given a few things, but not everything promised.

We went to the local furniture store (there will be one in your dong for sure), wrote a list of everything we needed and priced them out (we did go for the cheapest items, not taking the p1ss here!). We had the store owner write them all down with the product numbers and cost for us on a store order form.

We took it in to the school, told them that we had ordered it all and the store was waiting for them to call with their credit card number, "or should we just arrange to have it billed directly to the school?"

Turned out that it WAS simply a matter of the school not having time to get the stuff we needed, and he thanked us for having done the shopping ourselves, was pleased as punch that we took the cheapest options and called with his credit card a few minutes later.

You could try something along those lines, as it may just be that they don't have time to sort this out, not that they are trying to cheap you out of furniture?

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

I think it's nothing short of an insult to be given a place with no furniture - especially a bed - if you were led to believe that you were going to be getting a furnished apartment. (Is it written in your contract?) They are treating you like one of those poor jindo dogs who get left day and night living on the rooftops!

I think if you have the financial resources to support yourself, you should take the risk of losing your job by saying firmly, but politely, that you want the furniture by the end of the week otherwise it's unrealistic that you should be expected to continue living under such conditions.

Good luck on getting it resolved.