Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kiddirts]

Or would you even want to quit? Here are the details...I make 2.6/month and live in a nice apartment in Kangnam. A few things are bothering me and I have had some prettier offers by just getting to know people. I still do not have a health card, they were supposed to tell me a month in advance as to when I was to get a one week break so that I could plan a trip, but instead, they told me a get a week off 2 weeks from now...screws me up big time. Also, every month, my schedule changes times...and I'm expreiencing a total lack of appreciation...here's the real JOKE...all the teachers here work crazy hours, yeah, they work real hard. Like 12 hours a day 6 days a week. I work sometimes 4 hours or 6 hours and I work Saturdays...so all and all, it comes to around 120 hours a month for my 2.6 salary. My boss has told me repeatedly, stay later and punish the kids who do poorly on the tests and homework to give them more work. He wants me to work 70 hours a week pretty much and keep the same pay. I'm like, "The hell with that!" So of course I'm looked at and I constantly hear through the grapevine that I'm not dedicated. I mean really, even when someone clocks out of work from McDonald's, do you expect them to ask if they can stay around and clean out the fryer? Also, the latest of things has the school wanting to pay me 1.3 for 60 hours of work come september, when the kids are swamped with work from the public schools, but to throw those hours on to October's schedule where I'll work 180 hours for 2.6 EVEN THOUGH IN MY CONTRACT, it says, 30,000 won overtime...so they're trying to bend me over when they need me and feeding me peanuts when I don't. Also (yeah it doesn't end) I was supposed to get my airline ticket paid for, but I boss put me in a much more expensive apartment that I wanted and cried poverty. I felt bad, and said, okay, why don't you pay me half of my ticket in November and half of my ticket next June...to which he agreed and shook on...now that I brought it up, he doesn't remember. I've just about had it, especially after seeing better offers...would you quit? If so...what is the process? VISA, etc...

[waterbaby]

You're boss is trying to pull some dodgy stuff on you. Trying to dump Septembers hours onto October is outrageous. What does your contract say about the payment of your airfare? If he's forgetting about paying you, you're forgetting about the deal you made, right?

How long have you been working there?

What does your contract say about quitting? How much notice do you have to give? I recommend that if you hand in a letter of resignation that you also give one to immigration.

But before you do anything. Get in touch with EFL-Law ... send them an email... [email protected] and see what they think about your position.

Being disorganised about your holidays adds to your frustration, but it's not breaking contract. You working overtime and them not paying you is illegal. Also, if you don't have health insurance and they're supposed to provide it, that's evidence to submit to immigration to help your case if your boss refuses to give a letter of release.

[Gord]

[VanIslander]

A conversation we might have on a day when my sympathy tank is running low:

YOU: "I make 2.6/month and live in a nice apartment in Kangnam."

ME: "I should be so lucky."

YOU: "I still do not have a health card."

ME: "Neither do I."

YOU: "They were supposed to tell me a month in advance as to when I was to get a one week break so that I could plan a trip, but instead, they told me a get a week off 2 weeks from now."

ME: "You get a week off? In addition to Chusok and other national holidays?

YOU: "Every month, my schedule changes times."

ME: "What else is new?"

YOU: "I'm experiencing a total lack of appreciation."

ME: "What do you expect?"

YOU: "All the teachers here work crazy hours, yeah, they work real hard. Like 12 hours a day 6 days a week. I work sometimes 4 hours or 6 hours."

ME: "4 hours?"

YOU: "And I work Saturdays."

ME: "That explains it."

YOU: "All and all, it comes to around 120 hours a month for my 2.6 salary."

ME:(Thinking): This guy is bragging or complaining?

YOU: "My boss has told me repeatedly, stay later and punish the kids who do poorly on the tests."

ME: "You have a director who cares about whether your students learn or not. That's novel."

YOU: "Even when someone clocks out of work from McDonald's, do you expect them to ask if they can stay around and clean out the fryer?"

ME: "Are you on an hourly wage or a salary?"

YOU: "I constantly hear through the grapevine that I'm not dedicated."

ME: You mean they don't think you are as committed as they are? And that you don't appreciate what you have?"

YOU: "The latest of things has the school wanting to pay me 1.3 for 60 hours of work come september, when the kids are swamped with work from the public schools, but to throw those hours onto October's schedule where I'll work 180 hours for 2.6 EVEN THOUGH IN MY CONTRACT, it says, 30,000 won overtime."

ME: "Contract, shleptract... You're only working 60 hours next month?"
(Thinking): This guy IS bragging.

YOU: "They're trying to bend me over when they need me and feeding me peanuts when I don't."

ME: "They must be a small business. Uh, what was your point?"

YOU: "I was supposed to get my airline ticket paid for, but my boss put me in a much more expensive apartment than I wanted and cried poverty. I felt bad, and said, okay, why don't you pay me half of my ticket in November and half of my ticket next June... to which he agreed and shook on... now that I brought it up, he doesn't remember."

ME: "You shook on it? A handshake?"

YOU: "Would you quit?

ME: "Uh, the question is: Will you?"

YOU: "What is the process?"

ME: "Give your job to someone else and make everyone happy."

[just because]

Kiddirts,
I've found in Korea that the best thing to do is to go with your instincts. If things are getting dodgy now then they are bound to get dodgier and dodgier. Who knows what might happen.
Ohhh... we have to give you a pay cut Why? Just because
or
We decided to fire you 11 months into your 12 month contract so we don't have to pay you your bonus.Why? Just because
I'm not saying be paranoid but if you think you are getting a raw deal you can get a better deal at so many other places.

[Kiddirts]

I have been working here for 2 months...my contract backs everything up that I've stated should occur. Also, in regards to GORD...with so many opportunities out there...why should I get paid for 4 hours of work...3:30 to 7:30...but be expected to stay around and teach kids and give more work up until I leave the school with the rest of the teachers at around 11:00. Yes, I pity their schedule, but that is what they've accepted. At around the 20,000 won an hour I'm making, that's 80,000 won for what...almost 8 hours of work...10,000 won an hour. What's the opportunity cost on that? In Korea, time is money...ask anyone who knows the deal.

[rapier]

You should be able to quit whenever you want, just because. its called freedom. One- year contracts are unrealistic bonded slavery. I don't mind if they removed the payment of airfare clause or whatever else; I just want to be able to quit when i fell like it without running the gauntlet of pay penalties, emotional arm twisting, visa/immigration B.S.
if teachers were allowed to quit a bad hogwon and start a new job easily,without the hassles involved, it would go a looong way to improving standards out here,- for everyone.

[VanIslander]

On a day when it's easy to feel some sympathy I might say:

Regardless of how much you make, you should have health insurance. You can demand it if you're risk-adverse enough to pay the price. You don't have much time to plan a trip, and that's unfortunate. Perhaps a trip to Jeju or Geojedo can remind you that there's beauty beyond the hogwan hell you feel.

Furthermore, your boss wants you to enforce some discipline on the poor performers. What do you feel comfortable doing? Perhaps you could give the students extra exercises to do, and assign it as homework, with some sort of penalty attached if incompleted.

It's not reasonable to expect you to work 180 hours in October. Is your issue with the hours or with the lack of overtime pay? If with the former, then tell the director right away, and seek a lesser schedule to your mutual agreement. If you can afford the worst case scenario of getting fired, then put your foot down and say NOW that come October you can't work more than x hours a month, whatever x you determine yourself willing to do. If you just want more pay for the shift in hours from September, then you could remind the director of your contract, as long as there's no other clause in there that you yourself wouldn't want enforced.

It sounds like you are really irked over not getting reimbursed for the plane ticket. Is it money under the bridge? Or if it is still very important to you, then inform the director NOW that your agreement will be honoured come November or else your contract is null and void, and you won't continue working until it's fulfilled. If you can live with the alternative of getting fired, then stand up for your contractual rights and give your employer ample notice of your true intentions. Don't string 'em along thinking you'll put up with the unilateranl changes. Demand mutual agreement or at least the honouring of the contract. Avoid becoming a weak-kneed whiner. Show 'em you mean business.

Good luck whatever you do.