Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mrf04]

I have finished my one year contract and signed on for an additional 6 months meaning that I will be leaving Korea in late August (after 18 months). I was reading that any time after one year the "severance pay or bonus" by law should be prorated to match the additional months spent in Korea. I was just paid last week and was given the 2.2 million won bonus for 12 months work, so I am under the impression that I will not be given any additional severance pay at the end of my contract. Is this legal or can my school simply say since I signed a new contract for less than one year (6 month extension) I am not eligible to receive any additional severance?

[cincynate]

Since you signed a new contract, you're probably not getting any severance.

[tired of LA]

Since you received the severance already, you would have to work another 12 months before you are eligible for it again. If you didn't receive the severance, then the school would have had to prorate your severance at the end of your extension. This is something you should have discussed before extending your contract.

[oskinny1]

[air76]

I believe that officially you are supposed to get a severance equal to your ACTUAL salary, meaning the average over the year including overtime pay....but I've never heard of anyone getting any more than just their base salary from the contract.

[ttompatz]

[oskinny1]

[buster brown]

I received severance based on Labor Law standards (average of final 3 months) at a national university unigwon. I printed out the relevant sections (severance, definition of average salary) and gave them to the director. She didn't act on it until I was up for contract renewal, when I showed them that the contract's severance clause didn't meet Labor standards. There was a big meeting of several higher-ups but the end result was me getting the proper amount of severance for both years I worked there. On top of that, another teacher who had re-signed several months earlier was also given his additional severance as back-pay.

You have nothing to lose by forcing the issue with your school. If you ask for it and they say 'No', you won't be in a worse position. There's always the chance that they'll pay you what they owe you. Of course, the Labor Board would side with you on the issue if it ever came to that.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[LarrytheGiraffee]

By law, you should still receive 6 months worth of severence even if you have signed a new contract.

Technically with severence, you should receive it when you actually leave your job, but there is a clause that allows you to request your severence at the end of each year.

By taking your severence at the end of the first year and signing a new contract, you are just receiving your severence under the clause.

Just peruse the labour law website and talk to your employer at least a month in advance so there arent any surprises when you leave.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Mirabilis85]

To bring back this thread for the sake of clarity.....

I received my severance in Nov 2009 for a completed first year and renewed my contract at the same time. I will be working this job until August. I cant claim a pro-rated severance for the 9 months I will have worked? It sounds like I shouldnt have collected and just waited until August if I wanted a bigger severance..

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[stevelad_83]

You are due severance for every month you worked. I was on an 18 month contract, and my school paid me after 12 months. They told me I would not get any money for the additional months. They were wrong. By law they have to pay you. I just received the additional 6 months severance. It took a while to sort out, but you're entitled to it.