Changwonderful
This is just a little public service announcement (Is this a public service? That’s a question) to remind or inform anyone who is working here in Korea on a contract–that’s you, English teachers, factory workers, anyone who is given an annual contract and doesn’t work for the government–gets the day off on May 1st owing to it being Labor Day.
N.B. The regular homeroom-style teachers at your meat-and-potatoes public school will not receive the day off owing to their employment by the government.
Employers have shown themselves to be a little flexible with contract staff and you may be able to request an alternative day off, or offer to come in and work for double pay–double, not extra, not half on top, but your full pro-rated day rate added to your salary–if you want. There’s no law about this, but, if you elect for time-and-a-half, then you’re effectively working for 50% of your wage. So don’t do that.
Hagwons, owing to a quick straw poll, have been trying to get people to come in to work. Or just not mentioning the holiday at all. They’ll be paying their other staff double to come in, so make sure you either ‘take a rest’ or get money, get paid.
Update 14:06 4/29/14: Thanks to Rachel Barker for getting on the blower to Gyeongsangnam-do City Hall and confirming that everyone who isn’t a farmer, animal raiser or government worker and is on a contract gets the day off. Check http://blog.naver.com/bshwanim?Redirect=Log&logNo=30189709153 here for more information and show this to your work if they get shirty.
