Korean Customs and Shipping Things to Jeju

I finally received the package I have been waiting for since May, 30. I post the happy event here because of what this situation has taught me.

From speaking with Korean Customs officials, and reps from Hanjin Shipping, it seems that last April 1st, the regulations in Korea changed. The change has affected how Customs treats incoming packages. From what I am able to piece together from my discussions, Korean Customs is now becoming strict. Why? For two reasons, actually: First, because of asshats (Korean and Foreign) trying to bring in illegal drugs via international shipping companies like UPS, Hanjin, FEDEX, etc. and regular mail. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. Second, there has been an increase in the amount of counterfeit goods people are trying to smuggle in to the country.

The end result is that you can add a minimum of at least 3 days (more like 5 to 7) to any listed shipping time to clear customs.

According to what I read in the Korean news yesterday, starting on June 8th, the regulations even became more strict and the checks more thorough. Consequently, the times will probably slow down even more and I foresee a lot of problems being experienced in the near term with getting things through.

Herbal Medicines:

If you order herbs or herbal medicine on the internet, don’t be surprised if your shipment is held up at customs. As one friend told me recently, he had to get a local doctor to send a fax to Korean Customs to certify that my friend needed the herbs for health reasons. According to what my friend told me, the Korea Customs rep warned him that, with the doctor’s letter, they would release the herbs this time, but not to order them again. I don’t know about supplements for you bodybuilders out there, but these items might also receive additional scrutiny.

The List:

Oh, and this will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, if Customs finds something out of the ordinary such as medicinal herbs, loose leaf tobacco or something else, and they have to investigate it, your name goes on a list of having received a “suspicious” package. My friends’ name is now on that list for something that was in his package (the herbal medicine). My name is on the list also. In my case, I had to actually fax a copy of the face page of my passport before they would release the package that contained a couple of tins of off-brand chewing tobacco (it sucks BTW). What this means is that, if your name gets on the list, ANY package that comes in with your name on it will likely receive special attention. In some cases you may not even know you are on the list, so be forewarned.

The Number of Packages and Ordering for a Friend:

Korean Customs also tracks how many packages come in addressed to a certain individual. This is mainly to catch those trying to use a foreign name to avoid import taxes, or bring in counterfeit goods for resell.

The Korean Customs Service is not dumb. I would avoid ordering for Korean friends and having it shipped under your name. You could end up in a fix because the Korean friend was trying to avoid a tax bill or bring in counterfeit goods.

There could be other reasons for using your name, of course. I remember seeing a news documentary where Korean customs stopped a package, addressed to a foreigner, that contained 10, yes 10, uhhhh “marital aids” still in their original plastic packaging. The look on the face of the KOREAN businessman, who came to pick up the package, was priceless as he, and the camera, looked at the rubber sex toys lined up on a table in front of a smirking female Customs officer. I would love to hear someone justify ten 12” rubber dongs for personal use. No, I’m not making this up. Korean TV can be damn interesting sometimes.

Of course, you can help your Korean friend order the items on the internet, but make sure it is addressed to them, not you. If your friend insists that the items they bought be shipped to you, “because it’s easier,” it would probably behoove you to politely decline. You don’t want that kind of headache.

I do not blame Korea Customs. They have a job to do and they do it. They are not in the personality business, either. Most are rude and/or have the personality of cardboard.

To be fair, with the new regulations, they are also looking a lot closer at packages addressed to Koreans because of repeated problems with young Koreans trying to smuggle in illegal drugs and counterfeit goods. But think of it this way, if a customs officer has just a few minutes to check two packages, one addressed to a foreigner and the other to a Korean, which one do you think he will tear apart? Riiiigggghhhhtttt. This is not my thinking. It is a paraphrase of what a surprisingly nice officer at Korean Customs in Incheon told me.

The above may raise a few people’s hackles. But thinking about it, if I were in a similar situation at U.S. Customs and I had two packages in front of me, one addressed to a “John Smith” and from Sydney, Australia and the other addressed to a “Joachin Alejandro Ramirez Morales de Jesus Martinez” and originating from Bogata, Columbia, guess which one I am going to tear apart? Riiiggghhhttt.

If you have a problem:

If you have a problem with customs it is imperative to have a native Korean speaker, preferably a pissed off ajumma, call for you. If you call, and even speak to a passable English speaker, you have a much greater chance of being blown off as a foreigner. Also, I wouldn’t waste my time placing a complaint on the “Complaint” page of the KCS website. It is useless in my opinion.

If you fax something to their office, NEVER assume they received it. Always call after faxing and confirm, and get the name of the person you spoke with. Again, the best person to do this is a pissed off ajumma. Trust me on this. A squeaky voiced youngster won’t get ya nowhere. Ajumma power is real and it works.

I recommend that if you’re unsure if what you are ordering can be shipped to Korea, check with Customs directly. DO NOT rely on the word of the seller or what someone tells you on some message board or blog.

(As an aside, I wonder if the foreign asshat, who was in prison on Jeju Island for attempting to smuggle illegal drugs in peanut butter, is still there. One can only hope.)

Jeju English City

Unless you are a hermit, or don't give a frig about the future of English education on Jeju, (both are OK, I'm just saying...) you have probably heard about the English Education City they are going to develop. I thought I'd share an artist's rendering of the future English City on Jeju.

Personally, I am split on the issue. I guess the main reason is that I am one of the few that is staunchly anti-development. I think there is a real risk of ruining the intangible aspects of Jeju all in the name of some ill-defined idea of "development."

Jeju has a unique culture and language that is in danger of slowly dying in the rush to be the Hawaii, Singapore, Hong Kong, Timbuktu or (fill in the blank) of Korea.

Evidence about the uniqueness of Jeju dying comes from, I believe, the development of language contests for the Jeju dialect much like the English, Japanese, Chinese or other foreign language contests. The native language of Jeju has been neglected for so long that it is now being treated as a sort of foreign language for students on Jeju.

As the elderly die off on Jeju, so does the language and culture that makes Jeju so unique. It is my firm belief that concret steps need to be taken, and more importantly followed-up on, to ensure that Jeju remains Jeju and not "Singapore Light" or "Hong Kong Done Wrong" or "Seoul South."

Unfortunately, I foresee a day where all that is left of Jeju culture are the Dolharubang statues on the shelves of tourist stores. That and some performances at the tacky and overly abundant tourist sites and "international" festivals on the Island.

As one nice young man, who commented on a previous post, advised me, I need to offer my own solution if I am going to bitch. So here it is. How about building an English City in the Kaesong Industrial Complex or other place in North Korea. It will (cough, cough,) enhance inter-Korean (cough, hack, wheeze) cooperation and bring in much needed cash so North Korea can feed its army, political elite and labor camp guards. Also, with North Korea detonating its entire nuclear weapons and long range missile stash in order to get Obama's attention, money will be needed to replenish their stockpiles. I mean c'mon help a brother out, will ya?

In all seriousness, though, I do fear that Jeju culture is dying at the hands of the rush towards development.

Some well meaning and very smart people at the JDC disagree with me. That's OK. They have every right to be wrong.

For The Love of God, Please Watch Your Kids!!!

Terrible news out of Aewol this week.

According to the local news, 3 young children ages 6, and 7 (5 and 6 in the West) went missing from an area near their house. Later, all three were found in a stream, dead. The stream is known as an area popular with local children. From what can be pieced together the kids went to the stream and were playing when somehow, they drowned. From an examination by doctors at Jeju National University, foul play has all but been ruled out. My first question in situations like this has always been, "Where the f*ck were the parents?"

As a parent, one of the things that really bothers me is the laissez-faire attitude parents seem to have regarding their kids. I can't count the number of times I have seen young children roaming around at all hours of the day and night, with no adult supervision. We have all seen kids playing in or near very busy roads or other places that are no place for kids. I often see a mother walking along oblivious to her very young kids straggling behind her. I can't help believe that parents are living in some kind of la-la land when it comes to the safety of their children.

It always amazes me when parents are shocked when their kids get killed or injured by a car or are the vicitms of accidents that, to most, are foreseeable. All one has to do is look at the OECD statistics about the primary cause of death for kids in Korea to see the results of parental negligence, and that is just what it is - negligence.

In my opinion, until parents are held legally responsible for their child becoming a victim of accidents, that are foreseeable, things won't change and children will continue to die at a rate out of proportion to the population of Korea. Again, I refer you to the OECD reports on child deaths in Korea.

Now, of course, there will be those who will scream "LOJ you anti-Korean asshole, kids die in the West too. " This is true. Kids do die from parental negligence in the West. But, and here is the point, I can dig up numerous articles where parents have been prosecuted in the West for parental negligence that resulted in the death of their child.

I would like to see a case, any case, where a parent on Jeju has been prosecuted for not properly supervising their kids and something tragic happened. I am not talking about starving a kid or abusing them. I am talking about cases like letting some 5 year old (4 years old in the West) little girl run around a busy street where it was crushed by a bus, like happened in Seogwipo a few years back. What legal responsibility does the parent assume in a case like this?

And, could someone please tell me how getting upset at the deaths of precious Korean children makes me anti-Korean? I'd love to hear the justification on that one.

OK, rant over. I just get upset whenever I hear of children dying. No child should die before its parents.

Rest in Peace, little ones.

(Photo from Halla Ilbo)

Is Adjusting Test Scores Unethical???

I was reading the local message board and came across a question I thought interesting and could be faced by native speaker teachers on Jeju Island from time to time. I am going to post the question and then my thoughts.

I have a quick question. My Middle school classes had an English speaking
test recently. I graded them based on the criteria that I was suppose to.
SO here is the deal...after assigning grades, two of the teachers got
together without my knowledge, and adjusted
the scores to a grade that they think the student should receive.
Then they asked me to enter the adjusted scores to the scoring
papers that will be submitted to the JeJu Board of Education. I thought about
it, because they know the students abilities better than I do. But in the end I
said no, because the test is the test. It may be that the student I thought was
very good is actually not as good as I think they are, but that does not matter.
What matters is that the test is taken as part of the grade they receive, and if
it so happens that they did well on it, than that is the way it is. Testing is
not always fair, but that is the way it is. I am not saying I like it...I am
just saying that is how it is.

So here is my question: Are there any ESL Teachers out there that have had a
similar request by there co-teachers. I am asking, because I am curious... not
to mention that it seems unethical for a co-teacher to ask that of an ESL
Teacher.

As I said, I thought the above question quite interesting. Although from reading the question, I am confused as to exactly how many student scores are involved, 1 or more? The questioner also fails to provide enough information about the “Why” the scores were adjusted.

There could be many reasons for the request. From my own experience, adjusting scores either upwards or downwards could be for any, all or none of the following:

Some examples for adjusting scores upward:

1) Let’s say the student in question have/had a serious problem at home that may have affected their score and the teachers, who know the student much better, are aware of the problem. Maybe there was a death in the family the night before or maybe the kids parents are going through a divorce and the teachers know the student would have scored much better if they hadn’t had to deal with whatever. Rather than “punish” the kid for having their problems affect their test score, the teachers adjusted the score to better reflect the student’s ability.

2) Maybe the student is from a poor family and is trying hard to get into a high level high school or maybe even a scholarship and the teachers want to help them out. Since contest/proficiency scores can impact the student selection process for some of the top high schools in Korea, every good score helps. Maybe the teachers are trying to “play the system” for the benefit of some student that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance in hell of making it.

3) Maybe the student is in fact the acting “head of the household” and responsible for taking care of the family in addition to studying and the teachers are trying to keep them from giving up on school and their future.

4) Maybe the student was previously a bad/poor student but has been studying their ass off and the teachers want to use the scores as a motivation for the student. The teachers may be saying to the student “See, if you study you will see results!”

5) Maybe an adjusted score(s) will bring the school average score up to a level that the Board of Education will funnel more money into the English program at the school, to the benefit of all students – and teachers.

Some examples for adjusting a score downwards:

1) The teachers want to motivate (give a proverbial head slap) to a previously good student (or class) that has been slacking off lately. You want to get a students attention in Korea? Do it with a test, any test, score and watch the reaction.

2) The teachers know that the student had some kind of advantage that the other students didn’t have on the test and so want to address it indirectly – in a relatively non-confrontational manner – using the foreign teacher as the barrier between them and a potentially pissed off parent.

3) Maybe there was an unfounded rumor going around that the student(s) in question had a “special friendship” with the foreign teacher or the student was the foreign teacher’s “pet” so the high score wasn’t really earned. The score was because the foreign teacher likes certain students and doesn’t like others. The teachers may even be trying to actually “protect” the foreign teacher’s reputation (and that of the co-teacher’s).

4) Maybe the score(s) given was/were so out of the norm for the student(s) that it would raise a red flag with the powers-that-be at the Education office.

I suspect that there is A LOT more to the story. With, what I assume, is a lack of Korean language ability and the fact that the native speaker teacher is basically a temporary worker (EPIK, I assume), it is doubtful they, or we, will ever know the real reasons. It is easy to think there is some nefarious dealing going on in a situation like this. However, that is not always the case.

It is easy to sit on our ethical high-horse and say “Well, it’s a test. It’s not fair but deal with it.” It is much more difficult to see that maybe, just maybe, things like this have to be done to try to help deserving students who are ground down by a system where tests determine a student’s worth and their future. Or, maybe, with the hesitancy of some teachers to confront situations directly, they are using the test score to send a message to problem students.

It is easy for us to see students as objects or one size fits all people. However, students are people with a bucket load of problems many of us can’t relate to in any way shape or form. These problems don’t stop at the front door of the school.

To answer the persons question directly: Have I ever been asked to change a score? Yes. Have I done it? Yes. Have I done it on my own for certain students? Yes. Can I justify it in my own mind? Absolutely. Each situation was different and involved some of the situations described above.

However, there was one incident when I tested 8 classes (about 300 students) and after all the results were tallied I was asked to “Unfail” 7 so as to bring the total number of students that “Passed” to a subjectively acceptable level. I looked at my test sheets and notes (making notes during speaking tests is VERY important) and balked. I was able to more than justify the failing of the 7. I stuck to my guns and won the day. Again, each situation is different.

My advice in the future is to write your test scores in pencil and give them to your co-teacher. As I tell my co-teachers “You know the students better than I. I gave them what I thought they deserved, but you do what you think is fair.” Leave it at that.

Just some thoughts.

(PS: Actually we are not E S L teachers. We are E F L teachers. A small, but important, difference)

Hanjin Shipping - Bad Experience II

You’ll remember from the previous post that Hanjin Shipping had “misplaced” one of the two packages a relative in NY had sent me. The saga continues:

Yesterday, New York time, a supremely pissed off Korean ajeossi (my family member in NY) visited the Hanjin Shipping office in NY. After threatening to commit unnatural acts on the office manager with a stapler, the package was magically located!!

It turns out the package had never left the New York office. It was just sitting there on the floor collecting dust. It had been sitting there for 10 friggin days and no one in the office had thought “Hey, I wonder why this package is still sitting here.” Amazing.

According to my family member, the office guys did the usual smiling “Sorry, sorry, sorry” crap. Of course, questions such as “How could one package be sent and not the other?” went unanswered except for more sheepish smiles and “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

Anyways, they promised that the package would be super duper expedited (yeah, right). They refunded the cost of shipping both packages to my family member – with more sheepish smiles and “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

Bottom line is that I still don’t have the package but it should, finally, be on its way. We’ll see……..

Again, I am posting my experience with Hanjin Shipping because I have read posts on message boards about shipping items to Jeju Island from the States. I just wanted to share what happened to me to help those trying to decide which shipping company to use.

Have a great weekend.

Hanjin Shipping - Bad Experience

Thinking of having something shipped from home via Hanjin Shipping? Think again.


One of the things I really admire about Korea is the speedy customer service and after service ("AS") that you get from companies. I have experienced outstanding service from Samsung, LG and other Korean companies. Whenever I have filed a complaint (very few), my complaints have always been followed up on and the situation rectified to my satisfaction. Companies in the West could learn a thing or two about customer service from some Korean companies I have dealt with over the years.

It is for this reason that I am utterly shocked by the incompetent service I received from Hanjin Shipping. A little background:

A family member in NY recently shipped two (2) packages of goodies to the wife and I. Rather than using the US Postal Service, he decided to use Hanjin Shipping. He, being a Korean living in the U.S., thought that Hanjin, being a Korean company, would get the package to my door in Korea quickly and efficiently. We were both wrong.

On Saturday, 5/30/09, he shipped two boxes from NY via Hanjin Shipping. The rep in NY guaranteed that the packages would be at my door in Jeju in 5 days.

The packages made it to Incheon in short order. This where the Hanjin Shipping system broke down completely.

On Tuesday 6/2/09 we got a phone call saying that the packages were in customs and they needed my passport number to clear them through customs. There was some kind of change in the law on April 1, 2009 that required I provide a passsport number. We provided my passport number and the customer service rep stated she would call on Wednesday to let us know the status and guaranteed that the packages would be in our hands by Thursday 6/4/09.

Wednesday passed with no phone call from Hanjin Shipping.

Thursday morning 6/4/09 we called Hanjin and the lady then says that she now needs a copy of the face page of my passport to clear customs. The packages were still sitting in Incheon! So, I faxed the face page and confirmed they had received it. No mention of why they didn't contact us on Wednesday as promised, or why they didn't tell us to fax the face page originally.

Friday, 6/5/09, having not received our packages,we called again wanting to confirm the packages had departed customs for Jeju. We were told the packages left Incheon on Friday morning 6/5/09 at 10:00am(?!). OK, a little late but hey, I can get the package on Saturday no problem , or so I thought.

Saturday 6/6/09 passed with no package and no one answering the phone at Hanjin Shipping. I saw other package delivery trucks rushing around my neighborhood throughout the day (Hyundai Delivery, etc.), but no Hanjin Shipping.

Sunday 6/7/09 passed with no word from Hanjin Shipping and no package. Again, I saw delivery trucks from other companies rushing about.

Monday 6/8/09 we received a call from the Hanjin Shipping delivery man who told us that he had received the package on Jeju Sunday night(?!!!). I stupidly asked why it took longer to get from Seoul to Jeju than from New York to Seoul. No answer.

Monday 6/8/09 at 1:00pm the delivery man showed up with ONE (1) package!!! I asked "Where is the other package?" Silence. Blink, blink, blink.

Today is Tuesday, 6/9/09, and I still haven't received the second package and Hanjin Shipping has NO CLUE where it is!!! Hell, we don't even know if it is in Korea or not!

Why do I write about this? Because I know long term expats on Jeju Island will have items shipped from home from time to time. I have read topics on expat message boards about the pros and cons of shipping via DHL, FEDEX, USPS etc., etc. I provide my experience with Hanjin Shipping FYI. You can do what you want, but it will be a cold day in hell before anyone in my family, either here or in the US, uses Hanjin Shipping again.

It is indeed a sad day when the US Postal Service is more competent in getting a package to Jeju Island than Hanjin Shipping.

Jeju Jellyfish - A Warning

I was watching a story about jellyfish on the local news tonight. It seems the jellyfish have arrived in the waters around Jeju a month sooner than usual. In addition the number of jellyfish this year is much greater than in the past.

If you a water enthusiast you might want to be on the lookout. Believe me when I say you do not want to be stung by a jellyfish. It'll definitely ruin your day.

Be careful.

Another Unbelievable Decision By the Courts: Firm sues dead actress for being beaten

This is not specifically Jeju related but the following can be included in a long list of absolutely STUPID decisions by courts here in the Land of the Not Quite Right. You can read the entire decision at the link. Here are some snippets.

Firm sues dead actress for being beaten - and wins

The Supreme Court reversed the original ruling and ruled in favor of a construction company that filed a suit against the deceased actress Choi Jin-sil, who committed suicide last October.

The company, upon hiring the top actress as their representing model in March 2004, concluded a contract stating Choi's duties to pay back 500 million won ($399,361), should she depreciate the company's social reputation.

However, in August, Choi appeared on television and newspapers with her face full of bruises, allegedly caused by the violence of her then husband and retired baseball player Cho Sung-min.

The advertiser company thus filed a suit against the actress, requesting for 3 billion won as compensation.

....... Choi was supposed to advertise was dignity and happiness, and Choi, as its model, was under the obligation to act accordingly, said the court.

A lower court said in an earlier ruling that Choi could not be held responsible for depreciating the image of the apartment or the company as she had not been proven guilty of causing her former husband's violence.

(Even the lower courts reasoning is ridiculous when previously ruling for the actress' estate. Do you mean to tell me a wife can be held accountable for causing a husband to beat her???? )

Should I Tell Them?

I was at Jeju National University Hospital the other day and stopped in to get a coffee from Tom-n-Toms. As I waited for my order I noticed the following in the display case:

Do you see a small spelling problem? I know that I won't be buying a COKE from Tom-n-Toms anytime soon! I started to say something to the manager but then thought better of it. I wonder when (if) it will be noticed by the staff at Tom-n-Toms - or the hospital staff.

Sorry for the piss poor picture quality. It was taken with a cell phone camera. If I get the chance, I'll take a better picture if I am ever back at the hospital with my "dica."

Swine Flu and an English Academy on Jeju

I found the following courtesy of "Brian in Jeollanamdo." It concerns Avalon Hogwan's attempts to control Swine Flu (and more importantly, their foreign teachers). I am interested because I know Avalon is a nationwide English academy franchise that has an academy on Jeju Island. According to those "in the know," the following guidelines were produced by the head office in Seoul and transmitted to all Avalon academies nationwide.

I originally added comments to almost every section. Later, I decided that even the most naive foreigner should be able to see through the smokescreen that is being produced vis-a-vis vacation, unpaid (?) mandatory off-time, etc., etc., etc.

The only comment I added, and kept, is at the bottom. I added that because of the illegal nature of the directive.

Here is the Swine Flu directive from Avalon English. Read it and weep (if you're an Avalon employee) - or laugh, (if you're not an Avalon employee)

Guidelines regarding swine flu

Swine flu is a contagious influenza virus that has been spreading worldwide exceeding 12,000 different cases. Currently there have been 22 confirmed cases of swine flu in South Korea. The virus is spread from person to person though coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Here is a list of symptoms.

1. Symptoms
Coughing, fever, soar throat, stuffy or runny nose, body aches,
headaches, chills, fatigue, nausea and vomiting

2. Reporting process
symptoms > report to campus director>report to the divisional
director> report to the HR dept>provide guidelines

3 Guidelines
* Do not travel abroad until further notice
* Do not go to public areas if possible
* Employees will have their body temps checked daily and results will be recorded
* Wash hands 3 times a day. Teachers must wash hands before and after class
* Classrooms will sanitized before and after class for safety measures
* Avalon transportation vehicles will be sterilized for safety measures
* Notice will be sent to parents regarding Avalon’s guidelines about the swine flu virus
* All head office employees must be aware of the guidelines to prevent swine flu
* Guidelines will be posted and students must be aware of the guidelines

4. Mandatory Instructions:
A. Daily body temp check ups

-All Avalon employees must get a body temperature check and report the results to the HR dept.

B. Instructions fro foreign teachers and staff members
-anyone that comes back form their vacation after May 25th must stay at home for one week
New teachers and staff members must stay at home for two weeks in the month of May
-No overseas vacation and business travel

-FOREIGN TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR PASSPORT TO THEIR DIRECTOR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

(This is ILLEGAL!!!!. Only immigration, and in very select cases, law enforcement has the right to ask you to hand over your passport for visa processing or as part of a criminal investigation. A hogwan, Avalon or whoever, has NO RIGHT to ask a teacher to hand over their passport.

If you are ever "forced" to hand over your passport by your hogwan/academy, immediately contact the U.S. Embassy and report the situation. Passports is one area that the U.S. Embassy gets involved fairly rapidly and forcefully. As do the Korean police, believe it or not.

If you hand over your passport to an academy director, you are an idiot. Let me repeat it for the slow learners - NEVER HAND OVER YOUR PASSPORT TO AN ACADEMY DIRECTOR - NEVER!!!!!)

C. We fully understand the ongoing situation and taking any safety measures to ensure and protect our employees and students from swine flu. Employees should not be too concerned over this matter. Company related information should not be leaked or exchanged to a third party member.

(NOT "TOO CONCERNED OVER THIS MATTER"???? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING)

I don't know what amazes me most, the fact that some nationwide English academy franchise actually distributed the above "guidelines" or the fact that there are teachers that will comply.

You can make your own decisions as to whether you would want to work for an academy such as the one that produced the above guidelines.

(UPDATE: Reading the comments from Avalon teachers posted on other sites today revealed that several branches, after a backlash from the teachers, are ignoring the directive to have their employees turn in their passports. The other stuff such as restricted travel, unpaid time off, etc. is still in effect.

You really have to wonder at the thought processes involved in the above directive. Yes, working to prevent your people from getting ill is a good thing. However, uncalled for draconian measures betrays the true motivations and mindset of the employer concerning not only in this but other areas as well.

It's all about the money. It always was, is, and always will be.)