Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jellypah]

I'm wondering how many teachers here have renewed their contracts and gotten either a flight home (or somewhere else) and back -- or gotten cash in lieu of a ticket.

Has anyone renewed and just not bothered about the plane fare until they're finally finished working with their school/hagwon?

Thanks for any replies!

[cruisemonkey]

I did.

[ttompatz]

[spliff]

^Me too, but my school in lieu of giving me a ticket back to the US east coast pays for I and my wife's RT ticket to Thailand. I think that's fair.

[Jellypah]

Thanks Cruise, Ttom, Spliff,...you're all at Public School, yes?

Anyone out there get some airfare for a renewal with a hagwon? Anyone out there NOT get some re-sign airfare or such?

Thank you again for any future replies!

[ttompatz]

[semi-fly]

[ttompatz]

[gwhitey09]

got my two weeks of vaca
and had romance with a kitten
can you top that?
me thinks not.

[ontheway]

At the hogwan where I work teachers get their ticket in cash at the end of their contract if they choose. If they renew for six months they'll get another ticket home at the end of the extension. If they renew for another year they'll get cash for a ticket to Korea at six months and cash for a ticket home at the end of the second year, all just as if the school had hired a new teacher. The renewing teacher also gets their severance money at the end of each contract, they don't have to wait, prorated severance if they extend for less than a year, and a raise in pay.

[Jellypah]

Thanks for the replies,...esp Ttom and ontheway.

I've been at my hagwon for FOUR years now and never asked for the airfare or equivalent. In fact, I paid over two million won for my own two week vacay back in 2006.

I'm going home for a visit next week and I had to FIGHT for my boss to cover the airfare. After a few rounds of back and forth I finally told her it was non-negotiable. She WAS going to cover the fare home. So she said she would - and she would research fares. She got a deal with some travel agent for 2.500,000W. I told her I was sure I could find better, and within ten minutes booked a return flight from Seoul for just under 1,300,000 therby saving her 1,200,000.

Then I started to figure out how to get from where I live to Seoul to make the flight. I finally opted for a morning flight instead of an overnight bus. Bus costs around 30,000 and the flight is a bit more than double that.

I asked my boss to book the flight for me and she agreed, but asked me "are you paying for it?"

"No. You pay for it."

"I thought I would pay your fare from Seoul. You can take a bus there."

"I'm not taking a bus. I'm flying. If I was finishing (after FOUR years!!) you'd pay my way from here!"

"But you're not finishing."

As it was, I had my bag over my shoulder on my way out the door, so I told her I didn't have time to argue about it right then. Tomorrow we're going to have to talk about it.

Right now I hear myself saying "I QUIT!"
She's going to be very unhappy. We just went through the CRC and medical to get me renewed (and I'm hoping I can get those back from Immigration for a new gig in Sept.....think that's possible?)

My boss only agreed to allow me three weeks vacation if I agreed to another year at lower pay than I was asking for. I'm tired of fighting her so I pretty much relented.

Now we're arguing over a 68,000 domestic flight.
I can certainly pay the fare, but it's the point. And it's the point that's breaking this camel's back. I feel like telling her I'll pay for the domestic flight and then handing her ANOTHER 68,000W and telling her to stick THAT up her ass.

Followed with "I QUIT!"

[Chris_Dixon]

I get a month holiday (unpaid) and return flights to New Zealand....

they still are better off as they dont pay recruitment fees..and im not a gamble like a new teacher would be