Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TiGrBaLm]

First of all here is my schedule

Week 1 M : 4 T : 5 W: 4 Th : 5 F: 6 = 24 hours

Week 2 M : 4 T : 5 W : 4 Th : 1 F : 6 = 20 hours

Week 3 M : 4 T : 5 W : 4 Th : 5 F : 6 = 24 hours

Week 4 M : 4 T : 5 W : 4 Th : 1 F : 6 = 20 hours

W1 and W3 Thursdays I go to my other school and I have to use the taxi
Fridays are spent at my 3rd school

Now, my contract states that anything over 22 hours is to be considered overtime.

My coteacher tells me that I don't get OT for weeks 1 and 3 since the avg. hours worked over 1&2 and 3&4 is 22. She says that the schedule was set up that way so that I wouldn't have to travel to my satellite school every thursday and thus the time is averaged out.

To me this seems like a load of bollocks. Using this logic they could ask me to work 40 hours during w1 and give me 4 classes the next week and say "no OT!, avg. is 22 hours!"

What am I to do?

[ttompatz]

[TheUrbanMyth]

Check article 7 in your contract. 7-4 says this (in mine anyways...italics are mine)


"Employee shall be paid for the extra working hours. If Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours, Employee shall be entitled to a supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 Won per hour..."

Key word is weekly...not monthly. Check to make sure your contract specifies this. If so you have a case. Show them the contract and tell them it's weekly overtime pay...not monthly.

I hope this helps....[/i]

[TiGrBaLm]

Thanks UM

here's the article from my contract:

Actual class instruction hours of Employee shall not exceed twenty-two(22) hours per week. If, however, Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two(22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, Employee shall be entitled to a supplementary class instruction pay at the rate applicable to Korean teachers for the supplementary class instruction hours

I guess I have a valid case then, so do I just flash the Korean portion of the contract to them or is there a better way to do so w/o looking too hostile?

[Richard Krainium]

Does your ARC show three different work places?

You may be in for a surprise if immigration shows up at one of your schools.

[ttompatz]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TiGrBaLm]

[TiGrBaLm]

Well I agree with both of you, I will talk to her about this, but Tom, how would this help me by saving it for later?

I also decided to figure out the economics of this whole thing

stick to what they say : no OT@20000/hr but save on 2 round trip taxi rides @ 14000 each + 4RT bus rides @2000 each ; travel expense fund is 60000 so net gain = 24000

have everything balanced out : OT = 80000 Travel expenses = 64000
net gain = 16000

The other thing is they asked if I want to do OT but that would totally throw things out of whack if I stick to their "save you time schedule" and complicate things further

Ughhh...what a headache

[ttompatz]

[ED209]

Not sure it always works like that. In my experience (which includes public school) you give them an inch they take a mile. When they bend the rules in their favour they don't see themselves as in the wrong or as misinterpreting the contract. Just tell them that all other teachers are treated differently and get overtime for the extra hours. I know a lot of PS teachers don't want to piss the boss off cos they want the xtra vacation time off, but in this country the baby that screams the most is the baby that gets fed.

[TiGrBaLm]

Well I talked to her and this is the gist of what I got

"in the Korean part it means average, this is a cultural difference, in our thinking it means average, we are sorry, next year we will change the English words"

and on top of this they want me to do 3 extra classes starting next month, who the fark knows how the OT will be calculated with that.

Whatever, I'm out of here as soon as I hit my 6 months, can't stand this god-forsaken village and this "we like to interpret things any way we can" attitude.

We'll see if they do indeed bend things in my favour when the time comes

[DCJames]

[poet13]

""in the Korean part it means average, this is a cultural difference, in our thinking it means average, we are sorry, next year we will change the English words"
I think that's a load of crap. Whether they're trying to save face by not admitting they're messing you around, or just plain devious, it's a load of crap.

"...and on top of this they want me to do 3 extra classes starting next month, who the fark knows how the OT will be calculated with that."

I was agreeing with ttompatz until you posted what they said. I still agree in part. I don't think the 10,000 won is worth it, but now that they are adding classes, which you may or may not get paid for, I think I would go back and agree to work them if and only if they stick to the original contract. If OT is contractually obligated...well, it's amazing how fast a 24 flu can hit ya, huh?

Do you have a Korean friend who can translate typed words for you?
Maybe you can ask him or her to tell you if there is anything ambivalent or unclear in the Korean version vs the English version of your contract. Bet you there's not....

[TiGrBaLm]