Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jerry Todd]

Hi,

I work at an elementary school in Seoul and my contract is through SMOE. When I signed my contract, I was told I would be paid extra for doing a winter/summer camp. However, I've recently been informed by my school that I will only be paid my monthly salary and no extra for doing the winter camp. This is apparently a new SMOE policy. I am wondering if any other SMOE employees have heard this as well.

Thanks.

[pjmancktelow]

i too am smoe. and i've always been told/made aware i have to teach 3 weeks of camp in the winter and 3 in the summer as part of my salary

[steveinincheon]

Who told you that you would get paid extra for winter camp? I would be willing to guess it was the recruiter and not your actual school. Here in Incheon winter camp does not get extra pay, and the friends I have in SMOE don't get extra for it either. According to your contract you should get 7 days off paid vacation during Winter break, but otherwise you are expected to be at the school. In order to be officially eligible for any overtime you must exceed 22 teaching hours a week, which won't happen during the winter vacation. I think that the SMOE contracts specifically state that you will be expected to conduct activities during the school vacations. Unless you are exceeding 22 hours a week I don't see how you expect to qualify for extra pay.

[cruisemonkey]

[prideofidaho]

Some people get paid extra, others don't. If you get extra the general concensus is to keep that to yourself lest you want to lose it next time.

It's not in the contract, and perhaps whoever told you that you would be getting extra money meant to say that you might get paid extra and just had an unfortunate choice of words.

Sorry if you were mislead. As you have probably already figured out, things are never consistent with SMOE and everyone has a slightly different tune to tell. Sometimes I got extra money, other times I didn't...and it had nothing to do with making extra materials, going to another school, etc.

[Loudog]

It is in my contract (GEPIK) that I don't get paid for camps. My co-teacher (the head of the English Dept.) told me that I would get paid extra. I knew that I shouldn't, but if they did not know that then I wasn't going to complain! The next day she apologized for the mistake and told me I would not get any extra money. It's pretty clear in my contract, take a look at yours.

[zipper]

[Dodgy Al]

[Rusty Shackleford]

[hapigokelli]

[jonpurdy]

As long as you teach below 22 hours per week you will get no extra pay. But teaching after 5pm or on weekends will yield extra pay. In Ulsan, they had us teaching and doing activities after 5 and on weekends in order to pay us extra. Of course, we actually had to WORK on weekends which kind of sucks, but it was nice to get some extra money.

[Gillian57]

Here is a direct quote from my contract for this year:

Article 7 (Work Place)
(3) Employer may designate Employee to work at a Provincial or Local Office of Education, training center or other educational institute while school is in session or recess. (Employer will be able to pay additional money to Employee who participates in special teaching programs.)

Emphasis mine.

I am reading this to mean that if I am required to teach non-standard classes, i.e., classes not normally scheduled, then I will receive pay above and beyond my regular pay. Am I reading this correctly?

[Rusty Shackleford]

[cruisemonkey]

[tired of LA]