Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mountain Mama]

What is the deal with pension? Are employers required to pay into it? What happens if they don't pay into it? Pension isn't mentioned in my contract but I thought that it is necessary by law. My boss said he doesn't want to pay into it, and I think that if i push the matter it's just going to make an unconfortable situation for me for the rest of the year (if i don't get fired for the extra trouble I'd cause). I've just got here, and I know that my rights aren't so much as if i wait a bit longer.

What happens if i don't declare that I have any income? If my employer isn't paying into it, then I don't want to either. I really don't know if I'll get it back or not at the end, and even if it do, if it's only ME paying into it, then i don't gain anything by paying into it and then getting it back. I know a guy who didn't get his pension back when he left Korea, and it would suck to lose that much money when there's nothing really to gain from it.

What can happen if i don't pay it? Will they just force me to back pay the amount I should have paid into the pension plan? If they did that, wouldn't they also force my boss to pay his part as well? If it happened near the end of my year, or after I have more rights then it would be bareable.

Has anyone else been in this situation? What did you do? What was the outcome?

[Ramen]

What!????

[frankhenry]

a babble run-on?

[wormholes101]

lol

[cincynate]

What happens if the sky turns green and rain falls down and then my boss says to me 'go' but I don't go then I do go and turn in circles and then i said 'no way' and he said 'sure' and i kicked him. Does that answer your question? I tried to speak your language based on your post.

[moosehead]

someone hasn't adjusted to the time change yet

[Mountain Mama]

OK. I'll streamline it.

1. Do employers HAVE to pay pension?
2. If yes, how can I force him to pay it?
3. Can I wait 6 months before reporting him and trying to force him to pay his part of the pension?
4. If I wait (e.g. 6 months), will me and the boss both have to back pay the pension starting from my first month here? Or just me?

[cincynate]

1. Yes, employers are required by labor law to pay 50 % of your pension contribution.
2. First talk to him, and tell him if he refuses to pay, you will be forced to go to the labor board.
3. Yes, you can do that, but why would you want to take that chance?

Good luck

Labor Board Website:
http://english.molab.go.kr/english/

[Ramen]

[NYC_Gal]

If you're from one of the countries whose citizens get the pension back at the end of your time in Korea, DEMAND it. If not, meh. Make sure he pays for 50% of your health insurance, though.

[hari seldon]

The moral of the story is never sign a contract that doesn't spell out:

1. You're an employee (and not a contractor.)
2. You're entitled to the national health insurance plan.
3. You're entitled to the national pension plan.

[Mountain Mama]

I talked to the boss about the pension issue. I could see that he was getting upset about it and he was stressing that he felt that he's not obliged to pay it because it's not in the contract.

I don't think it's a good idea to press the matter because I'm sure that if i stress him out over it, he'll just snap. He seems to easily go from cheerful to pissed off - at anyone really. I know that I could force him to pay the pension right now, but the rest of the year here will probably be really miserable. That's if he doesn't fire me before then.

What really are my rights at this moment? From what I heard, there's not really much stopping the boss from firing me on a moments notice before i hit the 6 month mark and then making me pay back the airfare. That's why i figure it's better to wait before forcing the pension issue on him. Then if he wants to fire me, i have more rights and if necessary, I could transfer to another school. If I get fired now, then I have to go back home, lose a significant amount of money (airfare, no salary while job hunting), and probably find a job in another country.

Maybe there's more to this school and the owner than i've noticed yet, but it doesn't seem to be the hell hole a lot of teachers end up in. For now, I get paid on time and the work isn't bad.

Does anyone know of any bad consequences of me (and my employer) not paying into the pension now? If i go to the pension office in 6 months from now and offer to pay the amount owing, will there be any penalty for me? Will my employer still be required to pay the amount that HE owes? Can they force him to? (WILL they force him to?) From what I understand, in theory the employer will have to pay his share, but in reality will they?


If anyone has some experience with a similar situation, I'd be grateful to know how you handled it and what difficulties you encountered.

[Goon-Yang]

People like you really annoy me. "I don't want to stress him out by 'forcing' him to follow the law". Whatever. Bury your head in the sand a bit more why don't you. If he refuses to do legal things now, what do you think is going to happen in a few months?

I bet you'll be posting on here in 6 months saying you're being fired and not paid.

[ontheway]

[ontheway]