Korean Job Discussion Forums

[speakyword]

I am just about to finish my contract and now I am finding out that my boss is claiming he has no responsibility to pay my return flight. My recruiter promised that I would have both flights paid when I took the job (though I have no evidence of that promise).

I did read my contract when I got it but I was looking for other details and stupidly assumed I would get a flight, but technically it is not in my contract. All my contract says is "In the event that this Contract is terminated Employee shall be responsible for the return flight to his/her home country" but it never actually says that if I do complete my contract I will receive a return flight.

Is there anything I can do? My recruiter called my work and my boss yelled at them saying they never said I would get a return flight and it's not in the contract so they have no intention of paying it. My recruiter said there's nothing more they can do.

Also, worthy of being noted is that there are 2 new teachers, just a few months into their contracts that were not aware of this either and they are pissed off.

Got any ideas?

Thanks for any information

[Skippy]

If it is not in the contract you might be out of luck. Check you old contract that you signed and was submitted to immigration! You have to really be careful in checking them when you sign. As to the other teachers I would also tell them to check too. They will have to make the choice on continuing with the school or quitting/running.

[speakyword]

yeah, I checked the copy I signed. He's right. The other teachers checked too... same situation :'(

[Junior]

I wouldn't assume that any of the old expectations still apply. K employers are cutting oorners wherever they can get away with it.

If they withdrew accomodation and only paid 1.8 they'd probably still get a flood of applicants.. due to the recession.

[sulperman]

[Catfisher]

[asylum seeker]

Let this be a warning to all newbies- read your contract carefully. Don't assume that because you've been told something verbally that it will be in the contract.

An adult hagwon that I used to work for had a clause that I would have to work seven teaching hours a day when asked instead of six. Foolishly I believed their reassurances that this was just "something that they put in the contract" and I would hardly ever be asked to do that. As it turned out they ended up making me work the seven classes instead of six almost the entire time I was there and there was nothing I could do about it.

[speakyword]

there are 3 other foreign teachers. Only two of them are affected because the other was hired from within korea and wouldn't get a flight anyways... but anyways, even the unaffected teacher and the Korean teachers don't agree with it and are willing to support me. We're going to have a meeting about it on friday. Going to try to put pressure on him by saying the newer teachers don't have much incentive to finish their contracts, and our recruiters wont want to give them new teachers once they find out this school doesn't offer return flights.

So I'm hoping that goes down well

[lifeinkorea]

[definitely maybe]

[recessiontime]

[Catfisher]

[speakyword]

yeah, while some employers might offer a flight to teachers hired from within korea, I don't think it's common enough to be expected like it is from teachers hired from outside korea. And if it is not promised to the teacher when they started they don't have grounds to get it.

And there's no way I'm walking at this point. I want my severence... plus my boss deducted 5% off every check and I get that at the end of my contract as well. However the other teachers are only 3 months in and they are going to say there is not much reason for them to bother finishing their contracts...

[kardisa]

[speakyword]