Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wes1989]

So I have been offered a contract. The place I will be staying is in 방화 (banghwa, Seoul) and the school is in 발산(balsan, Seoul). They are 5 stops apart. Based on http://traffic.map.naver.com/Traffic_Browser/SubwayLine2/index.asp it would cost me $2 a day (there and back) to get to work. If I subtract 10 days holiday and 10 national holidays that is about $440 a year I spend on travel to work. Should I ask them to pay a travel fee or am I just being petty?

I have also posted the contract in the contract forum for review if anyone could take a look.

Thanks!

[PatrickBateman]

Being petty.

Lots of people have to commute to work. If you don't want to make the commute, don't take the job.

[cj1976]

Haha. That is tightwad behaviour. Are you one of those skinflints that takes water home from the school water fountains?

[oppa637]

super petty.

[edwardcatflap]

I think you've got your maths a bit wrong, check it again

[Skippy]

It is a bit petty. It is only 5 stops on the subway. On the subway! If this was bus or 20 stops or even it took an hour each way yea I could see some complaining. Still maybe some details could help. How long will it take to go from home to school? Does the school have any say in why your are away from the school. I mean many hagwon tend to get housing close to the school.

Still, it does not hurt to ask. More then likely you will be told no.

[wes1989]

[wes1989]

[timephone]

Maybe consider buying a bicycle? You can probably get one for less than $100. I'm guessing 5 stops on the subway is less than 2-3 miles, that's a 20 minute bike ride. If you don't want to worry about getting sweaty on the way to work, having the bike stolen, getting hit by a car, $440 a year isn't that bad. Where I live in South Florida, monthly passes for the local trains can run more than $1000 a year.

[northway]

That ain't happening, but I do think it's a bit obnoxious when schools get thei teachers housing far away from where the school is. My previous employer insisted it was too expensive to be near the school, yet the price difference was 50,000 a month between apartments there and where they eventually put us, with dozens of hagwons putting their teachers up within a three minute walk from the school. You're not going to get anywhere, and there's nothing inherently wrong with a commute, but stinginess is obnoxious, essentially passing the costs on the to employee, given how standardized starting hagwon wages are.

[EZE]

If your monthly salary is good and you have pension, I'd probably just shrug it off. But if you're salary is on the low end and you don't have pension, I'd require them to pay an addition 100,000 won per month on the salary or find someone else.

[edwardcatflap]

[Porksta]

You are working at Avalon, I am totally calling it.

[luckylady]

[bobbybigfoot]

Go for it, but phrase it slightly different.

Ask for 50,000 won more a month per salary.

"I have a 10 year savings plan and the absolutely lowest salary I can accept is ________."

Then know your bosses are covering your subway fares without them knowing it.

Then go buy a bike.