Korean Job Discussion Forums

[robyn1882]

Employment Contract
This Employment Contract has been made by and between Plus Language School having its location at _________________ Korea (hereinafter called Employer) and ___________ (hereinafter called Employee) for one year employment from ____________________________________.
1. Schedule
The regular teaching time will be 120 hours a month (for example: 144classes of 45 minutes class), Monday through Friday. It includes 5 minutes regular short break time after class but doesn�t include times that are for class preparation, meal, staff meeting and seminar for training. The school usually runs daily 2:30pm-10:00pm except summer and winter intensive session. Classes and teaching schedules will be organized by employer and will be flexible in accordance with the special needs and situations of the school and children
2. Pay/ Overtime
The Employer agrees to pay the Employee a basic salary 2.3 Million won per month. The salary will be regularly paid every month to the Employee.
As for the overtime teaching beyond 120 hours a month, the Employee will be paid 20,000 Korean won per hour (60 minutes). Overtime work except emergency should be informed to employee at least 7 days in advance and employee is to be positive to take it.
Although the Employer taught less than the regular 120 hours per month, the Employee will still be paid a base salary of 2.3 Million won per month.

3. Severance Payment
The Employee will be given a bonus of one month salary, 2.3 Million won as bonus (this means severance payment) for completing one year contract period. This amount will be paid at the time of, and is dependent on, the completion of the full contract term.

4. Air Ticket

Economy class air ticket from the nearest international airport (____________) to the employee to Korea will be provided to the employee. A returning air ticket will be provided to the Employee�s home upon completing of the full contract period. Regardless of the point of departure, the return ticket will be provided to the nearest international airport to the Employee�s home, and not to the point of departure, should they differ. The employer will pay the employee airfare that is equivalent to return ticket for the nearest international airport to employee�s home although the employee return to somewhere else when he/she finish a full year contract.

In the event that the Employee continues employment under a subsequent employment agreement with the Employer, the return air ticket will be provided at the time of completion of the subsequent contract period(s).

When the Employee resigns within 6 months from his/her arrival in Korea because of the Employee�s faults, the Employee shall reimburse the Employer the airfare paid at the time of arrival in Korea.

When the Employee resigns after 6 months from the Employee�s arrival in Korea and not completed 1 year contract, the Employer shall not give the Employee a returning ticket to his/ her home country.

5. Housing
The Employer will provide the furnished housing for the employee with the rental at the Employer�s cost as agreed upon by both parties and stated below.

* A private furnished Apartment. (It has Cell phone ,Cooking wares, Bed and linen, Blanket, TV, Washing machine, Air-conditioner, Fridge, Dining table, Wardrobe, etc)
.
Running cost of the accommodation (including electricity, gas, water bills, telephone and other utility charges) other than the rental of the housing will be paid by the Employee. In the event that teachers are sharing accommodation, the running costs will be divided between the teachers equally. The Employee is not responsible for the previous occupant�s unpaid bills.

The Employer will deduct 150,000 Korean Won from the Employee�s monthly payment for first three months to make 450,000 Korean Won in total as housing management deposit. This deposit is to cover unpaid monthly service, utility, and telephone charges which will be billed at following or next following month after the Employee�s contract period. Dependent on a written guarantee from a guarantor acceptable to the Employer, the Employer agrees to return the deposit in full to the Employee at the time of completion of the Employee�s period of Contract including any period of employment beyond that covered by this agreement. In the absence of such written guarantee, the Employer will hold the full amount of the deposit until all outstanding monthly service, utility, and telephone charges have been paid.

6. Medical Insurance
The Employer agrees to join employee Korean national medical insurance scheme in compliance with Korean labor law. It doesn�t include dental insurance.

7. Accident Compensation
In the event that the Employee sustains injuries from an accident or mishap which occurs outside the course of normal work duties, the Employee understands and agrees that the Employer will have no responsibility for, nor obligation to pay, medical and hospital costs which are in excess of those covered by medical insurance.

8. Teaching Materials
The Employee will be given materials to teach to the class. The Employee may be expected to work alone without a Korean English teacher�s assistance.

9. Holidays/ Sick days/ Lateness/ Absence
During the school year, there are Korean national holidays. And besides these national holidays the employee can have leave for 2 weeks (one week in the first six months and one week in the second six months) subject to the arrangement by the employer and being requested by the employee more than four weeks in advance and approved subject to convenience of re-arranging the teaching schedules by the employer.
School holidays will be included in above employee�s holidays.
The Employer will allow the teachers 3 sick days paid a year. In case of exceeding 3 days of illness, the Employer may deduct a day�s pay for every day the Employee is absent from work or deduct days from holidays. The Employee must notify the Employer at least five hours before class time of illness with the doctor�s diagnosis.

Lateness: If the Employee is late to the class 10 minutes without notification, one hour rate of payment may be deducted.
10. The Employee�s Obligation
1) The Employee shall observe the Employer�s work system and regulations concerning administration of foreign experts and shall accept the Employer�s arrangement, direction, supervision and evaluation in regard to his/ her work.

2) Without the Employer�s consent, the Employee shall not render service elsewhere or hold concurrently any post unrelated to the work agreed on with the Employer.

3) The Employee shall complete the tasks agreed on schedule and guarantee the quality of work.

4) Professional dress and grooming in the work are essential to maintain the desired reputation to the school. The Employer shall establish general guidelines for this.

5) The Employee shall be expected to prepare daily topics for the class beforehand.

6) The Employee can be required to attend all the staffs� meeting. If the Employee must be absent, he/she informs the Employer prior to the meeting.

7) The Employee must behave in professional manner during class or when socializing with students after class.

The Employee shall respect the Korean people�s moral standards and customs.

9) The Employee shall not sexually harass students in his/ her charge.

10) Any form of physical punishment to students cannot be tolerated.

11) At all times during the term of this agreement, the Employee will directly adhere to and obey all the rules and regulations that have been or may hereafter be established, by the Employer for the conduct of the Employee or generally for the conduct of instructors at the place of employment.
11. Taxes
Taxes and deductions in compliance with Korean Law shall be withheld automatically from the Employee�s monthly salary. The deductions will be income tax, residence tax, medical insurance (50%), National Pension (50%) and so forth if any, from monthly and severance payment.
12. Relocation and Orientation Time
The Employee will be allowed several days from the date of arrival in Korea for adjustment and school orientation before beginning regular teaching duties. Computation of initial pay period of the Employee will commence from the first teaching day.
13. Termination
The Employer and the Employee may terminate the contract with the written notice 40 days in advance. The proper reasons and adequate grounds must be provided in order for the contract to be dissolved. In the event that this contract is canceled the employer must issue a letter of release, without delay or any undue fee being charged to the employee or potential employers.
14. Arbitration
The two parties shall consult with each other and mediate any disputes which may arise about the contract. If all attempts fail, the two parties can appeal to the organization of arbitration for foreign expert affairs in Korea according to the Korean Regulations and Codes. In the event that no solution is deemed proper to both parties and either party decides to terminate this contract, they must do so in accordance with Section 14 above. Additionally, the employee may seek annulment in case where the employer does not complete the terms of the contract as required of them according to the contract.
15. Sympathy
In the event of death of an immediate family member of the employee arrangements will be made to excuse the employee from work. These days missed will be unpaid days but will not be counted as sick or vacation days.
This contract is signed in duplicate on the 17th day of June , 2008 in English for each party�s perusal and keeping.
Employee�s full name
Employee�s signature
Employer�s full name
Employer�s full signature

[afsjesse]

A couple of thing I found fishy about this thing. When it says you work 120 hours the example of 144 classes I think is weird.

My classes were 50 minutes each with 10 minutes to prepare. That equals one hour in my old contract. To plan and teach 144 "hours" is above and beyond that.

Also it says that hagwon Holiday are included in your Vacation, does that mean they are deducted from it?

[Otherside]

[TheChickenLover]

This is a perfect example of a sweat-shop style teaching contract.

144 classes. Are you just insane or plainly stupid?

If you sign this you deserve ZERO sympathy for the problems that arise your premature departure after you burn out.

Chicken

[yingwenlaoshi]

Yeah, I stopped reading at right around the 144 classes deal. And this 120 hours (actual or classes) should be wiped out of contracts altogether. It's not however many classes or hours per month, it's per week and/or per day.

The day seems to long too at 7.5 hrs.

[robyn1882]

Thanks for the replies guys. I actually already work for the school. I'm there for 7.5 hours a day, which does suck, but I never teach more than 4 hours a day, Tuesdays and Thursdays I only teach 2 hours, which I don't mind since I taught 6.5 in Canada. Everything has been fine so far, Im not worked like a slave, pay is on time, I choose my own vacation, etc.

Here is the deal, our school has recently merged with a bigger company, and we have to resign this contract under the new company, and before I sign this, I wanted some people to reveiw it. We have been told that absolutly nothing will change at our branch, but it's Korea! Does anyone have any experience with schools being taken over by new owners and is their any advice/ warnings anyone wants to ofer. Thanks for the help.