Advice please... School won't let me go to brother's wedding.

[justanotherwaygook]

I was thinking about contacting the GEPIK coordinator for my area (Uiwang) and asking he/she about my situation. Does this sound like a good idea? If so, where can I find contact info... There seems to be some flexibility in the contract when it comes to disputes so I think my biggest question is WHY won't my principle let me go? Can the school get in trouble? It seems like Article 22-3 of my contract should allow him to do whatever the hell he wants (22-3: If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve the issue to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.)

You can try contacting GEPIK if you want, but they're not going to do anything.  They just help to 'enforce' contracts/labor laws.

There's no dispute to speak of.  Disputes are when both sides interpret what is allowed differently.  It's obvious you have no foot to stand on.  The principal won't let you go because you need to teach classes.  And yes, the school can can get unpleasantness (in what forms, I don't know) from the powers above.  The principal, while certainly having leeway and executive power, cannot do whatever he wants.  There are folks above him.

TL;DR You're asking for things that are explicitly not allowed in the contract.  You're pretty much out of luck.

[flasyb]

I was thinking about contacting the GEPIK coordinator for my area (Uiwang) and asking he/she about my situation. Does this sound like a good idea? If so, where can I find contact info... There seems to be some flexibility in the contract when it comes to disputes so I think my biggest question is WHY won't my principle let me go? Can the school get in trouble? It seems like Article 22-3 of my contract should allow him to do whatever the hell he wants (22-3: If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve the issue to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.)

You can try contacting GEPIK if you want, but they're not going to do anything.  They just help to 'enforce' contracts/labor laws.

There's no dispute to speak of.  Disputes are when both sides interpret what is allowed differently.  It's obvious you have no foot to stand on.  The principal won't let you go because you need to teach classes.  And yes, the school can can get unpleasantness (in what forms, I don't know) from the powers above.  The principal, while certainly having leeway and executive power, cannot do whatever he wants.  There are folks above him.

TL;DR You're asking for things that are explicitly not allowed in the contract.  You're pretty much out of luck.

Yup, what you're asking for is something that would ultimately come out of the kindness of the principal's heart. Good luck, but, in all likelihood, I'm afraid you're probably out of it.


PS I hope you included something like "As you know, family is important to American people. Korean people may not understand this...etc" in the letter.

[lotte world]

Don't ask GEPIK.  The Principal is the boss.  If he wants something to happen or not happen, it will.  It's not really going to help your case if he says no and you ask someone to force him to change his mind.

Also, what will you offer the school in return for being allowed to disappear for a week or so?

[smun50]

PS I hope you included something like "As you know, family is important to American people. Korean people may not understand this...etc" in the letter.
[/quote]

You are being sarcastic... right?

[flasyb]

PS I hope you included something like "As you know, family is important to American people. Korean people may not understand this...etc" in the letter.

You are being sarcastic... right?
[/quote]

Yup, turning the tables, as it were.

[Kev20]

In the twelve months I'll be here I'll have successfully avoided three family weddings. 

[miss_cho]

I also requested going home during the school year for my brother's wedding. I asked my co-teacher to please put in the request with the vice-principal and principal while stressing that family was important to me and I didn't want to miss my brother's wedding (I've missed other weddings while abroad but for me siblings are different). I only requested 5 days off (with the weekend it's a total of 7 so its a very short trip) because I knew asking for a minimal amount of time would make it less inconvenient for my school and therefore they would be less likely to reject the request. I offered to teach the classes I would miss the week before or week after so my absence wouldn't inconveience my co-teachers too much. When they gave the ok I asked for a document signed by the principal stating I was given permission to take the time off - there was no way I'd spend that much money on a ticket if I didn't have some sort of written form. I gave my co-teacher a gift of rice cakes for his trouble and will bring back small gifts from the US for the principal and vice principal to thank them for granting me leave. I've been planning to go back for the wedding since I arrived in the fall so I was careful to keep up good relations with my school because I knew they had the right to say no. My principal seems to be a nice guy though so that makes a big difference.

I'm not sure what you can do in your situation but perhaps you can show that you're being proactive and offer to teach extra classes before or after the trip, request less time (if that's even possible, not sure how much time you requested off), etc and maybe your principal might relax a bit? Since you're new you could bring in fruit or rice cakes to share with the office (something I've noticed a lot of Korean teachers do) which he might warm up to, join the teachers dinner parties and pour him drinks and let it slip that while you love Korea and your school you miss your family, etc.

Good luck! I'd be bummed to miss a close family member's wedding.

[Cereal]

If you are well and truly stuck, and family will always come before work, your choice is fairly simple: pack your things, buy a plane ticket, get your next pay, clean out your account, hop on a bus to the airport, get on a plane and go to your brother's wedding!

Who cares what the principal or anyone else says! Family is number 1.

Ask yourself 2 questions:

1) Will you ever regret walking from a job where they don't give a damn about what is vitally important to you?

2) Will you ever regret missing your brother's wedding?

If you want to come back here simply get a new passport.

[Peekay1982]

Article 9 - 3

If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month, for whatever reason (such as sick leave, unpaid leave, etc.), the Employee's salary shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.

Eh?! We don't get paid for sick days? I've only taken two in four years but... we don't get paid for them?

[ironopolis]

Article 9 - 3

If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month, for whatever reason (such as sick leave, unpaid leave, etc.), the Employee's salary shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.

Eh?! We don't get paid for sick days? I've only taken two in four years but... we don't get paid for them?

You do get paid for sick days, but only up to a certain number. With EPIK contracts it's 11. So in other words, it is possible to have taken unpaid sick days - if you've already used up your paid ones - and your salary therefore be adjusted accordingly. The clause quoted above is obviously referring to unpaid sick days.

[Peekay1982]

I think my biggest question is WHY won't my principle let me go?

I don't want to be harsh, but seriously: you work in a school. They need you there to teach during school time. That's why you got the job! That's why you're in the country. Just out of interest, how old are you? You sound a bit naïve and somewhat entitled. I too know people whose schools let them go home mid-semester for weddings - but it's down to each individual principal. Don't forget you've only worked for them for a month and a half; it's not like you've been a faithful servant for years. I don't really understand why anyone would take a job halfway around the world if a family member's wedding is so important to them.

[Peekay1982]

Article 9 - 3

If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month, for whatever reason (such as sick leave, unpaid leave, etc.), the Employee's salary shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.

Eh?! We don't get paid for sick days? I've only taken two in four years but... we don't get paid for them?

You do get paid for sick days, but only up to a certain number. With EPIK contracts it's 11. So in other words, it is possible to have taken unpaid sick days - if you've already used up your paid ones - and your salary therefore be adjusted accordingly. The clause quoted above is obviously referring to unpaid sick days.

Ah. Yeah, I have a lot of friends who view the 11 sick days as basically supplementary holidays...

[theemmons]

헐! Looks like the letter worked! My principle changed his mind!  :D My coteacher said that the fact that I wrote it in Korean really helped... she said it showed how much it meant to me. Anyway, thanks to all for your advice... really! Maybe all except Peekay1982... came here for helpful advice not negative judgment from strangers.

[flasyb]

헐! Looks like the letter worked! My principle changed his mind!  :D My coteacher said that the fact that I wrote it in Korean really helped... she said it showed how much it meant to me. Anyway, thanks to all for your advice... really! Maybe all except Peekay1982... came here for helpful advice not negative judgment from strangers.

Nice one! :D

[Peekay1982]

Anyway, thanks to all for your advice... really! Maybe all except Peekay1982... came here for helpful advice not negative judgment from strangers.

First time using the internet?

I'm glad it's worked out for you (well, I don't really care one way or the other) but doing whiny, unprofessional, childish things like this is part of the reason why NETs in general often have trouble being taken seriously by the Koreans they work with. Also you're using 헐 in the wrong context; it means "oh my God" or "I can't believe this ****" kind of thing. Enjoy the wedding!

[The Internationalist]

The cost of getting a new teacher and replacing you for a week (I doubt they would even do that) pretty much gave you leverage. You called the Principles bluff with the letter and he made the right decision financially speaking.