Korean Job Discussion Forums

Showtime · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Location: Suwon

I'm three months into my second six month contract with a school in an after school program. I've completed nine months of my year contract with the company that contracted me out to the school. Today my co teacher tells me I have to sign a new contract with the school because the school wants teachers to sign every three months for afterschool programs. They don't want me to go to immigration, but they want me to sign a new contract with school for my remaining three months. The catch is this new contract has a whole bunch of new rules. Any advice on how to handle this situation?

ED209 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006

What are these new rules? Are there any other changes?

Korussian · Joined: 15 Sep 2007

themagicbean · Joined: 04 Feb 2009

"No."

Showtime · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Location: Suwon

I hear you all, but what I'm trying to find out is

1. Is there any new governmental policy that would enable them to request me to sign another contract

2. Can the school just request me to sign a new contract in the middle of one ... Is this legal?

Don't all contracts have to go through immigration, so if they don't want me to go to immigration, how valid is this. Am I risking my job if I refuse? I've already signed once, why should I agree to another that is for the same time period... The Devil is in the details

Korussian · Joined: 15 Sep 2007

themagicbean · Joined: 04 Feb 2009

Tell them that you already signed one contract, the one immigration has, and you're not happy risking deportation signing another. Then tell them if they want to give you more hours/less pay (whatever bad term) they should've thought of that before the first contract was finalized. Or better yet, take a copy, look it over, then change it to up the pay, lower the hours, and hand it back to them, saying you made a few changes you'd like them to think over. When you need a good attorney PM me.

Which program are you with?

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang

Showtime · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Location: Suwon

Thank you one and all for your feedback. All comments have been helpful and informative. It's good to get honest feedback from honest folks.

Without going into too many details

Some of the rule changes are

The class should have no more than x amount of students. If if falls to y amount of students they can cancel the class and the contract with that class.

If I'm absent from work I have to make up the class. (What happened to sick days?)

If my sincerity/enthusiasm is judged to be inadequate I can be let go
(What's the criteria for judging these sorts of things?)

Matters not covered in the contract are subject to a School Steering Committee (so basically I'm supposed to waive the right to a real due process and yes I do know Korea has different rules than Western countries, but seriously)

And yet this isn't supposed to go through Immigration???

Unfortunately, I am not able to pm anyone, but if anyone wants to pass on legal contacts that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

nomad-ish · Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject:

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

There's nothing in this that is good for you. I wouldn't sign it.

It's not always a bad thing when an employer asks you to sign a new contract. For example, my former employer asked me to sign a new contract with a couple more hours and more pay and I was OK with that.

But with this one they're taking away your sick days, asking you to pay the price if they don't have enough students and asking you to give them wide open permission to fire you if they feel like it. How do they determine whether or not you are sincere or enthusiastic enough? No way I would agree to that.

There's nothing that says that you have to sign a new contract when they demand it. They might not be happy if you don't sign it, but in a case like this I would say "too bad."