Korean Job Discussion Forums

[captain kirk]

There are some iffy commandments that I would immediately take issue with. But it seems like this contract is a master copy given to all foreign teachers in the province. This is for a public school foreign English teacher teaching job. It came to me in the mail via the recruiter who helped me find the job. I'm to take the contract and other documents to Immigration and obtain an E2 visa. I suppose that one can't talk to the school I've been assigned to about contract modification since the contract came from the Prov Educ Office Headquarters.

Iffy things are being paid on a 'pro rated' basis based on actual work days worked. If, for some reason, I don't work for two weeks then I'm only paid half of a month's pay. I assume this means that if, during the relatively long Winter and Summer student vacations nothing can be found for me to do then that off time, be it however many days or weeks of working days, won't be paid. Korean teachers have paid offtime during school breaks, I think. I've had another public school job that had paid offtime, no problem.

This probably won't be a concern because of another obnoxious element in the contract; two weeks holidays. One week is to be taken in the Summer. And one week is to be taken in the Winter.

Also, is this normal (?), 22 teaching hours a week. No working on weekends, tho, that's nice.

If there's extra/supplementary classes over the 22 hrs/week then 20,000 won per hour. If the overtime is not class related then it's (gag) 6,000 won per hour (I hope this is cooking hamburgers^^).

Upon arrival one half of the cost of the one way ticket is given to employee. Upon successful completion of the one year contract the remaining half is handed over.

Employer chooses housing and 'may' provide bed, gas range, fridge, a washing machine, a microwave, a tv set. And, "Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those provided by Employer". What is this "Employer may provide....". Usually contracts say will, then list the basics like washing machine, bed, and so on. Not 'may'. Doesn't give one much to stand on, 'may'.

It also says, "Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by Employee". I assume this is the usual apt. mantainence fee per month, gas bill, electric bill. I don't know about 'tax'?

Look at this! 'Employer may designate Employee to work at a Prov Office of Educ training center or other educ inst. during the vacation. In this case, Employee shall not claim for any additional pay'. I assume they mean School vacation, not the foreign teachers two weeks vacation during the year.

Exact wording on the contract re; foreign teacher vacation;

"Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of fourteen workdays". Half taken during Winter school vacation, half during Summer school vacation.

___________________

Possible to bargain/modify Prov. Educ Office contracts? Has anyone seen these features on their Prov. Educ Office contracts.

May I end this on a humorous note?;

"Information for Successful Applicants"
1. (Contract Signing)
a. Your contract must be signed as soon as you receive it.

[captain kirk]

It seems this might be an EPIK type contract. Has anyone 'personalized' their EPIK, GEPIK, what have you contract for public school by deleting or changing parts by mutual agreement with the particular school? That's my question.

[spliff]

[captain kirk]

[wylies99]

[marlow]

[chachee99]

I don't see any of that BS 6000 won per hour in the GEPIK contract.

[aarontendo]

It's a part of the contract that I've never heard of actually being used. If someone HAS been paid 6,000 for extra crap then post it here heh.

Everytime we've been asked to do extra stuff outside of work we've been paid a bit better than I'd have thought.

[VanIslander]

Us hagwoners have developed a healthy distrust and attentiveness to the contracting process and explicitly negotiated agreements, because if you give an inch a hagwon owner will take a mile and pocket the $$$ difference.

But with public school positions there's more of a leap of faith, warranted by the fact that there is no profit motive built into the individual school's relations with its waygook teachers. You meet their quota and that's about it. So I surmise that in terms of interests, verbal agreements after the fact are more likely to be successful.

During the application process one is just another cog in the machine, something to be administrated, along with a ton of other stuff, streamlined, processed. The nature of the situation.

The time to negotiate is with the recruiter, and to be absolutely clear about what is needed no ifs ands or buts, to the point where they can smell your willingness to bolt if you don't get it, which means money out of their pocket.

The stage between recruiter and principal of school assigned to is a no man's land of bureaucracy as indifferent to your plight as could be found anywhere in the world.

A theory.

[captain kirk]

Arrontendo, that was my experience this last year in public school, too. For example the after school special class brought 25,000 per class, which was 40 minutes. They could have been crammy and put it in my contract hours, technically. Instead, strangely, they charged me for the teacher copy of the English Time book I led class with and were crammy that way, 9,000 won!

Marlow, I think that's what'll happen, a verbal agreement with them not to work for 6,000 an hour doing desk work. I haven't visited the school yet. Like Vanislander said I'm a cog in the machine that first started cranking at Provincial Headquarters. I'll be like their new robot, delivered to the school suddenly^^. But that was just the mechanics of introduction, being put into the colossal gizmo. Who at the school is going to say, inhumanly, 'listen, new robot, we want you to stay after 4.30pm when everyone's gone, to do that won 6,000 per hour desk work making flashcards'. Nobody's going to want to hang around to mind me. Nobody speaks English. Nobody knows what flashcards I need or if I need them! So I can't see them using that bit. Unless they want me to work at the Lotteria, owned by the Principal's brother, frying hamburgers after five pm^^.

Because I was in hagwons a long time I am really wary of contracts. It's taking some time to get over that. I automatically assume contracts are written by scheming weasels^^.

In the contract is also 15 hours of unpaid 'orientation' which I assume would occur on weekends but the contract says no weekend work. Maybe during the school Winter/Summer vacation period, I guess. Unpaid as in no extra pay above the month's salary. Or before the contract even begins, immediately upon getting off the boat.

Is this in anyone's contract?

"When Employee has not worked a full month, salary for that month shall be paid on a pro rata basis either from the first day or until the last day of work".

Suppose it's School Summer vacation (not Foreign teacher's vacation) and there is English Camp only half of the month. Then the foreign teacher gets only half a month's pay, right?

By the way there was no way to guess what would be in the contract when talking with the recruiter. Because of the new regulations it was a lot of fetch and carry and just in the nick of time, getting the required documents together (crim rec check, transcripts, letters of reference, letters of proof of working, etc.). Then this was sent to Provincial Headquarters. Then a letter of acceptance was sent along with a contract.
If I'd said to the recruiter (but I never could have guessed), 'no deskwork at 6,000 an hour or other foolishness, I feel VERY strongly about that!' he only would have looked at me funny. The contracts only spit out of the Provincial machine the week after that, bam.

[Draz]

[captain kirk]

Ah, I see. That makes sense. Thanks Draz.

[The_Conservative]

[Kimchieluver]

Actually, I think it is there so that if you don't have a valid illness for a sick day. Like if you said I am going to Seoul for a few days from Monday to Thursday and your school agreed you could do this, you might not get a full months pay.

[wylies99]