Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dances With Wolves]

I have a few questions about getting severance, pension, and airfare money when an EPIK contract has been completed. Is there anyway to get the money before you leave the country, or do you just have to trust the government to do the right thing after you leave? Also, do you just give the government your bank account numbers back home and they deposit the money into your account? Do you get the severance pay in your last paycheck? Do you get any of the payments in your last paycheck? Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

[schwa]

Heres how it has worked in Gangwon the last couple years:

Severance & airfare reimbursement are paid out together after completion of the contract. In practice, this has taken from one week to (maximum) one month.

Some districts require proof that the submitted air ticket was actually used as claimed, by asking for a faxed copy of the boarding pass. (On the suspicion, not unfounded, that some people were milking the system by buying expensive tickets & flipping them for cash or cheaper destinations.)

The contract requires that the ticket home (or to a nearer destination) be used within 10 days of contract completion.

These conditions will become moot in Gangwon after september 2009. New contracts since march this year use the new fixed-amount no-questions-asked system (1.3 mil on completion, 2 mil for renewers).

Re: receiving moneys owed. Departees leave a bank account number (a bank in Korea or wherever) with their co-teacher or school admin. Once everything is processed by the school the money is transferred (minus transfer fees). Many dozens of people have done that here without a glitch yet. Alternatively, you can opt to have the money deposited in the account of a trusted friend here in Korea & have them do the transferring.

Note, I'm just talking about Gangwon. Other provinces may have different policies.

Pension works independently. I'm not an expert on this procedure but I know you need to apply in person sometime in your last month here once you've got your ticket out in hand. By all accounts I've heard, they're reliable too about transferring your money wherever you want it sent.

[Tobias]

Final Salary and Bonus: You may need to get a 'departure extension' from immy if your contract is ending on your final payday, and that payday happens to come on a Friday or a weekend day. You'll need the time to get paid and close down your bank account before you have to leave the country. A departure extension will allow you to do that. You'll need to go to immy with your plane ticket and file the form there.

Pension: You'll need to file with your pension office for your refund in your final weeks before leaving. You'll have to bring your ARC, your plane ticket, and your bank account info. You'll also need to give your SSN, according to some here. This is apparently a new requirement or an old one that is being suddenly enforced. About 6 weeks after you leave, your refund will be deposited. No worries.

[Rory_Calhoun27]

Anyway around the whole airline ticket? Like getting paid cash for the return? I have another job lined up, but after the crummy coteacher and other problems I've experienced at school, I'd like to stick them at least on that front.

Evil, yes? Does it bother me? Not so much..... did my coteacher apologize for slapping me after an argument, breaking my glasses, and refusing to follow ANY of the guidelines recommended by the government for successful coteaching? Eh... not really...

And barring that, anyone know of some really GOOD final way to make sure everyone involved the chaos of the past year REALLY loses face at my final day? Something REALLY evil...

[Dances With Wolves]

Thanks for the replies. I guess it appears I have to let Korea take care of everything. To Rory I can not believe a teacher smacked you.....that is really unprofessional, not to mention illegal. Sorry that happened to you.

[Rory_Calhoun27]

Thank you! Talk about unprofesssional.... in hindsight I really did wish I pushed it more and got the police involved. Or her on some lithium... you hear people bashing the sanity of women here, but this was the first nitcase I've met face to face.... otherwise, all my coworkers and friends have been fairly even-keeled. Just the one I have to work with every day who decides to hold that anger in over night...