Korean Job Discussion Forums

Been There, Taught That · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:45 am Post subject: Question about GEPIK contract

Knowing the search function here, I decided just to ask directly for any advice.

I've decided on a public elementary school in Suwon, standard GEPIK contract. I'd just like to know if there is any way around this:

jadarite · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject:

I highly doubt you can get around it. However, it's not 900,000 won up front. They take out 300,000 over 3 months. It may seem like a lot, but would you rather take a chance with a private school (hagwon) which might not pay your severance or give you your last month's pay?

Make sure you get your 300,000 won settlement allowance.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

icicle · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Gyeonggi do Korea

For the last couple of years it has been a standard part of the GEPIK contract and like most things in it usually non negotiable ... So you can either chose to accept it OR find a different job. BUT as the previous poster said you will not have any problem in getting it back when you leave ... as long as you don't do anything wrong to your apartment and have paid all the bills. You should get it back on your last day ... so you can have it as soon as you finish. That is part of standard procedure.. It is possible for the school to get the bills up to you final day (or close enough) so that they can pay them and then refund the balance to you. I finished my contract last year early (with appropriate notice) for famiy reasons and had no problem at all in getting it back.

Been There, Taught That · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 12:15 am Post subject:

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Sounds like "runner insurance" to me. Wink

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

That deposit is in my top three reasons for not signing a new public school contract.

jadarite · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:02 pm Post subject:

900,000 sounds like a lot, but if they give 300,000 in settlement allowance then it's really only 600,000.

Provided they return this money, I don't see a problem with it. In fact, if something were to happen, like a breaking a chair or damaging it, knowing that money is in their pockets to replace it is better in my opinion than figuring out how to pay for it at the end of the year when you didn't account for it.

So far, I have worked with 2 hagwons, one owner is a really nice guy but tries to cut expenses. Even when I told him I would help pay for rent if he found me an apartment, he wouldn't even look. He insisted I live in a run down house for 100,000 won which saved him expenses, but didn't give me adequate living accommodations. He also didn't pay pension, and I have to check if he actually paid taxes or pocketed it.

The other hagwon owner is going to legally "own" a school in November. The previous owner (or current one until November) didn't pay any of the teachers May pay, and the new owner refused to pay saying it was the previous owner's responsibility. We're talking about 10 Korean teachers and 4 native English teachers. Also, figure into this severance for the native English teachers and airfare back home.

Even though my pay was good with them when I did get paid, I had to hold my ground to get June pay by refusing to go to work until they deposited my June pay into my bank account. When I left, they didn't pay my August pay and said they wouldn't.

I haven't worked with a public school yet, but I am with one now and I get a different attitude from them. It's not their money, so, they don't have an incentive to pocket the money. They have limited funds to work with, but if you don't get money for something they don't necessarily get it. At best, they could use that money for something else. The hagwon owner on the other hand has reason to screw you.

I suggest we accept this 900,000 won security deposit, demand 300,000 won settlement allowance upfront, or more, and focus on other issues like transportation and the ability to teach at other schools outside of the GEPIK school we sign a contract with.

Full time to me, in the United States, is 40 hours a week. If each of our contracts is set to 22 hours, then we are missing 18 hours of potential income.

A 2.1 million job at 22 hours comes to 23,863.63 won per hour. So, we lose a potential of making 1,718,181.81 won each month because GEPIK won't allow us to work at other schools.

In fact, overtime is set to 20,000 won (less than normal pay). So, which is more important to you, getting 300,000 won of your income right away for 3 months or getting 1.5 million more to your monthly salary for the full 12 months of your contract?

If we are willing to work those extra hours, we should be allowed to.

icicle · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Gyeonggi do Korea

But your contracts are NOT set at 22 hours. Your actual "working hours" are much longer than that ... So you actually do not have that much "non working time". Your normal contract teaching hours are 22 hours ... You then need to prepare for your classes ... And whatever else your school wants to throw at you.. While you may end up with time to burn (or at least I did when I worked in a public school) ... the time still belongs to your school rather than you ...

jadarite · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject:

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

You are dreaming if you think they will let you do other work. Public schools own you and will make you be there 40 hours a week.

Some will even have you sit there and do nothing during the holidays.

jadarite · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject:

I never said I think they will. My posts have actually incorporated the premise they won't. However, you are dreaming if you think the working environment can improve by staying a slave to the system. It's not that hard to be a complete pest to them and try to push working at another location all year round.

It's simple, you stay in the country until you earn enough cash and you have a face to face meeting when ready. You tell them straight out you don't want to leave, that you enjoy your job (and do a damn good job so they don't want to lose you), but unless you can earn more either with overtime or by working at another school (which would mean the school wouldn't have to pay), then you will leave before your year contract is up.

This means they have to find another teacher, go through a recruiter again, satisfy immigration, etc...

If enough of us do this, then something can be done. If we sit back and do nothing, then we are merely co-existing while others are productive at their job.

This is an anchoring mechanism to control foreigner's income, and if you want that then do nothing. If you want to stay in Korea and EARN an income more than what they are giving now, you need to take action.

Put some dent into the system any way you can. I have done this with previous schools in both Japan and Korea. While they initially said no to whatever my requests were, I found something they wanted in me to increase the chances I would get what I asking for.

Make it a WIN/WIN situation for you and the other person, and they are more likely to say yes. If you only concentrate on your WIN, then of course they won't bend.

chris_J2 · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Location: From Brisbane, Au.

jadarite · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 3:25 am Post subject: Re: Gepik

chris_J2 · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Location: From Brisbane, Au.

GEPIK Contract:

② working hours : five days per week(Mon. ~ Fri.), eight hours per day.

③ what to do : Teach students or teachers for 22 hours per week, and study or prepare teaching materials for your English class for the rest of the time.

http://www.gochang.es.kr/gepik/web/condition.php

Article 17 (EPIK):

Employee shall not engage in any other job (including a part-time job) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.

http://epik.knue.ac.kr/file/2007%20EPIK%20Contract_Form(A4%20size).doc