Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ubum]

I currently have a 1 year contract at my current job. It��s a position as an in house Business English Instructor at a large well-known company. I am only about 5 months into my current contract and they asked me yesterday what I thought of a 5 year contract. I told them that 5 years was a long ass time. Would anyone sign a 5 year contract?

[joe_doufu]

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Five years would at least be worth some strippers as well.

[magicwolfman]

as others have said, it would depend on the benefits (minus the strippers). I think it might have potential.

[ubum]

[rapier]

you can change a lot, rethink, and acquire different goals in 5 years.
Its a loooong time to commit to.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

It's a strange offer-- why would someone offer a 5-year contract outside of the army, unless it's a trick to deny benefits when invariably you leave before five years. It's a commitment. Better be damn cute strippers.

Ken:>

[JongnoGuru]

I'm just curious as to the validity, legally speaking, of a multi-year employment contract between a Korean employer and a foreign employee.

Most work visas are valid for no more than one year. In the end, whether we are allowed to remain in, or return to, the Republic is not up to the desire or deep pockets/connections of our employers, but to the mood of the Ministry of Justice/Immigration Office agent we happen to draw. And as Immigration doesn't normally issue work visas valid beyond one year (and as they like to see the visa period & employment period coincide), I wonder exactly what they'd make of a 5-year employment contract?

My sense is, this won't fly because of the visa. (Maybe not a concern for Foreign Spouse visa-holders, I dunno.) Or, there'd be a "gentlemen's agreement" (perhaps even something in writing) between the Korean employer and the foreign employee, but the actual employment contract that's submitted to Immigration will be the standard one-year dealio. Which contract is legally binding, though, should problems arise?

[Wangja]

If the notice period is one month, it is a one month contract.

[Paji eh Wong]

[fidel]

[JongnoGuru]

[lastat06513]

There is no legality to it.
It is not the company that determines the stay, its immigrations.
And right now, they only renew visas on a year-by-year basis. I haven't heard of them giving anything BUT one year stints on a visa. I'm not sure about other types of visas outside of E2s though.
You can sign anything you want. But remember that it is only legal for ONE year


Because I'm human, I could be wrong. I'm ready for a backlash.....

[krats1976]

You can't get a 5 year E-2 visa, but you can get a 5 year contract. You will simply have to extend your visa each year. It's a pretty simple matter.

I just extended for the second year of my 2-year contract. I'm on an E-7, but I don't think it's that much different.

As for severence, Korean law requires you to get 1 month severence for every 12 months you work. So, you would get 5 years of severence (though I'd make sure it was in the contract). Whether they're required to give it to you at the end of the year or if they could give it to you in one lump sum at the end, I don't know.

[JongnoGuru]