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Icewontolla
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
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 Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:38 pm Post subject: Teaching periods |
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How many are normal to be working? I was told I'd teach 30 periods a week by my recruiter but now that has changed to 30 hours...which is considerably more classes, basically can work almost everyday without a break except one period based on those numbers.
Like today I work 9:30-6 with one break and a lunch (which i have to write reports during)
Am I getting screwed? Or is it normal? I mean that leaves no time to prepare for any classes. They also have us leaving 30 minutes past my contracted time to clean, and have us at the 3.3 % tax rate. |
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ssuprnova
Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Saigon
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:07 pm Post subject: Re: Teaching periods |
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| Icewontolla wrote: |
| Am I getting screwed? Or is it normal? |
Well, what do you think?
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| I mean that leaves no time to prepare for any classes. They also have us leaving 30 minutes past my contracted time to clean, |
Wait, what? Like clean out your desk or actual classrooms? If it's the latter I'd tell them to kindly piss off and hire an ajumma to do it.
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| and have us at the 3.3 % tax rate. |
Based on the info above the only sound piece of advice is: RUN! |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:18 pm Post subject: Re: Teaching periods |
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| Icewontolla wrote: |
I was told I'd teach 30 periods a week by my recruiter but now that has changed to 30 hours
Like today I work 9:30-6 with one break and a lunch (which i have to write reports during)
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What does the contract say? This is not illegal, but check your contract.
This is illegal assuming you are on a standard E-2. First tell your supervisor about the problem, if they ignore it, call the pension office.
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| They also have us leaving 30 minutes past my contracted time to clean |
ridiculous. You are not being paid to be a janitor on your free time. Tell them to piss off or pay you for your time |
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isisaredead
Joined: 18 May 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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it depends what the contract says.
you did, after all, sign it. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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perhaps, "clean" means not to be a janitor for 30 minutes but to clean your body after a hard day's of work?  |
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Icewontolla
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah like actually mop, sweep, etc. Good I will tell them to piss off lmao. So I told my recruiter about the 3.3 and she said it was correct. The recruiter said they all paid it and we got it back at the end of the year or something. So I'm guessing this is wrong?
Oh and no one answered what the average class periods are in Korea. Is over 30 normal? |
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isisaredead
Joined: 18 May 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Icewontolla wrote: |
| Yeah like actually mop, sweep, etc. Good I will tell them to piss off lmao. |
does it say anything vague in your contract about "fulfilling all duties required" or something? because that includes cleaning.
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| So I told my recruiter about the 3.3 and she said it was correct. The recruiter said they all paid it and we got it back at the end of the year or something. So I'm guessing this is wrong? |
get it back? like, a tax return? i guess. it looks like you're being treated as a sub-contractor. are you getting pension taken out?
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| Oh and no one answered what the average class periods are in Korea. Is over 30 normal? |
that's because it depends on who you ask, exactly. some hagwon chains do 20 minute classes - others use 80 minute. USUALLY it's about 40-50 minutes - but again, there's no "norm", or national standard. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Each of the three small, afternoon hagwons I've worked at had 30 classes of 50 minutes each. While this may not be standard it certainly is common enough as I know several others working such a schedule. |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Icewontolla wrote: |
So I told my recruiter about the 3.3 and she said it was correct. The recruiter said they all paid it and we got it back at the end of the year or something. So I'm guessing this is wrong?
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Dont ask your recruiter, they dont know any actual information about the school you work for, nor do they care.
Get a meeting with your manager / director ASAP and calmly and politely discuss this issue with them. Tell them that on an E-2 visa you MUST be paying into pension unless you are a SA citizen and that the school must match your 4.5% contribution. That will also clear up your tax situation since you will go onto the employee tax bracket instead of the private contractor.
If they refuse or play dumb, tell them that you will be contacting the tax and pension boards the next day and see what they have to say. |
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fortysixyou
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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 "Is 30 hours a week too much to be teaching, or is this normal?"
This was my schedule my first year: Four 1-hour classes per day, with several breaks in between. 10 AM - 6 PM. Required to interact with students during breaks.
This was my schedule my second year: 24 classes per week. 50 minutes each. 3pm - 11:00 pm. Required to stay when not teaching.
This was my schedule my third year: 25 classes per week. 50 minutes each. 9 AM - 5 PM. Not required to stay when not teaching.
This was my schedule my fourth, sweetest year: 20 classes per week. 50 minutes each. 9 AM - 12:20 PM. Went home when finished. Public elementary, the ultimate schedule and circumstance. God I was happy.
This is my schedule now: 25 classes per week. 1pm - 5:30pm. Show up, teach, go home. In and out.
So to me, you're getting screwed. But I guess I've been spoiled. I can't imagine having your schedule. I would've quit the second day. |
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Icewontolla
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| does it say anything vague in your contract about "fulfilling all duties required" or something? because that includes cleaning. |
I don't remember but it definitely doesn't say that I have to stay after my time to do so.
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| get it back? like, a tax return? i guess. it looks like you're being treated as a sub-contractor. are you getting pension taken out? |
I'm pretty sure pension is taken out, I'm not a contractor though, everything says employee.
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| Oh and no one answered what the average class periods are in Korea. Is over 30 normal? |
Wow sounds like I'm getting sort of screwed. Right now it isn't so bad but they've basically told me they can make me work much more than they do. I'm doing around 32 classes right now, 33-34 every other week. Of course now it seems from 3:30-4:30 two days out of the week i'm doing a private sort of thing.
Thanks for all the information, I'll ask about the tax code and tell them I'm not working past my contracted hours. Unfortunately I think they can make me work as many classes as they feel like, crossing my fingers.
As if I were lucky that I have what I do. |
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Icewontolla
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:04 am Post subject: |
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Sorry for the double post but anyone else on how many classes they teach a week? I've got this sinking feeling in my stomach all the sudden.
They actually had me feeling guilty "Oh most places have hour long classes and work much more than 30 classes a week". I'm feeling I need to inform my hagwon that in fact most people do not teach more then 30 a week and that I am working on the upper end of what most people do in this country. I also need to tell them that every esl teacher I've talked to has told me the rate I'm being taxed is illegal. Along with a "I'm not staying past my contracted time anymore unless I'm paid overtime". I didn't want to cause problems with anyone because they're generally pretty nice but at the same time I can't let them walk all over me. |
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TDC troll
Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Location: TDC
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:19 am Post subject: |
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The tax rate is definitely ,correct .
At the place I work ; all teachers ( 8 foreigners / 80 Koreans ) are
at the same rate of 3.3% .
As far as classes (periods) goes, that is, a different matter.
This is where you , as an employee , either agree to work this or that many hours (whatever they may be) , or not.
If you agreed, to that many hours or classes ,when you signed , well
your stuck.
Next time find out how long one class is .
Then you will know how many classes you will want to teach
for how much money .
But yeah your gettin it up your (you know what) right now
with that schedule. :( |
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dethe
Joined: 01 May 2005
Location: Anyang
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Call tax office. 3.3 is not right if there are that many employees there. Also have you checked your pension and ins. If they have you as indepent contractor you have to pay all not just half. |
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jonpurdy
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Location: Ulsan
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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As far as teaching periods go, 30 hours generally means 30 periods. For public elementary kids that's 40 minutes. For middle and high school kids that's 50 minutes. Hagwons can vary though I've heard 50 minute period are standard.
So, six periods a day assuming each day is the same. And at 50 minutes per period, you should be doing 4 hours and 50 minutes of actual teaching. This leaves plenty of time for prep and cleaning.
OP, in addition to the tax issue, you're getting screwed. |
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