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C00LAS1CE
Joined: 14 Feb 2010
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 Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 1:31 am Post subject: First-timer Position with Olympiad in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul |
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Several days ago I applied to this position with the recruiter ESL Park, and after speaking shortly with the recruiter he offered me the position, as long as I can get all my paperwork done ASAP. I have sent out about 15-20 emails with my resume/cover letter/photo in the past several days and have as of yet received very few responses, and this one has definitely appealed to me the most. The hours are 2-10/3-11 (30 hrs teaching/week) which is a little later than I would've liked (would've preferred something more like 10-4 but those are hard to come by) but I am a night person so hopefully it won't be too much of an issue. Pay is 2.2 which is the minimum I was willing to accept. I was originally looking for a position in Gangnam-gu for more of the big-city vibe, but I figure due to my lack of experience as a somewhat-newly graduate I should be happy I'm getting a position in Seoul at all, esp. with a a school like Olympiad/Avalon which from what I can tell is pretty reputable. I looked over the contract and some things stuck out to me:
*200,000KRW will be deducted from each of the Employee�s first three paychecks for a total of 600,000 KRW to be used as a security deposit. (this was mentioned in the stickied contract thread)
*The Employee has to arrange and purchase their entry air ticket by themselves. Once the Employee passes the medical test and obtains an Alien Registration Card in Korea, the airfare amount up to (1,200,000) KRW will be reimbursed back to the Employee.
(I was told verbally by the recruiter the tickets are prepaid and this part of the contract is outdated)
*The Employee may have 10 working days as paid vacation per year. Up to 5 consecutive days may be taken at once. 3 days of Institute-scheduled vacation are counted in these 10 days. 2 of the remaining 7 days are also set to be used to extend the official break period of the Institute during Korean holidays. No vacation days other than those scheduled by the Employer may be taken during the first 3 months of employment. The use of vacation must be approved by the Employer at least one month in advance. Days in which the Employee does not regularly work i.e., Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays are not to be considered as part of the vacation period.
The Employee will not be allowed to take their vacation during the Summer, and Winter intensive terms, and during the last week of their contract.
(not sure if this is what's to be expected or not)
*The Employee may use up to 5 paid sick days per year provided they bring a doctor�s note from a hospital. Any additional sick days beyond the 5 days provided will be counted as absences, and the pay will be calculated according to the daily rate/hourly rate. No more than two consecutive sick days may be taken at once.
(this seems kind of ridiculous, but again I don't know what the norm is)
*The Employer retains the right to terminate the contract immediately if:
b. The Employee teaches off the Employer�s property.
(wasn't planning on doing private lessons, but that seems kind of strange)
f. The Employee tells others about their own employment contract details. (?)
Questions for recruiter before signing:
How close to school is the apartment?
Are there any gyms near the apartment or school?
How many classes per day will I be teaching? (Not mentioned in contract)
What % is deducted from each paycheck for pension/healthcare? (Mentions 3.3% deducted for income tax, but not the other two)
How many foreign teachers are there?
Can I see some pictures of the school and apartment?
Anything I'm missing?
Sorry if this is long but I have a contract phobia and just wanted to make sure I'm not getting screwed over. Any insight or advice on anything I've mentioned in this thread is much welcomed and appreciated  |
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LTTMoose
Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:56 am Post subject: |
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Hey,
First off, I'm pretty sure this should be posted in the Contracts Stickey up at the top of the forum. Not sure if anyone here is a stickler for forum cleanliness, but whatevs =p
As per your points:
| Quote: |
| *200,000KRW will be deducted from each of the Employee�s first three paychecks for a total of 600,000 KRW to be used as a security deposit. (this was mentioned in the stickied contract thread) |
From what I understand, don't pay any deposits. You will never see them again.
| Quote: |
*The Employee has to arrange and purchase their entry air ticket by themselves. Once the Employee passes the medical test and obtains an Alien Registration Card in Korea, the airfare amount up to (1,200,000) KRW will be reimbursed back to the Employee.
(I was told verbally by the recruiter the tickets are prepaid and this part of the contract is outdated) |
Your recruiter is correct, but make sure they update that part before you sign.
| Quote: |
*The Employee may have 10 working days as paid vacation per year. Up to 5 consecutive days may be taken at once. 3 days of Institute-scheduled vacation are counted in these 10 days. 2 of the remaining 7 days are also set to be used to extend the official break period of the Institute during Korean holidays. No vacation days other than those scheduled by the Employer may be taken during the first 3 months of employment. The use of vacation must be approved by the Employer at least one month in advance. Days in which the Employee does not regularly work i.e., Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays are not to be considered as part of the vacation period.
The Employee will not be allowed to take their vacation during the Summer, and Winter intensive terms, and during the last week of their contract.
(not sure if this is what's to be expected or not) |
Those 2 days to "extend official break period" seem fishy to me. Like they're trying to get you to work extra hours whenever there's a national holiday. Holidays are holidays, you don't have to make them up.
| Quote: |
*The Employee may use up to 5 paid sick days per year provided they bring a doctor�s note from a hospital. Any additional sick days beyond the 5 days provided will be counted as absences, and the pay will be calculated according to the daily rate/hourly rate. No more than two consecutive sick days may be taken at once.
(this seems kind of ridiculous, but again I don't know what the norm is) |
The amount of days is good, but the stipulation that no more than two sick days may be taken together is bull-plop.
| Quote: |
*The Employer retains the right to terminate the contract immediately if:
b. The Employee teaches off the Employer�s property.
(wasn't planning on doing private lessons, but that seems kind of strange) |
Unless you're on something other than an E-2 visa, it is illegal for you to work anywhere other than your school. The school can fire you for doing so and immigration will kick you out of the country.
| Quote: |
| f. The Employee tells others about their own employment contract details. (?) |
Basic confidentiality clause, but still a bit silly. Just don't talk about it around the boss or anyone who looks like a squeeler.
Hope this helps! |
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Whitey Otez
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: The suburbs of Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: First-timer Position with Olympiad in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul |
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| C00LAS1CE wrote: |
Questions for recruiter before signing:
How close to school is the apartment?
Are there any gyms near the apartment or school?
How many classes per day will I be teaching? (Not mentioned in contract)
What % is deducted from each paycheck for pension/healthcare? (Mentions 3.3% deducted for income tax, but not the other two)
How many foreign teachers are there?
Can I see some pictures of the school and apartment?
Anything I'm missing?
Sorry if this is long but I have a contract phobia and just wanted to make sure I'm not getting screwed over. Any insight or advice on anything I've mentioned in this thread is much welcomed and appreciated |
Olympiad!
I worked in that area for a year and a half. We lost most of our fifth and sixth graders to them until my old boss bought another cram school franchise nearby.
There are a few gyms in the area, you'll probably end up joining the one around the corner and up by the bridge. It's five years old but probably still decent. You'll need it since the school is literally right on top of a McDonalds and you'll be smelling french fries every day.
I don't know if they still do, but Olympiad used to work late into the night and on weekends. Again, I'm not sure if you'll be doing those hours or if those are for the ruler snappers.
The apartment should be fairly close to the school, but good luck getting a definitive answer that ends up being true.
Standard deductions are about 85-90K Won for pension, and ~35K for health care.
The location is great. the green line is right there, there's a Techno Mart 200 meters away and Konkuk University is just up the road. Everything you need is a brisk walk away, provided you have free time to explore.
We never saw Oly teachers hanging out in the neighborhood, but maybe others will give you more insight as to what happens inside their walls.
The contract was all boilerplate stuff. |
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C00LAS1CE
Joined: 14 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| LTTMoose wrote: |
Hey,
First off, I'm pretty sure this should be posted in the Contracts Stickey up at the top of the forum. Not sure if anyone here is a stickler for forum cleanliness, but whatevs =p
As per your points:
| Quote: |
| *200,000KRW will be deducted from each of the Employee�s first three paychecks for a total of 600,000 KRW to be used as a security deposit. (this was mentioned in the stickied contract thread) |
From what I understand, don't pay any deposits. You will never see them again.
| Quote: |
*The Employee has to arrange and purchase their entry air ticket by themselves. Once the Employee passes the medical test and obtains an Alien Registration Card in Korea, the airfare amount up to (1,200,000) KRW will be reimbursed back to the Employee.
(I was told verbally by the recruiter the tickets are prepaid and this part of the contract is outdated) |
Your recruiter is correct, but make sure they update that part before you sign.
| Quote: |
*The Employee may have 10 working days as paid vacation per year. Up to 5 consecutive days may be taken at once. 3 days of Institute-scheduled vacation are counted in these 10 days. 2 of the remaining 7 days are also set to be used to extend the official break period of the Institute during Korean holidays. No vacation days other than those scheduled by the Employer may be taken during the first 3 months of employment. The use of vacation must be approved by the Employer at least one month in advance. Days in which the Employee does not regularly work i.e., Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays are not to be considered as part of the vacation period.
The Employee will not be allowed to take their vacation during the Summer, and Winter intensive terms, and during the last week of their contract.
(not sure if this is what's to be expected or not) |
Those 2 days to "extend official break period" seem fishy to me. Like they're trying to get you to work extra hours whenever there's a national holiday. Holidays are holidays, you don't have to make them up.
| Quote: |
*The Employee may use up to 5 paid sick days per year provided they bring a doctor�s note from a hospital. Any additional sick days beyond the 5 days provided will be counted as absences, and the pay will be calculated according to the daily rate/hourly rate. No more than two consecutive sick days may be taken at once.
(this seems kind of ridiculous, but again I don't know what the norm is) |
The amount of days is good, but the stipulation that no more than two sick days may be taken together is bull-plop.
| Quote: |
*The Employer retains the right to terminate the contract immediately if:
b. The Employee teaches off the Employer�s property.
(wasn't planning on doing private lessons, but that seems kind of strange) |
Unless you're on something other than an E-2 visa, it is illegal for you to work anywhere other than your school. The school can fire you for doing so and immigration will kick you out of the country.
| Quote: |
| f. The Employee tells others about their own employment contract details. (?) |
Basic confidentiality clause, but still a bit silly. Just don't talk about it around the boss or anyone who looks like a squeeler.
Hope this helps! |
Deposits - should I just tell the recruiter I refuse to pay the deposits? I mean, I would think they would just tell me to forget it if I asked that. Is this something they are usually flexible on? Same with the sick days, should I ask for more upfront before signing? |
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sesyeux
Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Location: king 'arrys
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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congrats on the position, the contract is standard hagwon, with just a few of those details already mentioned that you should try to amend.
i think you lucked out getting in seoul at all, from what i hear, lots of people want similar jobs |
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C00LAS1CE
Joined: 14 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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I addressed my concerns to the recruiter and he shot them down as I expected:
From what I am told many people do not receive their security deposits back, even after all bills are paid and no damage is done to the apartment, etc. I can assure you I am a very clean and responsible person and in the unlikely event that the apartment is not in the same condition after I leave as it was when I arrived, I will definitely pay for any damage that is caused. Is it possible to remove this from the contract?
- I understand your concerns. I also know that you might hear some stories. I am sure that you are very clean, and won�t do anything that will damage the apartment. However, as I said, the school won�t change the contract, but as I said, it�s not small school which not keeps their words.
The school will give them back to you for sure. The school won�t do anything that violates the contract.
I believe you told me that this was wrong and the company pays for the round-trip ticket outright, can I get this updated in writing?
- I already told you that the school will give you the airplane ticket in advance. You will have the ticket before you come to Korea. So, you don�t have to worry about that. That�s for sure. If they don�t give it to you, then they won�t have a teacher, right? So, don�t worry about it.
Can you explain what this means to "extend the official break period?" Does this mean having to "make-up" days off from holidays?
- No, I am pretty sure that it means that the school will determine your 2 of remaining vacation.
I don't get sick very often and probably wouldn't be out for more than two days if I did, but this seems pretty restrictive. Is the school flexible at all on this policy?
- Yes, they won�t force you to work if you are seriously sick. There�s flexibility on that. Don�t worry about that, we are all human. : )
I hope the answers will help you to understand. I just need you to know that it�s a large school with many other foreign teachers. They have set policy for teachers, so they won�t do anything that violates the teacher�s right, so you don�t have to worry about that kinds of stuff. However, the position is pretty popular and competitive due to its reputation and location, so I can�t hold it for long time.
There is few other teachers who want this position badly, but I am holding it for you because I thought you are better fit than them. So, I need you to let me know for sure that you want to take this job or not. If you are willing to secure the position, please send me the scan copy of signed contract by tomorrow, and forward all your required documents within a week. Otherwise, I can�t hold the position for you. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks!.
I think I am just going to sign the contract...I'm pretty sure this is the best job offer I'm going to get. |
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Whitey Otez
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: The suburbs of Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| Good on you for taking the job...but the recruiter brought up a good subtle point that I forgot: why didn't you ask to speak with one of those foreign teachers yet?!?!?!? |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 5:42 am Post subject: |
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| Wow...I know exactly where your likely gonna work...gwangjin-gu is awesome, it has an entertainment district similar to hongdae(minus clubs)....It's an awesome area...I live there. |
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Meathands
Joined: 08 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, I work at this school. Congrats on taking the job, as hagwons go, it's a good one and honest.
Lemme know if you have any specific questions, otherwise, see you in a couple of months! |
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C00LAS1CE
Joined: 14 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Whitey Otez wrote: |
| Good on you for taking the job...but the recruiter brought up a good subtle point that I forgot: why didn't you ask to speak with one of those foreign teachers yet?!?!?!? |
I forgot as well. I guess Meathands has cleared that up for me though. |
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C00LAS1CE
Joined: 14 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Meathands wrote: |
Hi, I work at this school. Congrats on taking the job, as hagwons go, it's a good one and honest.
Lemme know if you have any specific questions, otherwise, see you in a couple of months! |
Awesome, you got a facebook? Send me a PM
Would've PM'd you this but I haven't made 25 posts yet therefore I can't =( |
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Meathands
Joined: 08 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:00 am Post subject: |
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| Hey same here, but look up Peterson Kuyk-White on facebook and you should find me. |
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