help with not getting payed!!!

Ok so i have been in korea for 4 months now working on a tourist visa. my employers assured me i didnt need a work visa to start with but would need one after 3 months. they even gave me a contract and everything so i thought it was legit company. after 3 months they sent me off to japan but i came back on a touristt visa again. i asked them when they were going to sort my work visa and they said they were not going too.

 

Now i have a bigger problem as they wont pay me. i try call my boss but no answer. do i go to the labor board and complain or is that gonna cause more problems for myself? i have very little money so cant afford a fine or anything i just want the money im owed.

 

advice please?

Re: help with not getting payed!!!

I hate to be the barer of bad news but your in a pretty bad position in-terms of getting paid.  Unfortunatley it is not the case that you can legally work for 3 months without a Visa, you were technically working illegally the day you started.  As far as recourse, you can report your employer and they will pay a fine for having you work there without a visa.  However, you will also be admitting to working illegally (it won't matter to them that your boss lied to you) which will earn you a fine and most likley deportation so not sure if that is the best course of action.  You could try to threaten your boss, but again you're not in a very solid position.  All in all, I think you your best bet is to keep after your boss as you will have no standing with the authorities (maybe offer them a "settlement" writing down some of the money you're owed?).  Sorry to hear you're getting the runaround. 

Re: help with not getting payed!!!

You say you keep calling the boss but why don't you just go to the school? Anyway, the best thing you can do I think is find another job ASAP. One that is legal of course. Once you have the proper documents to be working here legally then maybe you could involve the government. In the meantime, calling can be easily ignored so go down to the school so they have no choice but to deal with you.

Re: help with not getting payed!!!

You are screwed. No way around you not having a visa. If you complain to anyone you will be fined or deported for teaching illegally. Welcome to Korea. You can find another job, get a proper visa and phone the Board of Education to say this school is hiring illegal teachers as well as the tax office and file a report of tax fraud. I woudl say this to the school-that you are going to the tax office and they will be eaudited. My guess is if the school is run this way they have a lot of money not on the books. Getting audited is killer here. My one school did and got fined 50mil. Maybe your only choice. Sucks but not getting paid happens more than it should. Good luck.

Re: help with not getting payed!!!

Can you give more information on the school so that people doing part time can know to stay away from it?

Also, we don't know the whole story, you haven't told us why they aren't paying you and why you're calling and not going in. Have you just stopped working there because they aren't paying you or because they won't give you a visa. And also, where are you from?

I agree with the previous comments on threatening to report them. That's the best way to get your money. Just like in many countries, ignorance of the laws doesn't make you less guilty. However, the Korean immigration office is forgiving of foreignerism(as long as you're white), so they might grant you clemency about the fines or deportation, but won't help you get paid.

 

Re: help with not getting payed!!!

i have been down many times to the center and he is often not in. when he has been in he just lies and says he will pay in a few days. obviously he hasnt. i stopped going in because of the repeated lies of 'pay you next week' and also because of the work visa. im from the uk btw.

 

ill take the advice of threatening him with authorities and see what happens.

 

thanks forn the advice guys

Re: help with not getting payed!!!

Hey   i   wonder how much  he owes you ?    Actually he has more to lose then you   . First   he would be fined   10 000 000    from immigration and then maybe education board 3 000 000. I dont think you got 10 000 000    for a fine so you would be asked to leave Korea. CHusuk is coming so they would go easy on you. If you have a signed contract take it to labor board they are not immiagraton. Make some copies of the contract and ask your boss if that is his name on the contract.

Tell him you will contact a lawyer. Perhaps you can call a foreinger help line. You were lied to bythat guy so how is it your fault. Mention to him you want to solve this problem peacefully. You might mention the black list of schools. If you have pay stubs copy those. And if he gave you money for trip to japan make copies of that. All that could be used to make that guy pay a 10 000 000 fine. Just tell him either pay me or I will go to immigration and tell them he had you working illegally.

I think the most important thing for you to know is that he has much more to lose then you . I think you dont have any real ties to Korea. If things went bad you could get a job in Taiwan or Japan or China.    I would take a book one day and ask for my money at the time you used to teach. If they dont pay you just sit at the front desk with a book reading and when the students or parents come it will be an odd sight.

If someone ask you want you are doing there just be honest and say my pay is late and I need the money so I will wait here for the money. If you got some Korean friends have them go with you Sorry to hear of your problem. I am always saddened to hear about some crook hangwon boss