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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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 Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:42 am Post subject: |
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| JeJuJitsu wrote: |
| Thanks for the replies. It just seems surreal that after flying someone over from another continent, THEY would risk creating a disgruntled employee by giving a sob story. Penny wise and pound foolish. Anyway, thanks again for the responses, and I will hold my line on pay. |
He was just feeling you out to see what he will be able to pull on you in the future.
Fight the big fights, let the small things go. That's my biggest piece of advice to any noobie. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| guangho wrote: |
| Let's turn this question around: Anyone here who has NOT been approached by a hakwon about having their pay cut in one way or another? |
Or been told that some mothers are complaining without receiving a clear explanation as a follow-up?
Last edited by Hollywoodaction on Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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riley
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: where creditors can find me
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:15 am Post subject: sob story |
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| Or been told that some mother are complaining without receiving a clear explanation as a follow-up? |
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ilovebdt
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Location: Nr Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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| JeJuJitsu wrote: |
Update:
Well, talked with my owner/director, and the "about your pay" turned out to be not about my wage, but benefits. He gave me 2 options:
A) Take out approx. 150,000/month for taxes & insurance
B) Keep my whole two million salary intact, but no insurance and no taxes taken out
I opted for option B. I'll gamble on not getting sick or getting run over by an insane driver... |
What about pension?If you are American maybe Canadian too (?) you can get that money back when you leave. Taking 150,000 per month out of your pay for tax and health insurance seems very high. The most I ever got deducted from my salary was around 50,000 won a month. |
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single_speed_surly
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| If you are American maybe Canadian too (?) you can get that money back when you leave. |
True. I got mine refunded pretty quickly when I got back to Canada. Faster than my severance pay, if I remeber correctly. And it's a nice little bonus, too. They take it out, you don't miss it, and then you get a nice little lump sum a month or so after you get back home.
Ways to streamline this process:
1. Fill out the refund paperwork correctly, with a Korean to help you.
2. Have an account at a bank that has a branch near your 'home base'
in your home country, so that they can do a direct deposit. (ie,
KEB) |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| ilovebdt wrote: |
What about pension?If you are American maybe Canadian too (?) you can get that money back when you leave. Taking 150,000 per month out of your pay for tax and health insurance seems very high. The most I ever got deducted from my salary was around 50,000 won a month. |
That's right, if you're American or Canadian you definitely want to pay into the national pension scheme. They take 4.5% of your pay, but your employer has to match it, and you get ALL of it back when you're ready to leave Korea.
If you're from another country, you get none of it back, so if that's the case you might want to stay out of the pension scheme.
I'd also strongly advise ponying up for health insurance. You never know when you'll need it, it's not that much (maybe W40,000/mo), and if you try to get it later, you'll have to pay back premiums for all the time you were in Korea w/o health insurance (maximum 2 years of premiums).
So far as income taxes? That's tiny. Maybe 3.3% of your pay. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:11 am Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| ilovebdt wrote: |
What about pension?If you are American maybe Canadian too (?) you can get that money back when you leave. Taking 150,000 per month out of your pay for tax and health insurance seems very high. The most I ever got deducted from my salary was around 50,000 won a month. |
That's right, if you're American or Canadian you definitely want to pay into the national pension scheme. They take 4.5% of your pay, but your employer has to match it, and you get ALL of it back when you're ready to leave Korea.
If you're from another country, you get none of it back, so if that's the case you might want to stay out of the pension scheme.
I'd also strongly advise ponying up for health insurance. You never know when you'll need it, it's not that much (maybe W40,000/mo), and if you try to get it later, you'll have to pay back premiums for all the time you were in Korea w/o health insurance (maximum 2 years of premiums).
So far as income taxes? That's tiny. Maybe 3.3% of your pay. |
As far as I know, all Canadians and Americans working in Korea must contribute to the national pension unless they are paying into a private policy. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| Hollywoodaction wrote: |
As far as I know, all Canadians and Americans working in Korea must contribute to the national pension unless they are paying into a private policy. |
Right you are, but more than a few hogwon owners find ways to weasel out of that one. If his boss is giving him the option to opt out of the pension plan that's probably exactly what he was planning on doing. |
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JeJuJitsu
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Location: McDonald's
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah, coming down with pinkeye hte day after I said yes to no insurance has me rethinking. Instead of being able to go to the doc for some antibiotics, I'm now just riding my pinkeye out w/o meds...and I have no idea what is of my pension. Oh well, I guess I can always look for a better situation for the next contract. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:32 am Post subject: |
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Bad idea, you're better off getting on national health insurance now, especially if you're thinking about staying for another year.
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
I'd also strongly advise ponying up for health insurance. You never know when you'll need it, it's not that much (maybe W40,000/mo), and if you try to get it later, you'll have to pay back premiums for all the time you were in Korea w/o health insurance (maximum 2 years of premiums).
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Read this again. Now keep in mind that your boss would be matching your health insurance payments. If you don't get on the plan, then next year you'll be responsible for about a million won in back payments.
Get on the plan.
BTW, even if you aren't on the national plan, you should still see a doctor and get medication for your pink eye. You'll have to pay out of pocket, but health care is nowhere near as expensive as it would be back home. There's no reason to suffer without meds. |
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joe_doufu
Joined: 09 May 2005
Location: Elsewhere
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah, I got all the medical advice and antibiotics I needed to fight off a case of tonsilitis for less than 17000 won. Considering that health insurance would have been more than 50000 per month, and I've only needed it once in five months, I think I'm glad that my boss screwed me out of insurance by not telling me I didn't have it until three months into the contract. |
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JeJuJitsu
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Location: McDonald's
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:26 am Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
| Yeah, I got all the medical advice and antibiotics I needed to fight off a case of tonsilitis for less than 17000 won. Considering that health insurance would have been more than 50000 per month, and I've only needed it once in five months, I think I'm glad that my boss screwed me out of insurance by not telling me I didn't have it until three months into the contract. |
Where?!!! Just go to a doctor and I can get a prescription and the medicine for under 20K?! Any doc, or do you have to search for one that will charge little? Or do you go to some clinic or what? Thanks in advance... |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:51 am Post subject: |
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| Pretty much any doctor should give you a price like that for a minor procedure and a prescription. |
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject: Re: "About Your Pay..." |
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| JeJuJitsu wrote: |
| "I must talk to you about your pay in the next several days...Here, have more Soju! Use both hands to hold cup. Now, we have economic depression here in Korea now, and many students cannot pay all of their fees. (Incidentally, from a fellow teacher (Korean) who has been showing me around town I found out that only 2 or 3 of our students are NOT current with their tuition payments.) Drink your Soju! It is good! Relaxes you!" |
Take this hint and know that this is his way of telling you. He's been taking you out to dinner to soften the blow and trying to save face. I find that Koreans usually don't or can't admit, or simply try to avoid telling you when their businesses are failing. |
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