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Handy
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject: Getting out of a contract before I arrive |
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Hi,
I'm a newbie who has been set on moving to Korea to teach for some time now. I have researched a lot and am pretty confident. However I think I've gotten myself into a bad contract and I'm not sure what to do.
When I first started looking for a position I got flooded with recruiters and opted to avoid them and the possible runaround. Although I'm not able to go until June (i know it is still early to apply) I was offered what looked to be a really good position. In the first e-mail she included a fellow teachers contact info and invited me to discuss with her the position. anyways in the end I decided to take it--
However after spending more time on these boards I'm beginning to see a lot fo red flags- they won't give me set hours-just 120 h/month max, they don't pay until the 15th of the next month, my income tax is set to be much higher as the director claims teachers are considered self-employed?!, a 300,000 apartment fee, they have already fired a few teachers as they weren't nice to the students etc.
Basically I decided to take it as the pay was good and the girl at the school was so nice and helpful- she herself is going to resign a contract.
I'm not sure if I'm just an over-researched paranoid newbie or if I'm going to end up in a bad school.
I have told them I'm taking the position however because it doesn't start until June so I haven't sent them anything or actually signed the contract.
Can I and should I try to get out of it? or am I just being paranoid? |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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You can post the contract for others to dissect. It sounds bad, though. The 300,000 apt fee is illegal, and the 15th for a payday is very, very bad. Have you sent anyone any of your documents? If no,-good.
You don't have to accept anything other than what YOU want. Don't feel "obligated" or "pressured" by anything said to you by email or over the phone, or even by anything said to you by any poster on this site.
In fact, if you feel uncomfortable, you can skip coming to South Korea- seriously. Things can go very badly if you choose a rotten school (through no fault of your own).
Do what is best for you, and don't do anything unless you are confident things will go well, and you are comfortable. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: Getting out of a contract before I arrive |
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| Handy wrote: |
| I haven't sent them anything or actually signed the contract. |
If your gut is telling you it's a bad deal, listen to your gut. You haven't sent them anything, so you are free to ignore the current school and continue looking elsewhere. Jeebus, you haven't even signed a contract. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree..if you haven't signed anything (or sent them anything other then your resume) just email them and tell them you changed your mind. |
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Missile Command Kid
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Too many red flags. Skip the school and find a new one. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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wylies99: Why is the 15th a bad date? As long as he/she gets paid every month. Maybe I'm missing something.
Handy (is your first name "Jack," by chance?): If you didn't sign it, don't. Keep looking. Your recruiter may make you feel bad if you verbally said "ok," but until the dotted line signed, fk a bad contract. |
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heeckan
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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It's amazing that they lined you up so far in advance. Usually in Korea, hagwons don't bother looking for teachers until a few weeeks before they're actually needed.
That does sound sketchy. Don't sign a thing. Send them an e-mail and tell them you got a killer job at home (or in Japan, or anywhere else) and that you won't be coming. Don't feel guilty... 6-7 weeks in Korea is PLENTY of time to find a teacher. If you actually signed the contract, then you'd be screwed.
Additionally, I would advise that if you can scrounge up your own airfare + living money for a few weeks, get over here on your own coin. Check out schools in person.
Happy hunting |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| As long as you've sent them nothing and havn't gotten a visa from that school, you're free to look elsewhere. Only way they have you trapped is if you go through the whole process, get the visa and THEN decide to quit. Take the advice here and find another job. No reason to chance a whole year of your life. |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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Why do you need to get out of a contract...you don't have one!  |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
wylies99: Why is the 15th a bad date? As long as he/she gets paid every month. Maybe I'm missing something.
Handy (is your first name "Jack," by chance?): If you didn't sign it, don't. Keep looking. Your recruiter may make you feel bad if you verbally said "ok," but until the dotted line signed, fk a bad contract. |
There is NO GOOD REASON to hold your pay for 15 days AFTER the end of your first month.
If paydays are the 15th and you get paid for the period worked till then it is one thing.
If you work the calendar month 1-30th and then get paid on the 15th following it is a BIG RED FLAG and it is usually done to prevent runners.
If a school has a history of runners (or feels that it requires some policy to prevent them) it is not a school I would want to be working for. Good schools don't have runners. |
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Novernae
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
If paydays are the 15th and you get paid for the period worked till then it is one thing.
If you work the calendar month 1-30th and then get paid on the 15th following it is a BIG RED FLAG and it is usually done to prevent runners. |
I've never understood the big problem with this. Does this mean I shouldn't ever work for the Canadian government because they have a 2 week (14 day) delay in pay? I understand that the Hogwan ethic is a little different than the Canadian government and it is sometimes done to prevent runners, but often it's just to give the disorganized accountants time to get everything through. |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
wylies99: Why is the 15th a bad date? As long as he/she gets paid every month. Maybe I'm missing something.
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Hogwans do it that late in the month because they've had a lot of runners. It's a bad sign because runners = VERY bad hogwan.
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| I understand that the Hogwan ethic is a little different than the Canadian government and it is sometimes done to prevent runners, but often it's just to give the disorganized accountants time to get everything through. |
Hogwans do it to hold your money to prevent runners. They know how much they owe you. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| wylies99 wrote: |
| Hogwans do it to hold your money to prevent runners. They know how much they owe you. |
What they don't know is that IF I were contemplating doing a runner, I would go on cruise control for those 15 days and play hangman the entire time, then get my full salary, then bolt Saturday morning. I would gladly "sacrifice" 2 weeks of salary to escape a sh***y, soul-crushing job. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:23 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
wylies99: Why is the 15th a bad date? As long as he/she gets paid every month. Maybe I'm missing something.
Handy (is your first name "Jack," by chance?): If you didn't sign it, don't. Keep looking. Your recruiter may make you feel bad if you verbally said "ok," but until the dotted line signed, fk a bad contract. |
There is NO GOOD REASON to hold your pay for 15 days AFTER the end of your first month.
If paydays are the 15th and you get paid for the period worked till then it is one thing.
If you work the calendar month 1-30th and then get paid on the 15th following it is a BIG RED FLAG and it is usually done to prevent runners.
If a school has a history of runners (or feels that it requires some policy to prevent them) it is not a school I would want to be working for. Good schools don't have runners. |
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I see now. Thanks. |
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CasperTheFriendlyGhost
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:59 am Post subject: |
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I get paid on the 10th, but my pay period ends on the 9th. I've been paid on the 8th on one or more occasions -- meaning I got paid before I finished my work.
15 days later sounds awfully long to me. |
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