Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iiicalypso]

I have a coworker who had surgery on both feet and one knee yesterday, and my director expects him to be in on Friday morning. This teacher just got out of the hospital this morning and cannot even walk, and when I spoke to him it was clear that he was in pain. I told him that under no circumstances should he disregard the advice of his doctor and risk infection and I told him that I would teach his classes on Friday.

Putting aside my anger that they would treat a teacher so inhumanely, does anybody have any suggestions on how I can deal with my Director when he realizes that he is one teacher short? I have a good relationship with him and I know that I undercut his authority, but how can I make him understand that I suggested that my coworker not come in without making this into a bigger issue than it already is? I know that a load of crap is going to come down on somebody, but I would rather that it be me than my Korean coworker, since I have a lot more freedom than he does.

Did I even do the right thing? Damn ethical questions.

[maxxx_power]

Do you think it would be possible to have the doctor call the school? I think if your director has any heart at all he/she would listen to a professional.

[iiicalypso]

[shawner88]

Quit ASAP. That's ridiculous!

[hadeshorn]

Why doesnt anyone tell the director in cases like these to go *beep* themselves.

If that was ever a go *beep* yourself experience. That would be it.

[bjonothan]

Yeah getting the doctor to write a letter or call the school would do it. I probably wouldn't tell the director to go and *beep* himself unless it was something I really felt strongly about and he/she was being totally unreasonable and won't listen to the opinion of a professional. Maybe you are just looking at it as something that is going to blow into a huge argument may not actually happen.

[prairieboy]

Get the doctor to write a note/letter to the school explaining that your co-worker needs some time to heal after surgery or he'll risk infection and possibly being absent for a longer period of time.

Then explain to the director that you suggest your co-worker take some time to heal as the doctor has suggested, otherwise he won't be able to return in a timely manner, which could negatively impact the school. Tell him you'll cover as you said (and try to keep your sanity at the same time) because you care about the school and you want the school to be able to function at 100% when your co-worker returns healthy and ready to work.

Try to spin it in a way that it seems it's his idea or your risk him not going for it at all. As long as you tell him it will benefit him to do it this way he should go for it.

On the otherhand if he doesn't then you should tell him, "In that case, you will be two teachers short as we will both be returning home." If he doesn't care about one teacher who has had surgery then he doesn't care about the health of any teacher and only wants a foreign face in class for the image. Play hard-ball only if he does.

Cheers and good luck.

[Mr. Pink]

[Derrek]

Have the doctor write a note. Photocopy the note. Buy a tape recorder. Record what the director says when he is given the note.

If you coworker is fired for not being able to work, there will be a lot of good stuff for the Labor Board to confront the boss with.

[Apple Scruff]

Teacher: "I can't come in to work on Friday."

Director: "Why not?"

Teacher: "Because I can't ****ing move."

If this isn't good enough, you're at the wrong school.

[Alex Buffa]

I've had a similar experience. Around a year and a few months ago I was hit by a truck on a motorcycle. Went to the hospital with a crushed left foot and the inability to move my left arm. Cut rather badly and bandadged up, one of my bosses insisted that I work.

So I went to work slowly, walked very slowly up the stairs being very obvious that I was hurt. My students were shocked that I was in class teaching. As the class continued and I tried writing something with my left hand the blood started to drip on the floor.

My students had asked me why I was working and I explained that the owner insisted I work. The result was nice, they left the class and went into the director's office anc totall berated him for me working while so injured. When they showed him the blood on my arms and the small drips on the floor he tried to say that he didn't know I was THAT injured and I could go home. It was a very embarrasing time for him and that's when my work relationship went downhill.

To this day I was NEVER asked if I was OK. Those calls to do early morning classes went like this.

S: Can you work this morning?

T: Sorry, I'm not avaiable

S: What are you doing?

T: I'm in therapy at the hospital

S: How long are you doing this?

T: They say around 6 months and perhaps one year

S: Well can't you just skip it for the next while? We really need a teacher!

T: I don't think so, and I'm already at my max number of classes and I'm not going to do overtime.

A 2nd time was when my tooth crushed and I needed an emergency root canal ASAP! I called my school and said I was going into surgery (about 9 months before the accident). While I was under and literally dying of pain my boss called to call me into work. The doctor doing my surgery told him I was under sedation and was not available. My boss then asked him if I could teach the LATE evening classes. After 5 hours of sedation, pain and utter confusion I left with a plastic tooth in my mouth and eventually went to my last class to just chat with my students. We ended up going to one of their houses (I taught mostly corporate and uni at the time) and just watched a movie and relaxed. Good thing it was on a Friday.

This is not uncommon. Schools don't care if you're dying, they want you TEACHING or they lose money. I had asked repeatedly to be fired and the refused to do the extra's. Not even the secretary asked how I was. Finally on Dec 31st I was fired and told I must leave Korea within 15 days. Not a problem since I was waiting for this for weeks and was already living in my own housing that I arranged.

If a school is not interested in the general welfare of it's teachers then you should consider looking for another employer. Many employers equate that sickness = laziness here in lost productivity. And if you are very sick, then you are simply replaced since it enters their mind that you are a source of problems. In your personal circumstances (if you teach adults and uni) going to class would shame the school but children don't care...and you would be better off refusing.

Sounds like a very difficult position and I can understand how you feel. Then again doing what your boss says can be harm his reputation even more since it shows how cruel and uncaring he is. I would go there in crutches, and just sit.

Good luck..and heal quickly

Alex

[Mr. Pink]

Jesus Alex that is a terrible story!

Some directors really should be shot, or at least kicked in the teeth a few times.

I am curious if the OP can give us an update on how things went.

Seriously, it is totally like Shawner said "The job makes or breaks your Korean experience."

[Alex Buffa]

Seriously, it is totally like Shawner said "The job makes or breaks your Korean experience."[/quote]


I firmly believe that your job experience does have an impact on your daily life. When I first came to Korea, the newness was really overwhelming and I really enjoyed myself too much here. My work was ALOT of work with 7am, 8am classes and 3pm -9pm evenings. Very hard schedule and I did it for awhile mostly because I didn't know any better out here in the rest of the schools. The money was good, I could sleep in the day so all was not so bad. I was never hit up with school class prep or meetings. Also knowing that I taught mostly adults I knew I was luckier than most teaching kids (living hell and a complete waste of time) so I didn't complain much.

The reason I always seemed to goto work was because I could see how the director would treat the Korean teachers. Being paid 600,000 a month for hard work and getting yelled as privately if something went wrong gives you the indication NOT to piss off your boss. Though he was an excellent teacher and had different standards for the foreign teachers and the locals he was a bit two-faced and I knew this. He did though from time to time make comments thanking you for your teaching. That's something not often seen here. Overall, I never had an argument with him but his sub-ordinate and spineless manager who would be his mouthpeice. Never any physical contact or threats, just a blunt expression of opinions is all you need from both sides in an argument. If you have go physical, then there's something really lacking in your communication skills.

What you do outside work also has an impact. I never hung out with foreign teachers doing whatever after work and was viewed at very negatively. I spent my time with Koreans and moved into that realm and was called "hermit boy" and some other names because I didn't want to join the group. A few years later, all those people have left Korea willingly and unwillingly and there's a new cycle of teachers in my city. I find it funny when they ask me when I arrived and I tell them nearly 4 years ago.

As for our initial poster, her choice to have her friend remain at work will have a very negative impact on her work both in schedules and general treatment. I never chose to pick a fight with my boss and in the long run I think it was the smartest option. There are other ways to make him look like a complete ass in the eyes of his employees and students (which I did).

But I firmly believe my job is what I do make money to do the things that I enjoy. The fact that I like teaching is just an added bonus. If she does create problems for herself, its a headache getting a new job, going on a visa run including lost pay and savings. There is a price to pay (quite literally) when you cause problems at work even though you feel they are fully justified. Koreans are not as much concerned about the rules, but more about how they feel about how they impact them. Many will ignore the rules to their own needs. It is wrong, but the work involved in trying to fix some smaller and minor problems will just end up possibly in a phyrric victory.

Cheers!

Alex

[iiicalypso]

Hey all

Thanks for all the advice and supportive words. I figured that I would give everyone an update. Today went surprisingly smoothly considering everything that was going on. Even though my coworker was getting phone calls last night telling him to come in today despite his inability to stand it seemed as though the director wasn't too upset about his absence. The rest of us were able to cover all the classes and nobody was any worse for the wear.

I guess that I may have overreacted a bit, but I was very surprised at how the managers were treating him. It seemed very out of character, since I have been here and have had absolutely nothing but positive experiences with the school. I felt that it was important to stand up for my coworker because he (and all my Korean coworkers) has gone out of his way to make me comfortable and has involved me in all sorts of activities. We are a close knit group and I just could not stomach the idea that he would be abused simply because he is a Korean. To my mind as much of a pain it would be to be fired it really wouldn't be that big a deal, since I have the option of going back to the US. It seemed to be a fight worth getting involved in, if that was what it would take. Fortunately it hasn't come to that.

Hopefully Monday he will be back on his feet (literally) and all this will be behind us. If not I will not feel bad for standing up for a friend. Thanks again for all the advice.

[taejonguy]