Korean Job Discussion Forums

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

So I've heard good things about the EPIG program and decided to check it out. I received the contract and other things from the coordinator. The contract isn't all it's cracked up to be. The only thing I liked about it is that you get you leave class when you're finished instead of sitting around.

Contract clauses:

② The Work Hours of Employee shall be eight( Cool

hours a day(including lunch hour), and actual class instruction hours of Employee shall not exceed 25hours(including actual class instruction hours of additional school) per week. If, however, Employee's actual class instruction hours exceed 25hours per week due to supplementary class instruction, Employee shall be entitled to a supplementary class instruction pay. (20,000Korean won under Gyeongnam Office of Education�s guideline)

25 hours? I'm with GEPIK and I'm only at 22.

④ Employer may require Employee to work overtime in addition to normal Work Days and Work Hours. In this case, overtime pay will be provided. (6,000Korean won under GOE�s guideline)

hmmm 6,000?

④ Employer shall provide Employee with housing basically but at the case that the employee already have housing, employer may give a rent subsidy after discussion with the employee. However, Employee as a naturalized Korean, who already has his/her own house, shall not claim for a rent subsidy.

I don't have citizenship, but sucks for those who do..

① Employee shall complete 7days(at longest) orientation immediately before the commencement of the Term of Employment provided under Article 5 hereof.
② The orientation period shall not be included in the term of Employment as under Article 5. Thus, Employee will not be entitled to any compensation.

up to 7 days of unpaid training? no thanks...

The pay scale isn't attractive and neither is the vacation (2 weeks). So for those who have thought about going with EPIG, maybe you should think again. I certainly am..

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

6,000 KRW per hour of overtime. This says a lot about the way EPIG feels about native English teachers, if one didn't already pick it up from reading other contractual items within the application.

marlow · Joined: 06 Feb 2005

Looks sucky.

The 6,000 won overtime clause needs to be scratched. Any education office worker reading this message? If so, scrap it. That's McDonald's pay, even less.

The hours suck, too. 25? Most other provinces have 22.

All I've seen are EPIK and related contracts getting worse as they get more and more teachers in the system. They want to keep teacher volumes high, and costs down.

DJTwoTone · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject:

Most of the teachers in Gimhae are seriously in the dark about how much their contract sucks... The few I've talked to were rather surprised... They are told it is the best contract in Korea...

Don't work there... If you are interested in the area... Gyeongsangnam-do will be hiring a load of English teachers in August...

Wait it out...

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

DJTwoTone · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject:

They are told it is the best contract and a lot of them believe it...

I remember one guy telling that Gimhae had the most vacation... And cited some large number... I had to break his heart explaining that Sundays weren't vacation days... And that their number was actually quiet low...

On the other hand Gimhae does try to use their NEAT's to their fullest potential... Like the slave scum that they are...

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

DJTwoTone · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:15 pm Post subject:

Good to know... Thanks... It's good to hear positive feed back sometimes...

I winder though... does that hold true for all your fellow NEAT. I've heard both good and bad coming out of Gimhae... I guess it really depends on the person...

Gamecock · Joined: 26 Nov 2003

So somebody in GEPIK is mocking EPIK? Rolling Eyes

My school also added the 6,000 won thing to my contract this year. When I inquired about it, I was told that this was not for teaching. During our 4 day summer camp (which we work from 9-5), they asked us if we would stay for dinner one night and then join them for the campfire after dark. We stayed until 10pm, with absolutely no responsibilities except to eat, play a little frisbee, and watch the kids do skits. For this 5 hours we got paid 6,000 won an hour.

Dome Vans · Guest

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

I wonder what the starting pay is for a native EPIG teacher. Supplementary classes can always be refused. However, I've had plenty of chances to teach supplementary classes at my school, with 30,000 per overtime hour, and I've done it a couple semesters. However, as I work at a public school, many of my supplementary classes were canceled and therefore rescheduled. It actually took a full year for two of my supplementary classes to finish. Per regulations at my school and many others, you have to teach twenty supplementary classes before they'll pay you. It might be different at other schools. Anyhow, should I be afforded the opportunity to teach supplementary classes again, I'll require my school to pay me whatever supplementary hours (i.e. overtime hours) each month, not at the end of the term.

As regular pay is 20,000 per hour, and 20,000 to 30,000 overtime, I'm not sure how intelligent people would take 1/3 cut in regular hourly pay for overtime hours. Overtime for all Korean teachers is 30,000 or more. I can't detail this situation anymore for those for whom it doesn't seem ridiculous. Again, many teachers never work supplementary hours, so it's not a problem in the wider view.

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

I am not making fun of EPIK. I was stating my opinion that the contract didn't look attractive..MY OPINION. People need to read what's there and not between the lines.

level 3 is 1.8 (basic requirements)
level 2 is 2.1 (basic requirements + either 1 year experience, TEFL/TESL, masters, teaching cert)
level 1 is 2.3 (basic + 2 years of experience + either master, TEFL/TESL, or teaching cert)
level 1+ is 2.5 (2 consecutive years in Gimhae)

The above scale does not include transportation, rural, or any allowance.

rural allowance- 100,000
additional employment (additional school)- 100,000
transportation- Schools in Eup, Myeon Area - 100,000
Schools in Dong Area -50,000

The allowances may seem attractive but the base salary isn't really. If I started, I'd be at 2.1. I have 1 year experience and a TEFL. I'm currently at 2.2 base.

As for vacation, the contract mentions nothing of 5 weeks. It says 2 weeks. The only province I know that offers 5+ weeks of paid vacation is gangwon.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005