Hagwon adding morning homeroom duties not in my contract — can they actually force this?

Week 3 at the hagwon. Today the director told me I'll be the homeroom teacher for the kindergarten class starting next week — which means morning shifts (8am instead of 1pm), lunch supervision, and parent communication. My contract specifically says "afternoon English instruction, no morning shifts."

When I asked about it, the director said "in Korea we adjust based on need" and that all the teachers do it. The other foreign teacher I share housing with says she got the same speech and just goes with it.

Can they actually force this? I'm new and don't want to start a fight, but I also signed a contract for a reason. If I refuse, will they fire me?

2 replies

u/MarieUni10yr

Verified · 10-year resident · Uni teacher·1d ago

They can't actually force it. But they will pressure you, and how you handle the next two weeks will set the pattern for your whole contract.

Your written contract is the document that matters legally. "We adjust based on need" is not a contract amendment. If you do the homeroom duties without protest for 3 months, the director will argue you accepted the change by performance. So you need to act now, calmly but clearly.

What I'd do:

Respond to the director in writing (email or KakaoTalk message). Something neutral like: "I understand there's a scheduling change being considered. Could we update my contract to reflect the new duties + adjust the pay accordingly? Happy to discuss." This puts it on record as a contract negotiation, not an acceptance.

If they push back: "My current contract specifies afternoon instruction. I'm not declining the new duties, I just need them formalized." Calm, not confrontational, but firm.

If they retaliate (cut hours, reassign, hint at termination), that's a labor violation. Document it. Labor Office is supportive of foreign teachers in these cases.

Most hagwons back down at step 1. They tried it on, saw you noticed, will rotate the duty to another teacher. About 20% double down — those are the ones you need to start planning your exit from before contract end.

Don't be the teacher who quietly absorbs scope creep. You'll burn out by month 6.

u/DanielF27Content

Verified · 5-year resident·1d ago

Adding the "what to actually say in the moment" angle since written email is good but the director will try to corner you in person.

A line that works: "I want to help, but I can't change my schedule until my contract is updated. Can HR send me the new terms in writing?" This shifts the conversation from "are you willing" to "show me the paperwork." Most hagwons can't / won't generate proper paperwork because then they'd have to actually amend everything.

Also: your housemate who's "just going with it" has probably already given up severance leverage and accepted reduced quality of life. Don't take her lead as the norm — she's adapting to a bad situation, not making it better.

One thing nobody told me in year 1: morning shifts at kindergarten are 2-3x more exhausting than afternoon hagwon teaching. If you're already tired from the move + new country + first job, agreeing to mornings is a fast path to burnout and resignation. Protect your contract structure not because you're being difficult, but because the alternative breaks you.

You're 3 weeks in. This is the moment to set the tone.