Korean Job Discussion Forums

summer33ny · Joined: 10 Aug 2006

Does anyone know if there is an EPIK person who exists whom we can contact with questions?

We started Feb 2009 and the orientation was a great start and smooth transition...but afterward all communication with EPIK immediately ceased. Now there seems to be so many lose ends and we feel like we have been left hanging and are confused. We have cell phones we are suppossed to return for our deposits, an exit allowance that they are trying to jip us out of (they want a return ticket price as oppossed to paying the entire exit allowance in the contract), we have no idea what's going on with severance & pension.

Anyone else lost about what to do?

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

What does your school say? Can you have the money sent to your bank at home? I think you can set up a KEB account (not KB from what I understand) where you can transfer the money online to your account at home. I would push the school in getting the answers needed.

jmuns · Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Location: earth

how much did you receive when you arrived for your entrance allowance? people i know received the price of the ticket, not the entire allowance. it is an allowance, meaning that they will pay up to a certain price, not that they will pay that price no matter what. as far as hour cell phones go, no one is going to help you with that, you went and got them, so i would suggest going back to the place you purchased them and get the deposit back from there. pension, well there are a hundred threads on here relating to getting that back when you leave. severance and the refund on your air ticket will be paid after you leave, so they are going to either deposit it into your korean account, or you can leave an account number back in your home country that they can transfer your airfare and severance into.

summer33ny · Joined: 10 Aug 2006

We received the entire entrance allowance when we arrived in Korea. And I don't understand how they can construe it to mean any amount they choose up to the exit allowance since it clearly says that when all duties of the contract is met the employee is to be given a 1.3 million exit allowance.

EPIK helped us with getting our cell phones. They took care of everything. I never get any bills sent to me for my cell phone... every now and then my service will shut off and then I know I have to go and pay a bill. It remains a mystery whose name the cell phone is under...

I can figure out severance & pension on my own...but I guess I am mostly disappointed with EPIK for not keeping the lines of communication open this past year. I guess I expected some type of on-going updates from time to time or at least a contact person we can reach about questions or concerns like this.

mulligc3 · Joined: 04 Mar 2009

Where did you hear about not getting the 1.3 million for flights?
This is all new to me

Emark · Joined: 10 May 2007 Location: duh, Korea?

son of coco · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

I emailed someone at EPIK about this when I was leaving last year. I'd suggest going to their website and getting the email address. I forget who I talked to now, but I do remember that my school sorted it all out for me in the end. You should just have to give the co-teacher looking after you your return flight receipt and your bank details and it'll be paid in with your severance.

DosEquisXX · Joined: 04 Nov 2009

I have noticed the same thing. I complained about what I perceived as a breach of contract, received my response and haven't heard anything since when I had other questions to ask.

Guess it's standard to leave people hanging like that in Korea.