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Jackhammer96
Joined: 30 Oct 2013
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 Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 5:50 pm Post subject: Accepting a job under bad conditions. Is it worth it? |
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Ok so I have been offered a job at a Hagwon. 1,900,000 won in salary. No holiday pay or pension or medical insurance mentioned in the contract, even though it is required by law.
Is it really that bad to accept such conditions? Can you not get by?
With the salary Im getting I am hoping to travel every now and then, particularly to my girlfriends home town which is near my place of employment. From other peoples experiences, is possible to live comfortably on such a salary?
Are holidays really worth it when you can just travel on weekends?
Im afraid to negotiated cause im not sure If Ill find another like this which is suitable geographically. I am hoping to move somewhere near Jinju. |
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Jackhammer96
Joined: 30 Oct 2013
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| Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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| I should also add, my employer pays for my rent. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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| particularly to my girlfriends home town which is near my place of employment |
She should know the hagwons around your area. Send your resume to each of them. See if there are public schools hiring.
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| I should also add, my employer pays for my rent. |
That's a given. All schools should compensate for housing by providing it or paying for it.
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| Is it really that bad to accept such conditions? Can you not get by? |
Your call. Look at your holiday time issue.
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| Are holidays really worth it when you can just travel on weekends? |
Now we get to the important part. If you are working you should be paid obviously. If you are going to work during holiday time, you should be paid more. A salary of 1.9 is less not more.
So, actually, in the long run you are earning 1.8 or 1.7. Get a sample schedule. How many classes of 40-50 minutes a week do you have to teach? When are they scheduled? Do you work mornings and evenings or finish at 3?
Look at all the factors. Don't just look at location or salary. |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 6:50 pm Post subject: Re: Accepting a job under bad conditions. Is it worth it? |
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| TJ85 wrote: |
Ok so I have been offered a job at a Hagwon. 1,900,000 won in salary. No holiday pay or pension or medical insurance mentioned in the contract, even though it is required by law.
Is it really that bad to accept such conditions? Can you not get by?
With the salary Im getting I am hoping to travel every now and then, particularly to my girlfriends home town which is near my place of employment. From other peoples experiences, is possible to live comfortably on such a salary?
Are holidays really worth it when you can just travel on weekends?
Im afraid to negotiated cause im not sure If Ill find another like this which is suitable geographically. I am hoping to move somewhere near Jinju. |
Are you a slave? I really hope you are joking about this, 1.9 is a terrible offer without insurance, pension, and no holidays?? You would be required by law to pay for health insurance and the pension yourself. That's going to knocked you down to about 1.7 a month. Tell this boss to go screw themselves and look for another job. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 7:00 pm Post subject: Re: Accepting a job under bad conditions. Is it worth it? |
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| TJ85 wrote: |
Ok so I have been offered a job at a Hagwon. 1,900,000 won in salary. No holiday pay or pension or medical insurance mentioned in the contract, even though it is required by law.
Is it really that bad to accept such conditions? Can you not get by?
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Yes you can get by on 1 million a month too...but would you accept a job offering that salary?
The problem is with this. Currently salaries are in a race to the bottom because people are coming over here and accepting any old job. But in the end it hurts everyone...because the vast majority of hakwons are in associations and word of mouth spreads rapidly. Other hakwons are encouraged to lower their salaries in order to save money...and it becomes a vicious circle feeding on itself.
And keep in mind.. pension and insurance are required by law but your potential boss has already shown himself ready and willing to break the law. Do you really want to work for someone who's shown himself not to be trustworthy and who will break the law to benefit himself?
Plus if you are Canadian, American or an Aussie...you are losing money on the pension thing...so you are already behind by accepting this job. |
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fezmond
Joined: 27 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:22 am Post subject: |
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| What are the working hours? |
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transmogrifier
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:50 am Post subject: |
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If you were on an F-visa and that was for 2 days works a week, with permission to work elsewhere (in the contract), then......maybe. But apart from that, are you crazy? That is a shit offer. You need holidays, especially if you are teaching young kids. That wearies you after a while, and no weekend can fix it.
Or you can take it, and be happy knowing that you are just another little splash of water eroding working conditions in this country.... |
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Jodami
Joined: 08 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:55 am Post subject: |
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OP - you must be a stereotypical LBH.
You would pimp yourself out for a measly 1.9 a month? 
OP, word of advice - there are much much nicer countries to live in than Korea, to make a meager 1.9 a month. |
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goat
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:09 am Post subject: Re: Accepting a job under bad conditions. Is it worth it? |
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| TJ85 wrote: |
Ok so I have been offered a job at a Hagwon. 1,900,000 won in salary. No holiday pay or pension or medical insurance mentioned in the contract, even though it is required by law.
Is it really that bad to accept such conditions? Can you not get by?
With the salary Im getting I am hoping to travel every now and then, particularly to my girlfriends home town which is near my place of employment. From other peoples experiences, is possible to live comfortably on such a salary?
Are holidays really worth it when you can just travel on weekends?
Im afraid to negotiated cause im not sure If Ill find another like this which is suitable geographically. I am hoping to move somewhere near Jinju. |
Salaries are on the decrease. Take the 1,900,000. In a few more months it may be difficult to even get 1.800.000 or 1.700.000.
There isn't really any need to travel. Every neighborhood is colorful and dynamic. The 8th and 9th wonders of the world are right outside your door.
Sure. You will have more than enough money. Buy a used bike and cut out travel expenses.
Yep! A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. I wouldn't roll the dice and miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime. |
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Jackhammer96
Joined: 30 Oct 2013
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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Ok thanks for all your advice. I emailed him about my problems with the contract. he emailed me telling me this:
"You do 19 classes a week. elementary class : 45 minutes - 3 times , middle school class : 50 minutes - 2 times
Summer vacation is 5 days including Sat. and Sun. in approximately the last week, July
Winter vacation is 5 days including Sat. and Sun. in approximately the last week, December
I don't give you extra holiday pay except your month pay (1,900,000Won).
I give you medical insurance.
I don't give you a pension.
If you want to receive pension, I will have to pay 4.5% of your month pay and you will have to pay 4.5% from your month pay.
So you will receive the rest of your month pay I subtract 4.5 % from your pay, and I will have to subtract 3.3% tax from your month pay.
I have not subtracted 3.3% tax instead of not giving pension ,and have given a month pay to all the teachers."
Let me know what yeah think about this.
He is giving me less money because I am getting less hours, according to him anyway. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| TJ85 wrote: |
Ok thanks for all your advice. I emailed him about my problems with the contract. he emailed me telling me this:
"You do 19 classes a week. elementary class : 45 minutes - 3 times , middle school class : 50 minutes - 2 times
Summer vacation is 5 days including Sat. and Sun. in approximately the last week, July
Winter vacation is 5 days including Sat. and Sun. in approximately the last week, December
I don't give you extra holiday pay except your month pay (1,900,000Won).
I give you medical insurance.
I don't give you a pension.
If you want to receive pension, I will have to pay 4.5% of your month pay and you will have to pay 4.5% from your month pay.
So you will receive the rest of your month pay I subtract 4.5 % from your pay, and I will have to subtract 3.3% tax from your month pay.
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What is your nationality? I ask because it makes a difference. Not in legal terms (unless you are South African) but in terms of getting the pension money back. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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| He is giving me less money because I am getting less hours, according to him anyway. |
You are missing the issue here. This has NOTHING to do with the monthly salary alone.
Think about it. Look at the numbers. If he is not going to give 4.5% of your salary to pension then he should be giving that as part of the salary (85,500). Same with the tax money (62,700).
If he wants to make the argument he is saving money and able to give teachers it, then where is the extra money? This is typical of Korean employers.
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| I don't give you extra holiday pay except your month pay |
That's never been an issue. He is evading the real issue of the monthly salary total relative to what he is not giving you. He is hoping you are naive and don't understand the norm.
The norm is you either:
1) get paid the normal salary
2) get paid half the salary (not as often)
3) get paid more if you have camps (varies from situation to situation)
His offer if made at McDonald's would be like, "I will give you 1 big mac (smaller than normal size), no fries, but I won't charge you for the coffee and we won't mop the floor to keep you safe from falling because otherwise I will have to pay for the soap and mop. Let me know what yeah think about this."
If he is not going to mop the floor (not give you pension), then he has to give you are higher salary (a big mac bigger than normal size). He is outlining what you have to do for him but not what he is/should do for you.
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| have given a month pay to all the teachers |
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| He is giving me less money because I am getting less hours, according to him anyway. |
More hogwash. He is NOT giving a month pay. Then he tries to justify it by stating you will work less hours. If he is so concerned about saving money and not paying into pension, why is he hiring 2 teachers with less hours when he could be better off hiring 1 teacher and have them work more hours?
The truth is that by hiring 2 teachers you can have them work MORE (not less) hours. This means he doesn't have to hire 3 teachers. You can also juggle hours. You have 1 teacher work 20 hours one week and 28 the next. If the agreement is 25 hours, they will argue that you are not owed 3 hours overtime pay for week 2 because the average comes to 24. This is a common trick to get 2 teachers to give 6 free hours but make it look like they don't owe you it.
Last edited by YTMND on Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:58 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| TJ85 wrote: |
Ok thanks for all your advice. I emailed him about my problems with the contract. he emailed me telling me this:
"You do 19 classes a week. elementary class : 45 minutes - 3 times , middle school class : 50 minutes - 2 times
Summer vacation is 5 days including Sat. and Sun. in approximately the last week, July
Winter vacation is 5 days including Sat. and Sun. in approximately the last week, December
I don't give you extra holiday pay except your month pay (1,900,000Won).
I give you medical insurance.
I don't give you a pension.
If you want to receive pension, I will have to pay 4.5% of your month pay and you will have to pay 4.5% from your month pay.
So you will receive the rest of your month pay I subtract 4.5 % from your pay, and I will have to subtract 3.3% tax from your month pay.
I have not subtracted 3.3% tax instead of not giving pension ,and have given a month pay to all the teachers."
Let me know what yeah think about this.
He is giving me less money because I am getting less hours, according to him anyway. |
This sounds like a part time job. If you have fewer hours, as it seems, and decent pay for those hours, then the terms could be OK, especially if you are happy with the short hours and don't care about earning more. You will need to find out exactly what hours and days are required for these 19 classes. Your post isn't clear on that score.
You are also being asked to sign on as an Independent Contractor. The pay isn't as good without benefits. This is more like a 1.6 million won job as an employee.
You will need a good contract to spell out all these terms. You should write it yourself and have them agree to your terms. Specify what your hours are: the times that you have class and when you are free. Specify that you are an Independent Contractor and include in the contract that you retain the right to seek other jobs during your available hours and that your boss, who is your visa sponsor, will provide permission to add additional employment to your visa.
As an IC you will be required to enroll yourself for National health insurance and the National Pension - meaning that you will have to pay the full 9% of your pay for Pension and about 6% for Health Insurance. Depending on where you're from you may get all of your Pension payments back when you leave Korea.
You need to write a good contract, and check out the experience of current and recent past teachers, before you accept this job.
Last edited by ontheway on Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| You will need to find out exactly what hours and days are required for these 19 classes. Your post isn't clear on that score. |
19 and 19 for another teacher is 38. If they are able to get part-time work, they should pay more to one teacher and have them work full-time. It's either a super huge white castle hamburger or it is a small big mac. It doesn't quite jive to me. |
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Ranman
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| You would have to be an absolute fool to take that contract. I don't care how desperate you are. There are far better jobs on the market than to put up with that. |
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