Korean Job Discussion Forums

[suhleafs]

After completing my one year contract with XXX Hagwon, I am having massive problems with regards to my plane ticket back to Canada. I will detail the events.

My contract ended on May 31st, 2008. One week before my contract was complete, I informed XXX that I had planned on staying in Korea. They then said to me that they will give me the cash equivalent to a plane ticket, which we agreed was 1.1 million won. On May 30th, my Director comes to me and says that they have found a cheaper plane ticket (which was NOT direct, it was routed through Tokyo) for 875,000 and that I had to accept this money. I became very upset because to me it felt like they were stealing over 200,000 won from me because we had agreed to the 1.1 million.

On the final day of my contract, the Principal then says to me: The contract doesn't say we can give you cash, and since you are staying in Korea, we're not going to buy you a plane ticket. However, we will reserve a plane ticket for you for June 30th, which is the deadline that you have to use the ticket. I did not agree to this and said that I want to fly back on July 12th. They refused my request.

While moving out, I did not do a good job, or barely any job at all cleaning the apartment. My principal then came to me with this "offer": If you pay the cleaning fee and money to replace the two remote controls that you lost (117,000 won), then we will change your ticket to July 12th. We also want you to write us an apology letter saying that you are sorry. After that, I sprung to action and got both things done.

Then, I requested to have my E-ticket for July 12th. XXX THEN changed their mind and said, we said you only have one month to use the ticket, so June 30th is your last day to use it. My Korean cousin has gotten involved, but they keep telling him that since I "wrecked" their apartment, that I don't deserve anything.

Here is what my contract states with regards to the plane ticket:

The school will pre-pay in full a round air ticket from your country to Korea. The school will retain the ownership of the return ticket for 12 month.(The school has the ownership of the employee's airplane ticket)

They have actually failed to "prepay" my plane ticket during my contracted period as they have not purchased it at all.

Are there any grounds to report them to the Labour Board? Any help and feedback would be appreciated.

I should mention that I am on an F-4 Visa and that I have since signed on with a new employer.

[jadarite]

Here's my opinion. It looks like you are going to another school. So, that school should pay for your return flight when you finally leave the country. This first school will have saved some money for the return flight, and the second school will save money for not having to pay to get you into the country (though, you may have a cheaper visa run which they should pay).

If I am mistaken and you are not at a second school, then you only have a 1 month or so I understand before you have to leave. So, that looks like what your school figured as being June 30 instead of July 12.

If you want a flight after June 30, I think you should have gone to immigration and requested an extension on your visa. Then, show your school the extension, and they might have moved the flight date to July as you wanted. However, they probably wanted to make sure you had a way out 1 month after your final contract date.

Leaving your apartment dirty doesn't help with this. Also, I don't think teachers should be given cash for the flight. The idea is you are given the flight, not cash. The flight is to get you to the country, and the flight back is to get you out of the country. It's not security money that needs to be paid back to you.

Of course, it would be nice if the school gave you the money (like a second severance), so why not get down on your knees, write a nice apology letter to them for the way you have acted, and ask for 500,000 won. Then, move on and do your next thing.

[poet13]

I disagree jadarite. The company agreed to provide "cash in lieue of" and should be held to that. They say that the contract doesn't allow for cash? BS, but ok, then they need to follow the contract and provide a ticket, whether it's used or not. Yes OP, you were a dick for leaving the apartment a mess, and yup, I think you should pay a cleaning fee. Write a letter of apology? They can take their power trip and stick it up their kimchi disposal chute.
THey are dicking around, and at every turn, knocking some money off. Eventually it will be zero.

OP. Call the labor board.

[Ramen]

[poet13]

The school needs to turn over the return portion of the ticket.
That IS in the contract.
The contract does NOT stipulate that they don't need to supply it if the employee doens't leave the country.

If the employeR wants to be tight like that about not giving cash in lieue of, then the employeE should be tight like that and demand the ticket regardless of whether he or she is leaving or not.

[suhleafs]

Jada: The reason they are not changing the date to July 12th (I have one year left on a two year F4 Visa so that is not an issue) is because they are still bitter about me leaving the apartment messy EVEN though I did pay a cleaning fee and wrote a nice apology letter.

Poet: What you said is essentially my point. They HAVE to buy a ticket, whether the money is being wasted or not. Nothing in my contract says that I only have 30 days to use it and they seem to make up new rules just to convenience them, but if I ever mention something in the contract to my convenience then I'm not doing things "The Korean way". Whatever that means... the "way" that I am aware of is, that you sign a contract and you stick to the contract whether you like it or not.

[oskinny1]

I say just take the ticket they are giving you and try to change it. It will cost you a bit I am sure, but as far as I can tell the hogwan is following the contract (and ignoring the verbal contract).

[suhleafs]