Korean Job Discussion Forums

[VanIslander]

I was thinking it'd be great to work part time for six months or a year, like 2 or 3 days a week, and easiest way of doing that seems to be to share a job.

But is it legal?

Would both teachers have to be hired full time to get an E-2 visa, or can one get an E-2 visa with a part time position?

This would be an EASY sell to a mom and pop hagwon owner who would like to keep the foreign teacher they like. It might also help business and teaching to have two waygooks teach the same students, especially in a small town where most hagwons have a hard enough time getting one foreign teacher, two would be a stand out situation.

This idea just came to me, dunno how/if it'd work.

But it sure seems win-win. Especially next summer where I could work back-to-back days and get 4 or 5 off in a row each week, and the other teacher, a newbie perhaps, can ease into the teaching and cultural adjustment for a few months before assuming more hours.

Anybody tried it? Know of specific obstacles?

(I've a big two-bedroom place so accommodation isn't a problem, and the hagwon director/owner would be on board I bet, so it comes down to the law and just actual practicality).

Pay presumably would be percentagewise. I'd gladly spend six months making 40% of my 2.5 mill and working two back-to-back days a week and sharing the two-bedroom apartment.

[the_beaver]

A couple of guys who came to Beaver's Wings used to do that. For three months one would be in Thailand looking after the business (they were partners in a hotel), and the other would be here teaching. Then they'd switch off.

[VanIslander]

[the_beaver]

[soviet_man]

In my building there used to be a married couple in their mid 60s (semi-retired) who job shared a hagwon job ---- worked 2 or 3 days each and actually had time for other activities/interests on the other days.

Absolutely do-able with the right person and right manager.

I can't see any particular problem with ordinary E2s.

[Draz]

[seoulteacher]

Good thread! I think that there are a whole lot of creative work solutions that could benefit both teachers and employers.

eg. What about the below to enable more time off from the workplace than is commonly possible:

teacher A wants a long (unpaid) vacation, or leave of absence, between contracts, of say 3+ months, and so either:
i) teacher B, who's teaching load has been turned over to new teacher C at the end of B's initial visa, stays on & covers for A by working 3+ mths longer; or,
ii) the hogwan advertises for someone, teacher D, to work for 3+ months only, covering for A.

And if Korean Immigration issues only 12-mth E2 visas, couldn't a release letter be given by the employer when contracts are ended (by pre-agreement) at less than 12 months?

Everyone's happy: the hogwan & the teachers!

[Suwon23]

I don't understand how this would be legal. To get an E2 visa, you have to be full time, right? You can't get an E2 visa with a part-time job. And if you have two full time employees trading shifts, they each have a contract for 2.3/month. Even if you each have a contract for 1.2/month or something, it will still say you have to work 120 hours/month, and what happens when your sleazy boss stabs you by making you work all the hours in your contract, against your agreement? I don't understand how this is supposed to work.

[Otherside]

[cdninkorea]

[gteacher]

[VanIslander]

[Otherside]

Van, interesting suggestion.

First off, this idea wouldn't fly at the vast majority of places based on the accomodation issue alone, your school is an exception, so lets use that as the basis.

In exchange for 2.5 days a week work (perhaps, week on, week off, or 2 days 1 week, 3 days the next etc) I get a salary of 1.2mill and a room in your apartment.

Well, sharing accom in the ESL game with a random stranger (no offense) is a big NO-NO, but lets overlook that. Second problem is airfare. Perhaps we could come to some workable arrangement, so lets overlook that too.

For someone to accept the original package (and overlook the above 2 problems) they would have to fall into one of the following categories.

1. Working multiple jobs, legally or illegally. No way Korea's worth it for 1.2mill a month. This coupled with a huge amount of free time = no cash left at the end of the month.

2. Studying, someone doing a distance degree might relish the idea of having a couple days a week to invest into his/her degree while earning some cash and having a roof over their head (actually this is quite an attractive proposition for someone in this category).

3. Someone who is really keen to travel, locally and abroad. This job would provide plenty of time to travel, and someone who spent 6months working here, would be able to explore practically every nook and cranny in the country. Going abroad may have been attractive a while back, but with the weak won and high fuel prices, 1.2mill a month isn't going to be funding to many trips.

Which category do you fall into?

[KoreanAmbition]

You don't need to share accomodations.

*beep* accomodations. This is your second job anyways, so you should already have accomodations. If not, then this is tons of extra cash that can put you into a sweet pad. Find a hagwon that is willing to give pay without accomodations, and just split the shifts with the other worker.

The problem that arises is what happens if ONE worker bails out of the plan. Then the second teacher is responsible.

If I were a hagwon owner I wouldn't be too keen on the idea of 2 teachers each pointing fingers at the OTHER teacher saying "it was his turn to teach, I'm not doing it."

Now, if you can find a way to gaurantee to the hagwon owner that someone is always going to show up, then I think you'll find success in this venture.

[withnail]

Good idea, this!