Korean Job Discussion Forums

[r.]

Does this happen to you here? Does this happen in your home countries? Of all the jobs I worked in America for 10 years or so, I've never been payed one day late. In my first 3 months here, I've been paid late twice. Is this customary here?

[laogaiguk]

[cdninkorea]

Sadly, yes. I've been paid late several times at my present job- once over a week late for overtime work I had done. I was never worried about not getting paid, but the fact I was told I would be paid on a certain day, then not without any warning or explanation, annoyed me to no end.

The response I always got was something like "don't worry, don't worry. You'll get paid, and it's only a few extra days."
I always want to reply with something like "if I showed up two hours late and just said not to worry, that I'll always get to work eventually, and I'll only be a few hours late, you'd be pretty angry right? Why should this be any different?"

I know this logic will fall on deaf ears, so instead all I do is politely remind the people in the admin. office incessently several days before payday, and when it is late I remind him several times a day afterward until I get it. My hope is that I'll be such a nuisance that he'll remember- I got paid on time last month, but I have no way of knowing if they would have remembered on their own.

[uberscheisse]

[Qinella]

Yep, late payment sucks. My first hagwon boss was really bad about remembering to pay me. I got tired of asking him to pay me after it was late (he'd inevitably scramble around in a frenzy, embarrassed at his error, and break open the cash-stuffed safe to pay me on the spot) so I wrote him a letter explaining that in America, this would never happen, and I wish Korean businesses could be more professional. Just a little ego shot to get him motivated. Never late again.

Once, he forgot to pay my coworker for an entire month. She is Korean, and a pushover to boot, so she just didn't say anything and forced herself to be happy about it because it would mean a bigger check when she finally got paid.


Uberscheisse is probably right. Only hitch is that you might end up not getting paid at all. They'll deduct your plane ticket, first of all, and then possibly come up with other things to nickle and dime you for so you'll be broke unless you have some savings.

[r.]

Yeah, I'm not about to leave the job over late payment for a few days. But, like you, I just find it completely bizzare and unprofessional and it wouldn't be tolerated in any business in America.

[jmbran11]

Think of most non-franchised hogwans as a family business. They don't have an accounting department or direct deposit. They pay in cash. When there's a cash flow problem, your pay can get held up. I've been paid late in the U.S. for this type of job, and so has my husband. I would imagine many independent contractors have also encountered this situation.

If you have no doubts that you will get paid, just try to go with the flow and make sure to save enough money for that end-of-the-month crunch. If, however, the school isn't paying because finances are so tight, I'd worry that one month no pay will come (and be saving even more).

[wylies99]

[Real Reality]

Poll: Have you been paid late in Korea?
Never - I must be lucky! 38% [ votes: 34 ]
Once or twice - no big deal, minor annoyance... 20% [ 18 ]
Several times - hate it! 17% [ 15 ]
Several times - but I understand the culture, doesn't bother me... 4% [ 4 ]
Many times - sigh... 15% [ 14 ]
WTF! I've never been paid on time! ARGH!!! 3% [ 3 ]
Total Votes : 88
Posted: April 08, 2004
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=18732