::A Geek in Korea::

My director promised me that I would have a week’s worth of paid vacation this year when I signed up to stick around another year. It was virtually the only concession I got out of staying. Of course she knew the baby was due, and I gave her two or three weeks notice as to when I’d need to take my vacation in regards to the hospital stay that finished up this morning. I thought that no one would attempt to exploit a baby. I miscalculated the money hoarding, greedy, kick-employees-in-the-teeth-for-no-reason nature of Korean directors.

I got my days off, and of course the classes were not canceled. The Korean teachers that normally get a break when I teach my classes simply had to work straight through for the day. None of the teachers that substituted for me begrudged me for taking off days while my wife was in the hospital recovering from delivering out child. They were stressed and had a long day, but I’ve substituted or helped them out from time to time, so they were fine with me asking for a little time for my family. There is no paternal time off as a concept in Korea, but since I was using my agreed upon vacation time instead, I thought I’d be in the clear.

The problem arose when the teachers substituting for me asked if the extra hour added to their schedule would be added to their pay. I thought, quite reasonably, that if she pays teachers by minutes worked, increasing their time teaching would directly raise their salary. Since I was taking paid vacation, the director would be paying “double” for the time (a total of 6 hours for two days), but that’s the price you pay for keeping teachers happy. No one works for free, and you can’t break a contract, so what other possible solution could there be? When I substitute for other teachers, I add hours to my time worked, and my director claimed my Korean coworkers have the same contract that I do now. If I get to add time to my salary, they can to. People don’t work for free.

When my coworkers asked, my director said she wouldn’t be paying time for the time they worked during my class. They were doing work for my classes, but not getting paid for it! They were substitutes. The coworkers weren’t angry about working, but only expected to be paid for their time. When I came in to work, of course they were happy to see me and look at the pictures, but had I taken another day off, they would have been forced to work yet another day for “free”. That’s utter bullshit.

I thought that I knew what was really going on, because when some of my coworkers came to visit Glow in the hospital, I explained that our director was just trying to sneak out of having to pay twice for the same hours. “Oh, I’m supposed to get paid for those hours even though I didn’t work because my contract says I got paid vacation. She’s trying to rob Peter to pay Paul. You worked the hours, I get paid for them. She’s telling you that just because she doesn’t want you to know I get a little paid vacation for sticking around so long. That’s probably what’s happening. It’s pretty terrible, and I’m annoyed that she’s trying to make me the bad guy for spending time with my wife while she recovers in the hospital. How can I take time off that I am due if I know I’m taking money out of someone else’s hands.”

Then my coworkers responded, “Oh, we asked about that. We already knew you had paid vacation. You told us about that, we don’t think that’s it. She said she isn’t paying you for those hours either, since you didn’t work them. We don’t get the money because it’s your time, not ours, and you don’t get it because we worked, not you. It’s just supposed to be “free time” since you weren’t there teaching.”

Holy crap, how is that for trying to have it both ways?

If I’m seriously getting screwed out of a minute of my paid vacation time, and I know my Korean coworkers are too, I think that’s just a bit too far. I don’t think I can deal with this school director anymore. There are rumors of people getting fired beyond those that are quitting, and when schools start reshuffling qualified teachers around to cover more classes to save money, that’s when the quality starts to slip. The whole school gets stressed and no one can do their job properly. It is looking like they are really trying to save money by screwing over everyone about anything no matter how petty it might be. I’m certainly not going to stick around for that, when I know none of the perks my contract claims I’ve accumulated actually matter if it affects the bottom line.

I brought donuts for my worker as a way to say, “Thank you, I know that’s fucked up how the director treats you, but I appreciate your kindness.”

One of my coworkers had one of my favorite old classes make a gigantic poster board sign for Glow and wishing my family well. It was very heartwarming and sweet. Why can’t I work for someone that does that, instead of treating their employees like trash? That guy is the head teacher, and I’d work for him where ever he goes, but instead my director thinks the best way to make money is to exploit a baby for profit. Sickening.

I should have asked if two days notice was enough time to cancel my pre-ordered meal at school, or if I am going to get charged for dinner since I didn’t eat at the school the day after the baby was delivered. Ridiculously stupid. Farcical.