Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

hello gentle people.
question. If a hagwon director schedules a person for less than 120 hours a month, can the difference be deducted from the employees pay? For example, i am scheduled to work about 110 hours this month. Can the director deduct 10 hours pay? If it happens next month, can I ask immigration to release me from my contract? (i have a family to support)
comments, links and flames welcome...

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Only if you're contracted to be paid by the hour and not a monthly salary.

[Pak Yu Man]

If your contract ssays x money for 120 hours...then tat's that.
It's not your problem he doesn't have the classes or the students.

Tell him it's illegal and you want your money back or you'll go to immigration.

I had a hagwon try to do this to me years ago. "Well...as you know this is a new school and you're only working 8 hours right now. So we're going to pay you only half."

They changed their minds quick when immigration called them and asked "what was up"?

[laogaiguk]

Pretty sure you are probably salaried, so the answer is no. You are entitled to full pay as long as you show up for all the time that your contract stipulates.

[poet13]

yes, I am salaried. 2.0 for 120 hours/month.

thank you for the responses. More welcome, 'specially links if anyone knows of one.

[ontheway]

Actually on this question, the exact wording of the contract is important. Is it clearly stated that your 2.0 million is a monthly base salary? If the contract only states 2.0 million for 120 hours per month it could be written and interpreted to be an hourly form of compensation.

[poet13]

thank you blackbear. very helpful.
thank you also ontheway. you make a good point.

i would check my contract, but since i renewed 6 weeks ago, despite repeated requests, i have yet to be given a copy of the new contract. I think may be because each time i ask for the new contract, i also ask for my statement of tax withholding from my last contract. I paid +5% during the year, so i dont think she wants to give it back...ha ha ha. i asked again yesterday, and she said next week. we'll see.

[ontheway]

Poet 13,

Your tax sounds way too high. Korea's taxes are progressive. There are also deductions and exemptions. Your tax rate would go over 5%, if you are single with no dependents, when you get to about 3 million per month(as I read the tax law). Unless you've been getting a lot of overtime, your taxes are way too high. At 2 million with zero OT, you should be paying about 1.6% (maybe less with dependents).

I don't really think your contract is written so that you shouldn't get your monthly salary, just that it could be. But while you haven't been cheated in that way yet, you're already losing 60,000 or so every month in over withholding on your taxes.

Good luck.

[Grotto]

tax on 2 mil is 1.5%

Tell them that they have to pay you in full each and every month you are there. Thats the agreement you made.

Stupid hogwan owners

You renewed Why?

[poet13]

yeah, i knew i was overpaying. just counting on getting it back. i renewed because i really like the city/town i'm in. theres perhaps five other foreign english teachers in the whole town, so positions are few. i belong to a writing club (P.E.N.), i have a riding partner..etc. another reason not to be discounted is "better the evil you know...". i have read so many horror stories on Dave's that getting into a position like that could really hurt my family. i have learned to deal with the hagwons money foolishness without yet having had to sic lab/immi/tax office on them....though that maybe this week when i go file my taxes and find out how much she actually sumitted as tax...snicker snicker.... regarding ot and higher tax, i think in all of last year i had between 150 and 200 hours, so the tax bump shouldnt be great. coupled with having two dependants (wife and son), my tax liability should also be reduced.