Korean Job Discussion Forums

[magnumface]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum-hope life is good. Having a few seemingly typical teething problems with the recruiter - even at this early stage imagining horrific forms of torture is a stress reliever.
One thing is he got me and my girlfriend too open two bank accounts, one he can access which the school pays into and the other we can access which he then pays us into.
He gave us the "why do you care-its nothing to do with you" routine but it just seems a bit strange-maybe later for tax reprocussions. Any thoughts?

[HamuHamu]

Ohhh seems a little dodgy from what I can understand through your post.

So, if I am reading and understanding correctly -

The school pays into Account A. The recruiter withdraws from this account. The recruiter then pays into Account B. You can have the money in Account B. You can not withdraw any of the money in Account A, correct?

If the above is true, I would think you're being set-up for a potential screw over! Especially as the recruiter gave you a snarky answer when you questioned him.

It should work simply. You have ONE bank account. Your school can make salary payments into the account. (Actually, anyone can deposit INTO your account). YOU and YOU ONLY can withdraw from your account.

If the school owes the recruiter money, the school should pay the recruiter without involving you. The school pays you. The school pays the recruiter. No need for you to be a middle man for their transactions.

I would discuss this with the director ASAP and tell the director you want to be paid by the school and not have the recruiter involved AT ALL. If the school doesn't agree to this.....methinks sometin's fishy.

[batman]

Sounds like a screw over to me.
I would like to add that Korean laws limit non-Koreans to one bank account each.
By having you open two each the recruiter is having you break the law.
What you can try to do is to cancel the one he has access to and simply have your school deposit your pay into the other account.

[magnumface]

Cheers guys. Just to fully explain. We are working at a public elementary school in an English program that the recruiter has set up with them. I think basically the school is paying a lot more and he is taking money off the top. However we signed the contract for 2 million and he is providing an apartment.
He says that the school wants it done this way that they pay into our bank accounts. Oh and he slipped in something about us signing another contract with the school-just to do with conduct and stuff.. he said.

[J.B. Clamence]

Considering that the school wants to make it look like they are paying you directly, and want to have their own "contract" with you, it sounds to me like you are supposed to be getting more than you are. Why else would the school and recruiter go to such lengths to make it look like there's no middle-man? And are you sure that this is what the school wants as well? Have you talked to the school about this arrangement? Maybe the recruiter is pulling a fast one on both you and the school.

[Zed]

You're opening yourself up for a big screwover. Don't trust those *beeps*.

[krats1976]

I agree with everyone else. This is way dodgy.

I'm friends with my recruiter's brother and both belong to my church and I still wouldn't accept this set-up.

Change it or get out of it before you get screwed.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[sadsac]

Never heard of a setup like this in my 4 years here. Sounds very suspicious. As a previous poster stated, talk to the school. Your contract is with the school, not the recruiter. Who sponsored your E2? Be wary guys.

[ladyandthetramp]

Actually, lots of recruiters are doing this nowadays. They are the ones providing jobs for public schools.