Paying for a supply teacher?

I just wanted some opinions on if this is common/ normal for a Hagwon.  I've been pretty sick the last couple of days and after seeing a Dr. he suggested I take a day off of work. When I showed my school the note they said I would have to pay (about $270)for a supplementary teacher. 

Is this normal? I've never heard of an ESL teacher having to pay for a substitue.  Thoughts?

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

Well it seems quite a bit steep to me.  Especially since I did some substituting and was just paid 100,000 for each day. 

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

That makes sense to me. If you are fully employed with your current workplace now, then you are paid in full. Thus, if, you are going to be absent for a day, the extra money to be paid for the sub- teacher should be on your shoulders not unless it has been stipulated in your contract with the school that you can have a sick leave. If that will be the case though, then you can use your priviledge and bring it up to the hagwon owner/ management.

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

It should be stipulated in your contract that you have at least 3 sick days.  If you are under this number then the sick day should cost you nothing.  However, if you are over this number the going rate for hagwon teaching is 30,000 won per hour.  This means that if you have 6 classes that are 45 minutes long the bill should be 150,000 won.   

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

A full time teacher actually maker about 25000 per hour when factoring in housing, airfare and so on. And since you are making that much at a minimum, the school should be paying that for a PT teacher, if not more-and your pay gets docked a day. This is you have already taken your 3 sick days. If you have not, then you dont have to worry. It is standard to have 3 sick days. If you have taken them, they will just dock you one days pay. But you dont pay out of pocket for a teacher. This is illegal. You cannot blink with schools here. They will cheat you at every chance if they can. So they can dock you a days pay but that is it. Dont let them screw with you like this. You must be firm-and willing to get fired or walk away. If not they will just keep taking advantage of you. Good luck!

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

What does it say in contract ? 270  is about 300 000   for a day way too much that hangwon is cheating you Normally you get some days off in contract maybe 3 to 6 . Otherwise I think its illegal .

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

I have never heard of such nonsense.  Of course you do NOT pay.  You have sick days in your contract so use one.  If you have used them all up you might have pay 180 000 won.  Do not let the hogwan owner get rich when you sick.  Hogwan owners are the most scummiest people on the Earth.  Like the previous smart people said be strong and do not pay a won. 

Re: Paying for a supply teacher?

After your 3 days sick leave, they don't have to pay you for the rest of that week.  Good employers may offer you to trade some of your vacation time for sickness.

Under Korean Labor Law it is illegal to withhold money from your salary unless it is clearly stated in the contract.  Even if your contract states this the Labor Board recognises that work contracts are unequal in nature and they can strike down unfair/illegal clauses.

You may also want to make sure all your documents are up to date so you can get another job if they try to stuff you over.

Call 1350 from any landline and chat to a labour inspector.  Good luck.