Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dalton]

This isn't very nice at all is it?

1.9 for 8 hours a day. No classes? No problem we'll find work for you to do. Oh Yeah I wanna work for this guy.

Obligatory unpaid prep time is so unnecessary. You're either going to do this on your own or you're not. Why sign a contract that has this clause? Here's why not:

TOPIA ENGLISH ZONE
Changwon Gyeongsangnam
Contact is

TO ALL AGENTS
TO ALL JOBSEEKERS

Agents dealing with TOPIA will be tracked down and blacklisted. Any agent who sends teachers to TOPIA, changwon, has definitely NOT CHECKED the school out in the least, nor has any qualms about getting you to sign a contract that violates korean labour laws.I

I want to warn jobseekers about Topia English Zone, Changwon city, palyrong dong. The owner, Mr Kim, misleads prospective teachers about the conditions at his hakwon, then tells them once they start working.
First off, despite living 2 minutes away, you CANNOT LEAVE the hakwon for an 8 hour block. On days when you finish classes early, you must stay in the hakwon- NO USING THE INTERNET, NO READING THE PAPER- the director insists you do extra work, he calls 'preparation'.
They will offer the min- 1.9 or 2 million- and no overtime for any extra work. Anything extra that is not classtime is not considered overtime.
The owner is a nasty man who berates his Korean staff for taking too much time to eat food they ordered! We are talking taking 15 minutes to eat when he expects them to wolf it down in 10 and get back to 'work'.

The owner will REFUSE to release you from your contract- even if you give him ample time, i.e., a month, to find someone else. Recently, a disgruntled employee picketed the hakwon. Mr Kim called the police. Since when is standing on a sidewalk holding a sign in protest an offence? Mr Kim made efforts to have the guy deported.

ROTTEN place to work. Topia contracts stipulate that YOU have to pay back the agents fee if you quit, they withold money from your pay illegally as a 'security' deposit. Since they figure most teachers want to leave, their contract is really a scheme to make it as damaging as possible to the teacher if they quit.

WARNING: the following ad, found at www.eslview.com, is for TOPIA. The agent KNOWS of the problems there, but obviously could care less as long as he gets his wons.
Hi,

The agent responsible for sending people to this place- without checking out the school, getting phone numbers of the teachers there, or mentioning to the hakwon director that various clauses in his contract are in direct violation of Korean labour law is:

'Native119' ..here is the ad at www.viewesl.com for this crap school....


Job in Changwon city.


* Location: Chang-won-city, Gyeong-sang-nam-Do, South Korea (http://changwon.go.kr/eng_changwon/index.htm)

* Student Range: Elementary School
* Current Working Foreign Teachers\' number: 2


* Daily Teaching Schedule
- 1:30pm to 9:30 pm
- 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (only for the summer and winter vacation season)

* Compensation & Benefits
- Monthly Salary: 1.9~2.0 million won (depending on teacher\'s qualification and experience)
- Overtime payment: 17,000~24,000 won
- Provided with a 1-way & a return airline ticket
- Severance pay: upon completion of a year contract (equivalent to monthly salary)
- Medical Insurance: half covered (option)
- 10 days of paid vacation(per month) in addition to all national holidays

* Accommodation
- Single studio apartment (fully furnished)
- Within 2 minutes walking distance


Email: [email protected]
Tommy Kim, agent, Busan, Haeundae office tel.

NOTE: apparently, Tommy Kim no longer represents TOPIA. Amongst the threats emailed to me by him, was an email claiming he didnt represent them anymore but that another agent was. That agent will be tracked down.

The foreign teacher whose release letter Kim wouldnt sign GOT EVEN. He picketed the school twice, with a big sign in Korean saying the owner mistreats and deports teachers, changes the lock and steal belongings of foreigners(that is tresspassing under korean law). The teacher entered the hakwon and bawled out the weasel director in front of students and staff, and embarassed the guy bigtime. The second time the teacher appeared at the hakwon- HE GOT HIS LETTER SIGNED, and the owner's wife was obviously extremely upset and frightened of the teacher's threats to call the cops and CALL THE STUDENTS" PARENTS (he speaks Korean and had a copy of the school phone list). They learned that to screw with the wrong teacher means BANKRUPTCY!!!

I have aided in this by conducting an email campaign to make people aware of TOPIA and the crooked agents dealing with them. Agents who send foreingers to lousy skills will be PUT OUT OF BUSINESS.

Veracity Report posted by chorongee2000 on Jun 6th, 200