Korean Job Discussion Forums

mamagnome · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Location: Ulsan

I asked your advice a while back and I'm taking it. I gave my boss my resignation as I left work Friday. He was in a teachers meeting so I haven't gotten his reaction. Thanks to all of you here for helping me see the light. I have been busting my butt for 6 months with a contract that is almost identicle to one referred to as crap only mine is even worse. On top of that I haven't even been getting what the contract stated. I get no health insurance, no pension. My income tax being deducted is 60,000 instead of 24,000. They have deducted 600,000 from my pay which I didn't know was illegal to do. I have worked 9-12 hours a day. With that I am unable to properly prepare for all the classes of all levels and ages. I have phone teaching as well. My contract states 110 hours a month for 1.9 million. It also states that my workload is equal to 150 teaching periods of 40 minutes each. If they actually paid me for 150 teaching periods counting minutes instead, they owe me an extra 10 hours pay each month. Something very screwy here.

Please help me if you have it in your heart to pass on a good job. I am so tired all week it is hard to look. I should be able to begin a new job OCT 1st. I am currently in Ulsan. My co-worker will give a good reference if you need it.

I am from the US and have taught children on a contractual basis for about 15 years.

I would love to be able to continue on here in Korea with a good experience. I really love the mountains around here but have barely been able to enjoy them.

Thanks again to all of you. By the way how do you put a picture on here? I think they are a great way of remembering people.

Khyron · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Location: Japan

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

Check your PM box dude, this is probably not new to you, but on the outside chance.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Sounds a lot like my "experience" with my first school.

Good for you- having the b-lls to leave and the class to do it the right way.
You'll see, that if you properly explain what happened with your first school, (especially the BS with money), the owners and directors of good schools understand.
EVERYONE who owns or directs a hogwan in Korea knows what happens at many hogwans. They may sound "shocked" to hear that teachers get cheated, but every Korean associated with this industry knows it happens. They enjoy playing dumb.

mamagnome · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Location: Ulsan

I was reluctant to name my school, but what the heck. It is Wonderland School, "where everyone smiles".
When I took the job, I was in the middle of a home renovation project that I had intended on finishing so it was hurry up they need you yesterday. Looking back it was stupid not to investigate further, but I had no clue about all of this craziness with the contracts.

I paid out of my own pocket for all kinds of things that I shouldn't of had to pay. I paid for my visa and the trips to get it, Hurry, Hurry. Extra money. I paid for my alien card. I paid for many necessites in my apartment. It literally had nothing in it but a clothes rack and a small chest of drawers and fridge. I paid 100,000 for a crap phone that isn't working that I thought my boss was supplying but later got the bill. That took about a month to get. I mean the phone took a month to get.

When I walked into my apartment after staying in a sleezy hotel because my room wasn't ready, it was empty and dirty. I was expected to sleep there that night. It was Sunday night. I still had jet lag. My first day of teaching would be in the morning so I had to take a few things back to the hotel so I could at least have a bed to sleep on.

My first day was the worst kind of hell you can imagine. Too much to write. I got my bed. I had to go to Home Plus to get essentials to live. I literally had nothing but my clothes and my bed.

Eventually my boss supplied me with the worst TV he could find, and a microwave so old, even Koreans laugh at it. You get the picture.

So here I am looking for a job and I don't even have a working phone. I discovered it didn't work yesterday evening and today is Sunday.

Should I try to contact the labor board or just let it all go?

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Just one question about your phone. You say that you've been working here for six months in the OP and in a later post that your phone took a month to get. So you've had it for five months or so and you only discovered it wasn't working yesterday?

Anyway in order to find a new job you will need a letter of release(LOR) or you will not be able to work here until your original visa would have expired. I wouldn't go to the labor board just yet, I'd talk to the boss and offer not to go to the labor board in exchange for a LOR. If he refuses that would be the time to go to the board.

mamagnome · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Location: Ulsan

To clarify about my phone, not that it is a major issue, just an annoyance. When I got here the boss was supposed to arrange a phone for me. He kept saying he would. He was going to get a good deal from a friend. So all that took about a month. I figure, well who do I know to call. It worked at first, not totally but you get and receive messages. Then it stopped working. It's a long story but eventually his friend got it fixed. So that was about a month ago. It worked earlier in the week and then Saturday just quit again. I don't use it enough for the minutes to be used up. I feel like since i don't have a land line, he should have paid for my cell. Oh I just checked back on the dates and actually I was here for 6 weeks without any phone except over my computer.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Phone problems at bad schools.

It's a common complaint- TOO common.

They don't want us to have working phones. They don't want us to be able to communicate with: other schools or teachers, any legal help, and definitely not with any government agency.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

kudos for toughing it out for 6 months....and a pat on the back for getting out now.

Strange how there aren't a lot of good Wonderland stories Rolling Eyes

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

Wonderland? Never heard of them screwing anyone over before ㅋㅋㅋ.

Report the school for

1) taxes
2) health insurance
3) pension
4) illegal deduction of pay
5) being big meanies.

Schhols like Wonderland have been fuking over their employees for ages. It's about time they got it up the a$$ a bit instead of just giving.

salboski · Joined: 12 Sep 2005

Don't let him scare you into staying.

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

Just turn your notice in and have a copy of an LOR ready to go. It might get hairy, but if they really push you around go to Immigration. I have heard of a contract being cancelled without a letter of release if the school refuses to sign it.

MIGHT be an urban legend, I do not know, but I do remember the source of the legend being pretty reliable.

Look at the bright side, you need at least 1 sucky school story under your belt to be let in the door of most really cool people parties anyway.

So now you is a shoo in.

Yusef · Joined: 30 Aug 2006

wow are you sure you are in Ulsan?
that sounds exactly like Wonderland in Guri!
i mean like so much so that i kind of wonder if the franchise passes out suggestions on how to screw your teachers as much as is possible
on the plus side at least you know you have no pension or health insurance
my wonderland took the money out of my paycheck claiming I was registered, and I only found out after the fact that I wasn't

live and learn
but get the hell outta there