Korean Job Discussion Forums

[penfold]

Hi guys and girls

just wanting to get some opinions on something:

The deal is I've been working at a public school for 10 months now and having a blast however the new year has brought an issue up which i really don't know how to approach.

Pretty much what occurred when i got here I was asked to do EOZ classes (english only zone). I was told that this would involve:

1) 3 extra hours a day (5pm to 8pm) four days a week.
2) 20,000 an hour

While this was a lot of extra work (I only do 20 hours a week), the money and not wanting to rock the boat early on meant I said yes.

to be honest it wasn't that bad - though being at school from 9am to 8pm was a bit taxing.

With the new school year, I'm thinking that while I would like to continue this, the remuneration has to be increased or something else like i can leave school at 1pm when i finish my classes and return at 5pm to start the EOZ classes.

The question is

1) is this reasonable, i.e. 20,000 an hour for the hours of 5-8 is ok?
2) if not what is a decent hourly rate? I'm thinking 30,000 won?
3) how would you go about bringing this up with the principal?

I really like the extra hours and therefore money but it really cuts into my life after school (my social life) and i've got a feeling I SHOULD be making a bit more than i am currently.

your thoughts on this would be great

[butlerian]

The money is fairly low, but that's what I get paid for extra hours and so it can't be too unusual. However, I would not accept having to be at school when I am not teaching. I have always accepted overtime when I am offered it - primarily to help the school and the students - but I would not consider staying at school when I am not teaching unless I want to stay at school.

[just because]

It is low but if in the terms of your contract overtime within the hours of 8am-10pm(or late) is spelled out then that is what they can offer....

However, I am under the impression that public school jobs are meant to be done by 5pm and it is illegal to make you stay back in the evening...however if you want to continue doing it then do it i suppose...I would be asking for at least 30 an hour minimum(if it was me 40 000 but only because i don't like overtime)

Just say to them that being at school for 12 hours a day is too long but if they let you go home from 1-5 in the afternoon then you have no problems with doing the overtime...
If they say no you can't go home tell them that you can't do their after school classes. they will change their tune quickly....

[The Bobster]

I might be missing something but I think 20k per hour is not at all unheard of for overtime. Sounds like you are doing about 12 hours a week of it. So, the only 2 things to think about are :

1. Do you like the work? (I.e., are the classes enjoyable and interesting?)

2. Do you like the nearly a million won per month extra you are getting?

Like I said, I might be missing something, so point me in the right direction if I am ...

[zappadelta]

The rate is typical for public schools. I would ask them to change the EOZ classes to 2-5 pm, or something like that. If it can't be done, there's no way I would do it. But, you have to decide if you like it enough to stay.

[Bukowski]

Your hourly rate might be set by the district or your province, so asking for an increase may be complicated. However, if your school sets the rate, you might have some room for improvement.

As for your situation, it sounds like you have been a pretty good sport thus far in your contract by working those classes. You might try to politely explain that you need to leave the school every now and again to get some personal things done (i.e. banking, post, etc.), because those offices are closed in the evening.

Good luck to you,
AC

BTW, I was asked to work every other Saturday a couple of years ago. I worked it for 20,000 per hour (3 hour gig), but after one semester, I explained that the money wasn't enough to get me to continue with the class. Within the day, they came back with the offer of 30,000 to continue the class.

It could happen to you.

[PRagic]

'Overtime' rates at Korean schools and institutes have been on of my biggest pet peaves of the years here. Many institutions offer a base salary with a minimum number of contact hour requirement. Overtime, however, is set relatively arbitrarily, and never benefits the teacher. In fact, most establishments 'insist' on overtime, but the pay, calculated by hourly rate, is far LOWER than the initial wage. By doing this, these places can get around the necessity of hiring additional teachers, and avoid the associated costs (housing, insurance, vacation and benefits). This is a farce, and more often than not leads to overworked teachers and diminished classroom performance. Everyone suffers, particularly the students. This is a travesty, especially in a country that supposedly values education.

I have often strongly urged teachers to boycot 'overtime' unless the pay exceeds their average hourly pay by 1.5 or 2.0 times. Good luck with your situation.

[formerflautist]

Doesn't the rate depend on what if you're teaching at an elementary, middle or high school because of what constitutes an hour?

[penfold]

Just wanted to update this and let people know what happened at the end.

Pretty much told my co-teacher to tell the principal that this is what i would like or I won't be teaching after school, next day they come back:

1) pay was increased to 30,000 an hour;

2) I can leave when i finish my normal classes i.e. at 1pm and return at 5

so thats that, I'll be doing an extra 11 classes a week and pocketing 330,000 won extra a week which will go straight into the traveling fund for when we leave Korea add to this a 300,000 won a month pay increase for re-signing and i think I've hit the lottery in Korea

Just goes to show what can happen when english teachers speak up regarding our pay and conditions

penfold

[mrsquirrel]

Good work.