Feeling a bit better today, and back at work. The doctor's note I was ordered to get on threat of a pay-dock penalty stated I needed 5 days off. That completely backfired on my bosses, but they just insisted I come to work after one day anyway, making the same threat. They also won't pay for the doctor's note, so I'm out 20 bucks either way.

Let me repeat: They forced me to go to the doctor on my own dime, and then ignored the doctor's recommendation.

I explained to my boss that teachers in my part of Canada get (I believe) 10 paid sick days each year, with no bullying, no innuendo, no suspicion, and a general level of adult respect. This seems pretty normal and reasonable in my mind. My boss looked at me like I came to Korea from Pluto.

This is all very typical of how english teachers (and most of the workforce) are treated in Korea. I'm not saying it's a bad gig here, but if anyone is considering ESL teaching in this country, I'd advise them to be prepared to work while under the weather, and to be willing to listen to a whole lot of BS from managers. Truthfully, it is an exercise of setting one's dignity and intuitive sense of fairness aside at times for the sake of keeping the job steady.

Comments

Jordan said…
That sucks.

I'm glad I had Tom as a witness at the hospital on the Sunday night in April, when I had pneumonia. There was nobody from BCM or Hwarang harassing me on the phone the next day, like they did when I fell sick during my time at Kwangwoon.

Although I did get an empty threat of a $100 dock in pay two moths later, the second time I came down with pneumonia. I worked the whole day with a rising fever and you know who casually mentioned the penalty when I said it was an emergency and I needed to miss ONE class to go see the doctor.

Makes me wonder how much time off the doctor would have recommended had I asked for a note!
9:48 AM
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