Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yingwenlaoshi]

One of my students tonight, a chemical engineer for one of the big name companies, told me that one of their duties is to weed the lawns from time to time at their company.

He's a chemical engineer for christ's sake! What's he doing pulling weeds?!? Why can't a big company like this just hire someone to do it? I taught at this company before. The first time, they paid me late saying this and that. They just believe that they hold all the cards and if it were up to them, and I were a quiet person, they probably wouldn't have paid me at all. It's like in Korea that if maybe they're disappointed in you for a valid or invalid reason, they hold it against you and use your pay as a weapon. What a crock of *beep*!

Anyway, I couldn't believe this.

Workers here are put under tremendous pressure and are treated like slaves. They're forced to study at home to upgrade their skills, probably don't get any overtime, and are just expected to sacrifice their free time.

It's just like in public schools where students and teachers are expected to clean. They're too friggin' cheap to hire janitors or grounds keepers. I just don't understand this.

This place is completed frackered, sometimes.

[Mr. BlackCat]

From my observations and second-hand stories, companies here care less about your skills than your ability to bend over and take it without a word. Thus, they get a stagnant economy, but a whole lot of suckers. Wait, I think I just insulted myself.....

[pest2]

its all just a part of that confucian/shaman thing. The worker/boss relationship is 1-way in Korea, and "why" cannot be asked because, "we should do whatever our boss wants".

That the reason.... but..yes that dogma combined with vertical-ness makes Korea seem exactly like the military, eh?

[yingwenlaoshi]

Imagine that though. A chemical engineer going out and picking weeds.

And if you refuse to do these things you'll get a "Well they do it, so you should, too." That would be hellish. While your boss doesn't do anything.

Picking their fkg weeds. Yeah, whatever.

[The Perfect Cup of Coffee]

Yeah I know what you mean. Even after living here for more than 4 years, I'm still amazed at the meekness of some employees. I guess some are starting to figure out that it's time to leave the country and start emigrating to greener pastures.

[richardlang]

A colleague told me her nephew, an accountant at SK Telecom, is required to sign up a certain number new subscribers.

[Satin]

Stress therapy perhaps?

[pkang0202]

[tob55]

The whole system of cooperative helping is a good one, but unfortunately, most workers take little time to do the work correctly which makes their work look less than acceptable...I know in our school the students are responsible for the cleaning chores and some of the teachers are commonly seen trimming bushes and doing grounds maintenance. However, the way they do it is ineffective and wastes more time than it would take to do it correctly...Perhaps there is a built in sense of disregard which comes along with this "you have to do it for the benefit of the whole" attitude...That what I have seen anyway...

[Fishead soup]

[regicide]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[VirginIslander]

Desk Teachers at most howgrans make around 1 million won. They start at 11 and finish at 10. A lot of them work a few hours on the weekend.

You do the math. How much are they getting paid per hour?

[pkang0202]