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jcm87
Joined: 19 Jan 2010
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 Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 11:12 am Post subject: Should I take this job in Busan? |
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OK, not sure if the proper place for this would be the contract review thread or not, but it seems that that thread is meant specifically for discussion of the contract and not whether or not to take the job (which depends on other factors, such as how likely it is to get a similar job). I posted my contract on the thread and RMNC responded with this:
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| All in all, I'd say it seems like standard hagwon fare, if you can't get the Health plan changed and a pension clause added, I'd stay away, and while you probably shouldn't sign without getting the right tax rate written into it, and the appliances are definitely worth getting put in writing. That said, the working hours are good and they don't seem to want to screw you over necessarily, just not give you the luxuries that most English teachers want, which screams "cheap" more than anything. Unless it's in an area you reeeeeally like or a job type you prefer (adults, for example), I'd pass if I couldn't get those changes put in, there's better out there. |
This contract is for a job in Busan, my first choice city. Over the past couple weeks I have been in contact with several recruiters asking for a job in Busan. One gave me a couple of applications to a very non-traditional job in Busan (without giving me the email addresses of students who work there) and that's it. Another recruiter gave me a couple of job offers in small cities (to which I said no), then one in Daejeon (second choice city) that I had to think about and then I said no to. Other than that I haven't received anything. Then this Busan-based recruiter sent me this job offer as well as a list of other positions to apply to. This one had a location in the city center while the others didn't (although I'm not sure exactly if you want to be in the city center or not). So I'm tempted to accept simply because this might be my only shot at a job in Busan (I have TESOL certification but just graduated and have no teaching experience). The only downside other than the contract issues stated below is that there are no high schoolers at this hagwon (I'd like to teach high schoolers) but it seems that it's almost impossible to find hagwons that teach high schoolers. I contacted the foreign teacher working at the hagwon though and he gave it a very favorable review, saying the boss was great.
I tried negotiating the contract with the recruiter to get more salary (tried to change from 2.1 to 2.4 million won) and to get the government health insurance (with pension) but they said the director refused to negotiate those items. How important is the government health insurance and pension? If I understood correctly 4.5% of your salary is withheld from your paycheck and matched by your employer, which is then given to you when you leave. But this means the employer only gives you about 1.1 million won--half a month's salary. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's like under a grand. I asked myself if I would take the job for 2.0 million won per month (which would be the equivalent) and I would. So how important then is having the government health insurance as opposed to private insurance? And if I want, can I just stay with my parents' insurance (which I am covered by until I'm 25)? |
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iwillteachyouenglish
Joined: 07 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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If you're banking on your parents insurance, you better learn how to read fine print, in addition to asking a lot of questions.
1) The insurance may refuse to cover your foreign health provider
2) The health provider may refuse to accept the insurance
3) 1 and 2 may check out, but you find when you get the bill that almost nothing was actually covered. You will spend weeks trying to straighten this out, hoping the insurance provider will relent or use a contractual write off. This is true even in the US. I recently had a bill for over 2,000 USD. After contractual write offs my final bill was 300$. However, it took a lot of effort and time to accomplish this. In USA, I could pay the hospital after this was resolved. In Korea, you will not have that luxury |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Any employer that is not willing to provide health insurance and pension for you is breaking the law in order to save himself money and pay you less. Flags don't get much redder than that. |
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jcm87
Joined: 19 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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So they're obligated by law to provide the government health insurance? Should I tell the recruiter this and hope they get the contract changed?
BTW the guy that works at the hagwon just emailed me back and said that it really didn't matter and that the difference between public and private insurance was a very minor detail...what should I do?! |
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tokkibunni8
Joined: 13 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:49 am Post subject: |
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| Hello. Insurance and pension are required by law. Red flags here. Stay away. Rural public school will start you at 2.1 with all the benefits. |
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Sent you a PM about this. As others have said, it's a giant red flag and bogus, as well as very likely illegal. I wouldn't sign any contract without the government health insurance, ever. |
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