Korean Job Discussion Forums

[EmGen]

So I worked at a hagwon from October 2009-October 2010. My start date was October 5, 2009. I left Korea on October 1, 2010. This was the end of the work week at my hagwon. So I gave this information to the public school, and they said I don't qualify for the 2,100,000 pay scale because I worked less than a year.

Is this fair? What can I do?

[oldfatfarang]

Did the hagwon pay you a 'severance' payment for working a full contract year??????

[WadRUG'naDoo]

Ha! They're really milking teachers for as much as they can over there, eh?

Ridiculous.

[EmGen]

I didn't get a severance pay. I did work for a full year at my hagwon, though. I worked every day in the business month of October 2009, and I worked all the way through every day through the business month of September 2010.

This is all through 0 vacation days, and I also had to pay for my apartment and flight over there, and the employers routinely taking out a 'management expense' from my already diminished paycheck, plus working a split shift (I know, I got screwed royally, but it was my first experience in Korea).

I guess it's not worth fighting them too much over, but it does seem silly that just because I didn't stay 4 extra days (which I wouldn't be working for anyways) I'm not able to qualify for 100,000 extra won a month.

[EmGen]

Oh, and also, I know this is a little bit off topic, but I've got a question about my VISA.

The lady at the school I'm talking to told me I need to mail her a "Original and copy of Degree Notarized by Korean Consulate" in her words exactly.

I've got a copy of my diploma that has been notarized and apostilled, but what the hell is she talking about with this? Do I actually have to get the copy of my degree 'notarized by the Korean consulate" before I send it in to acquire my VISA? I know that I probably have to bring my actual diploma to Korea when I come, but this is just the stuff I'm mailing in for my VISA.

[jrwhite82]

Your degree should be notarized, sometimes county certified depending on your state, and then apostilled by your State Secretary. The Korean Consulate does not apostille degrees to my knowledge. And immigration does not want original degrees anymore. The school wants this only to hold it hostage so you can't change jobs once you get here.

As for the "full year thing". A full year is a full calendar year. Otherwise where's the cut off? 360 days? 358 days? 11 months?

I don't want to kick someone while they're down, but this time make sure to do your due diligence and research the hell out of your job and location. You already have two complaints about this place. Are you sure it is a good fit for you? This time, work your full 365 days. Know your rights as an employ and know the benefits of working a full year in Korea. (short answer: an extra month's pay!)

[EmGen]

I appreciate your answer; as I said before, those were just the dates that I actually was actually teaching classes. I could have easily (and should have) told me hagwon to include that I had worked from October 5 through October 4 of the next year.

Also, you make it seem like this information is readily available; it's not.

And the place I am complaining about is a public school in Gyeonngi, meaning it's going to be roughly the same as every other public school in the province. I'm just asking for some feedback and information because I'm dealing with the school directly (not using a recruiter) so it is sometimes difficult to understand each other as they do not speak English very well.

I'm not down at all, I've got a great position lined up, I'm just trying to check everything, like you said, researching the hell out of it.

[jonpurdy]

TIK. They are going by the books and technically they are right. Though this sort of ridiculousness is a fantastic way to build resentment from the native speaker.

[EmGen]

Yeah I figure it's not that big of a deal at this point, it's the position I want. But they sent me a GEPIK application form that had Category 3 wage set at 1.8 million. I've never seen this before, and never heard of Category 3 being this low. My GEPIK contract says 2 mil on it though, and she told me by email that it would be 2 mil so I'm hoping that the amount on that GEPIK application sheet was just a fluke.

[jrwhite82]

Don't sign a contract that says 1.8 if you are expecting 2.0.

Did you ask about it?

[Skyblue]

Sounds pretty unfair to me.

[EmGen]

Well on the contract itself, it says 2,000,000 won. And the school told me it would be 2 mil by email.

On the GEPIK application part (with the self health check and everything) it says to put a check into your pay category, and in the Category 3 Box it lists 1.8 million as the amount per month. I just thought this was a little confusing as I've never seen that amount listed under Category 3 before.

I emailed them about this but they haven't gotten back to me yet.

[jrwhite82]

Ah, I misread your previous post. If the contract says 2.0, then you will get 2.0.

[BoholDiver]

Don't sign the contract. If you already signed it, you can either back out or work and don't complain.