Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MinneasotaGirl]

Here is the contract, check it out and tell me what you think? I am a little worried about the Saturday make-up classes. That sounds like, basically, we don't get holidays technically off, because we have to make them up on Saturday! That sucks! Also, the hours seem very long, and mandatory overtime?! Any advice?


Letter of Contract

Bundang-EN

This contract is entered into by and between ________ an individual (hereinafter referred to as �Teacher�) and GDA, an entity (hereinafter referred to as �School�) in order to effect the placement of Teacher exclusively in School pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein.

For good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

Relationship of the Parties: The parties hereto are to be construed as employer (School) and employee (Teacher).

Term: The Term of this contract shall be 12 (twelve) full and complete teaching sessions. Solely for the purposes of convenience, the calendar dates on this contract are listed as from June 26, 2006 to June 25, 2007. If a discrepancy exists between session dates and calendar dates, the session dates shall take precedence over the calendar dates. Any delays in Teachers arrival in the Republic of Korea or ability to commence teaching at the start of the session calendar may call for renegotiation of the Term.

Renewal: The Term may be renewed by the parties by an agreement set forth in writing and executed by both parties.
Obligations and Responsibilities: As an employee of School, Teacher shall contribute to the cumulative experience, wisdom, and resources of a team dedicated to developing, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive program for teaching English.

Exclusive Employment: In accordance with Korean law, Teacher shall work exclusively for School. Any employment outside of School for another individual or entity is illicit and strictly prohibited. Employment outside of School is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

Supervision: Teacher shall work with and abide by the decisions of the School�s Directors and their appointed representatives.
Observation and Performance Review: School reserves the right to observe Teacher�s classes and to conduct performance reviews. Observations are not announced. Failure to meet the standards of School is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

Behavior: Teacher shall respect and obey the rules and standards of conduct and behavior (written, verbal and tacit) presently, or may hereafter be, set for Teacher by School at all times. Teacher shall respect and obey the laws, regulations, instructions, and ordinances of the national and local governments of the Republic of Korea at all times.

Dress Code: Teacher shall dress in a conservative manner that is appropriate for a professional business environment. All clothes must be clean and pressed. When on the premises Teacher shall obey the following dress code:

Male Teachers: Dress pants, dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes.

Female Teachers: Dress, dress pants, dress skirt, dress shirt, and dress shoes.

Schedule: Under normal circumstances, the regular work week is from Monday to Friday. Teacher will have the equivalent 180 40-minute classroom contact blocks (Approximately 120 classroom contact hours) per session. Apart from the classroom contact hours, Teacher shall devote no less than 2 hours per day at School for the preparation and execution of administrative duties associated with classes assigned by School; this includes but is not limited to lesson planning, writing report cards, attending and participating in Parent/Teacher conferences, supervision of students, maintenance of the school environment, attending and participating in Staff and Committee meetings and workshops without additional pay.

Saturday Classes: In the event a national holiday occurs on a Tuesday or Thursday, Teacher is required to teach Saturday make up classes, as scheduled by the Director. Though Saturday make up classes are separate from overtime classes, they are paid at the overtime rate.

Overtime Classes: In addition to Saturday make up classes, during the summer and winter peak seasons as well as when necessary throughout the rest of the year, School reserves the right to mandate the equivalent of up to 100 40-minute classroom contact blocks per session as overtime.

Arrival at Work: As part of the 2 hours per day spent on preparation and execution of administrative duties associated with classes assigned by School as aforementioned, Teacher must arrive at and remain at School at least 1 hour prior to the start of Teacher�s first afternoon class. In the event Teacher has morning classes, Teacher must arrive at and remain at School by at least 9:00 a.m.

Projects and Administrative Duty: School reserves the right to convert any part of Teacher�s schedule into research and development work/projects and/or administrative duties.

Orientation and Training: Teacher will undertake orientation and training before commencing to teach. Half the normal salary will be paid for the orientation and training period. The orientation and training period lasts approximately 1 week. School reserves the right to reduce or omit the orientation and training period if Teacher�s arrival in the Republic of Korea is less than one week prior to the commencement of the regular session calendar.

Teaching Material: Any teaching material, including but not limited to books and supplies, provided to Teacher for use during the term of this contract, shall be returned to School in substantially the same condition in which they were received, normal wear and tear excepted.

Replacement Cost: In the event teaching material is not returned or returned in a condition that is not substantially the same as when Teacher received it, the cost of replacement shall be the sole responsibility of Teacher.

Original Material: Teacher understands and accepts that all rights to use, sell, distribute and publish all original material produced by Teacher during the Term of this contract, for which Teacher is compensated as regular pay, overtime pay, payment of material cost, or in an agreed-upon sum, remain the sole property of School.

Security Deposit: School will deduct and hold in account the sum of \250,000 from Teacher�s salary for the first 3 months. Said deposit is used as security on teachers Airfare to the Republic of Korea, and to clear all outstanding bills the teacher may have left behind at the completion of Teacher�s contract. All money left after the payment of bills, approximately 3 months, minus bank transfer fees, will be deposited into Teacher�s account.

Salary: School shall pay Teacher a total monthly basic salary of \2,100,000 on the last working day of each session.

Overtime Pay: Overtime pay is \17,400 per 40-minute classroom contact block. Overtime payment is made only for classes taught in excess of the 180 40-minute classroom contact blocks per teaching session.

Taxes and Pension: All national and local taxes and National Pension will be deducted on a monthly basis at the rates mandated by the Republic of Korea. The rate of deduction is based on Teacher�s gross earnings for the session.

Severance Pay: Contingent upon the successful completion of the Term of this contract and Teacher�s contractual Obligations and Responsibilities as aforementioned, School shall pay Teacher the amount of one month�s basic salary as severance pay.

Airfare: School shall provide a one-way economy class ticket to the Republic of Korea from the nearest International airport from Teacher�s home (hereinafter referred to as �Point of Departure�). In the event Teacher is hired in-country, School shall provide a round-trip economy class ticket to Japan for the purposes of obtaining a work visa. All other costs associated with obtaining aforementioned visa are the sole responsibility of Teacher.

Reimbursement of Airfare: In the event Teacher does not complete a minimum of 7 full teaching sessions due to ill-health, resignation or contract termination and/or fails to give a minimum of 2 full teaching session months notice of resignation, Teacher shall reimburse the cost of the original one-way economy class ticket from Point of Departure to the Republic of Korea. In the event Teacher was hired in-country, Teacher shall reimburse the cost of the round-trip economy class ticket to Japan.

Execution of Reimbursement of Airfare: In the event reimbursement of airfare becomes necessary School shall be entitled to withhold the amount of the reimbursement of airfare, and accommodations for in-country hire, from Teacher�s salary on the month that written notification of intent from either party is given to the other party.

Return Airfare: Contingent upon the successful completion of the Term of this contract and Teacher�s contractual Obligations and Responsibilities as aforementioned, School shall provide a one-way economy class ticket from the Republic of Korea to Point of Departure.

Cash Settlement: In the event Teacher does not wish to return to Point of Departure at the completion of this Contract, School shall pay Teacher the sum of \800,000 as full settlement and fulfillment of School�s contractual obligation and responsibility to provide a one-way economy class ticket from the Republic of Korea to Point of Departure.

Housing: School shall decide upon and provide furnished housing accommodations for Teacher. School housing shall be a shared two to three bedroom unit. All School units are shared exclusively by employees of School.

Utilities: The cost of all utilities and bills associated with School housing and its maintenance is the sole responsibility of its inhabitants. All receipts for utilities and bills associated with School housing will be submitted to School by inhabitants upon payment of said bill.

Vacating Housing: Teacher shall vacate School housing within 48 hours of completion of this contract and leave such in broom clean condition, and in substantially the same condition as that in which such housing was provided to Teacher, normal wear and tear excepted. All furnishings provided in School housing must be in dust cloth clean condition, and in substantially the same condition as that in which such furnishings were provided to Teacher, normal wear and tear excepted.

Cleaning and Repair and/or Replacement Cost: In the event School housing and/or provided furnishings is not returned or returned not clean and/or returned in a condition that is not substantially the same as when Teacher received it, the cost of cleaning and/or repair and/or replacement shall be the sole responsibility of Teacher.

Medical Insurance: In accordance with Korean law, School shall pay 50% of monthly premiums for Teacher to receive medical insurance through Korean National Health Insurance. In accordance with Korean law, the remaining 50% of monthly premiums shall be paid by Teacher through deductions in Teacher�s monthly salary.

Deductibles and Outstanding Premiums: Any deductibles and/or outstanding premiums are the sole responsibility of the Teacher.
Combined Sick/Emergency Leave: 2.5 40-minute classroom contact blocks of paid sick/emergency leave per session, for a combined total of 30 40-minute classroom contact blocks, shall be given per contract year to Teacher in documented cases. Any classes missed in excess of the aforementioned 30 40-minute classroom contact blocks will be docked at the overtime rate. Abuse of combined sick/emergency leave is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

Buy Back: Contingent upon the successful completion of the Term of this contract and Teacher�s contractual Obligations and Responsibilities as aforementioned, School shall buy back any unused sick/emergency leave from Teacher at the regular rate.

Reimbursement of Combined Sick/Emergency Leave: In the event Teacher does not complete a 12 full teaching sessions due to ill-health, resignation or contract termination, Teacher shall reimburse any used Combined Sick/Emergency Leave in excess of the 2.5 40-minute classroom contact blocks per session of the actual number of sessions worked.

National Holiday: Teacher shall receive off all national holidays. In instances when a national holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, Saturday make-up classes must be taught as aforementioned.

Vacation: Teacher will observe vacations as scheduled by the School and detailed in a yearly calendar provided before the commencement of the calendar year.

Contract Termination: School reserves the right to terminate this Contract for cause with written notification sixty days in advance, and for serious cause without notice. Teacher shall give a minimum of 2 full teaching sessions advance notice of intention to terminate this Contract. The following events include but do not limit events that shall trigger immediate termination of this contract:
a) Unwillingness and/or inability of Teacher to meet the obligations and responsibilities of this Contract.

b) Unwillingness and/or inability of Teacher to meet the obligations and responsibilities of the job.

c) Conduct and/or action jeopardizing any student and/or staff member.

d) Conduct and/or action jeopardizing the reputation of School.

e) Illegal activity.

Covenants: Teacher hereby agrees, covenants and undertakes that Teacher will not disclose any information relating to Teacher�s employment conditions to others, any teaching materials, and/or any information relating to the academic program, whether verbally or in writing, to other individuals or corporate entities.

Jurisdiction: This Contract shall be interpreted according to the internal (domestic) laws of the Republic of Korea. A competent court in the Republic of Korea shall have jurisdiction in regards to any dispute or claim arising out of, or in connection with, this agreement.
School and Teacher have executed this Contract on the date indicated below. Intending to be legally bound to, and in witness of, School and Teacher have appended their signatures.

[Grotto]

Term: The Term of this contract shall be 12 (twelve) full and complete teaching sessions. Solely for the purposes of convenience, the calendar dates on this contract are listed as from June 26, 2006 to June 25, 2007. If a discrepancy exists between session dates and calendar dates, the session dates shall take precedence over the calendar dates. Any delays in Teachers arrival in the Republic of Korea or ability to commence teaching at the start of the session calendar may call for renegotiation of the Term.

Not acceptable! The contract length is from June 26 2006 to June 25 2007! Period! End of conversation! Contract start dates need to be set out clearly!

Renewal: The Term may be renewed by the parties by an agreement set forth in writing and executed by both parties.
Obligations and Responsibilities: As an employee of School, Teacher shall contribute to the cumulative experience, wisdom, and resources of a team dedicated to developing, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive program for teaching English.

Exclusive Employment: In accordance with Korean law, Teacher shall work exclusively for School. Any employment outside of School for another individual or entity is illicit and strictly prohibited. Employment outside of School is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

Supervision: Teacher shall work with and abide by the decisions of the School’s Directors and their appointed representatives.
Observation and Performance Review: School reserves the right to observe Teacher’s classes and to conduct performance reviews. Observations are not announced. Failure to meet the standards of School is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

By law they still need to give 30 days notice!

Behavior: Teacher shall respect and obey the rules and standards of conduct and behavior (written, verbal and tacit) presently, or may hereafter be, set for Teacher by School at all times. Teacher shall respect and obey the laws, regulations, instructions, and ordinances of the national and local governments of the Republic of Korea at all times.

Dress Code: Teacher shall dress in a conservative manner that is appropriate for a professional business environment. All clothes must be clean and pressed. When on the premises Teacher shall obey the following dress code:

Male Teachers: Dress pants, dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes.

Female Teachers: Dress, dress pants, dress skirt, dress shirt, and dress shoes.



Schedule: Under normal circumstances, the regular work week is from Monday to Friday. Teacher will have the equivalent 180 40-minute classroom contact blocks (Approximately 120 classroom contact hours) per session.

180/4=45 classes per week! Thats 9 classes a day! Way WAY too much!

Apart from the classroom contact hours, Teacher shall devote no less than 2 hours per day at School for the preparation and execution of administrative duties associated with classes assigned by School; this includes but is not limited to lesson planning, writing report cards, attending and participating in Parent/Teacher conferences, supervision of students, maintenance of the school environment, attending and participating in Staff and Committee meetings and workshops without additional pay.

2 hours a day unpaid go fuxk yourselves!

Saturday Classes: In the event a national holiday occurs on a Tuesday or Thursday, Teacher is required to teach Saturday make up classes, as scheduled by the Director. Though Saturday make up classes are separate from overtime classes, they are paid at the overtime rate.

You dont have to make up classes missed due to national holidays! Shyte clause! I guess workweeks arent Mon-Fri! This is the same crap contract that was posted last week!

Overtime Classes: In addition to Saturday make up classes, during the summer and winter peak seasons as well as when necessary throughout the rest of the year, School reserves the right to mandate the equivalent of up to 100 40-minute classroom contact blocks per session as overtime.

Mandatory overtime is illegal!

Arrival at Work: As part of the 2 hours per day spent on preparation and execution of administrative duties associated with classes assigned by School as aforementioned, Teacher must arrive at and remain at School at least 1 hour prior to the start of Teacher’s first afternoon class. In the event Teacher has morning classes, Teacher must arrive at and remain at School by at least 9:00 a.m.



Projects and Administrative Duty: School reserves the right to convert any part of Teacher’s schedule into research and development work/projects and/or administrative duties.

Orientation and Training: Teacher will undertake orientation and training before commencing to teach. Half the normal salary will be paid for the orientation and training period. The orientation and training period lasts approximately 1 week. School reserves the right to reduce or omit the orientation and training period if Teacher’s arrival in the Republic of Korea is less than one week prior to the commencement of the regular session calendar.



Teaching Material: Any teaching material, including but not limited to books and supplies, provided to Teacher for use during the term of this contract, shall be returned to School in substantially the same condition in which they were received, normal wear and tear excepted.

Replacement Cost: In the event teaching material is not returned or returned in a condition that is not substantially the same as when Teacher received it, the cost of replacement shall be the sole responsibility of Teacher.

Original Material: Teacher understands and accepts that all rights to use, sell, distribute and publish all original material produced by Teacher during the Term of this contract, for which Teacher is compensated as regular pay, overtime pay, payment of material cost, or in an agreed-upon sum, remain the sole property of School.

Security Deposit: School will deduct and hold in account the sum of \250,000 from Teacher’s salary for the first 3 months. Said deposit is used as security on teachers Airfare to the Republic of Korea, and to clear all outstanding bills the teacher may have left behind at the completion of Teacher’s contract. All money left after the payment of bills, approximately 3 months, minus bank transfer fees, will be deposited into Teacher’s account.

Just say no to deposits! They are illegal and you shouldnt have to pay them! Especially deposits of such an absurd amount!

Salary: School shall pay Teacher a total monthly basic salary of \2,100,000 on the last working day of each session.

Overtime Pay: Overtime pay is \17,400 per 40-minute classroom contact block. Overtime payment is made only for classes taught in excess of the 180 40-minute classroom contact blocks per teaching session.

Taxes and Pension: All national and local taxes and National Pension will be deducted on a monthly basis at the rates mandated by the Republic of Korea. The rate of deduction is based on Teacher’s gross earnings for the session.

still not more than 1.6%

Severance Pay: Contingent upon the successful completion of the Term of this contract and Teacher’s contractual Obligations and Responsibilities as aforementioned, School shall pay Teacher the amount of one month’s basic salary as severance pay.

You get this for finishing a year...nothing more nothing less!

Airfare: School shall provide a one-way economy class ticket to the Republic of Korea from the nearest International airport from Teacher’s home (hereinafter referred to as “Point of Departure”). In the event Teacher is hired in-country, School shall provide a round-trip economy class ticket to Japan for the purposes of obtaining a work visa. All other costs associated with obtaining aforementioned visa are the sole responsibility of Teacher.

they should pay for the entire cost of the visa!

Reimbursement of Airfare: In the event Teacher does not complete a minimum of 7 full teaching sessions due to ill-health, resignation or contract termination and/or fails to give a minimum of 2 full teaching session months notice of resignation, Teacher shall reimburse the cost of the original one-way economy class ticket from Point of Departure to the Republic of Korea. In the event Teacher was hired in-country, Teacher shall reimburse the cost of the round-trip economy class ticket to Japan.

crap

Execution of Reimbursement of Airfare: In the event reimbursement of airfare becomes necessary School shall be entitled to withhold the amount of the reimbursement of airfare, and accommodations for in-country hire, from Teacher’s salary on the month that written notification of intent from either party is given to the other party.

midnight run time!

Return Airfare: Contingent upon the successful completion of the Term of this contract and Teacher’s contractual Obligations and Responsibilities as aforementioned, School shall provide a one-way economy class ticket from the Republic of Korea to Point of Departure.

Cash Settlement: In the event Teacher does not wish to return to Point of Departure at the completion of this Contract, School shall pay Teacher the sum of \800,000 as full settlement and fulfillment of School’s contractual obligation and responsibility to provide a one-way economy class ticket from the Republic of Korea to Point of Departure.

it should be cash equivalent

Housing: School shall decide upon and provide furnished housing accommodations for Teacher. School housing shall be a shared two to three bedroom unit. All School units are shared exclusively by employees of School.

shared accomodations suck!

Utilities: The cost of all utilities and bills associated with School housing and its maintenance is the sole responsibility of its inhabitants. All receipts for utilities and bills associated with School housing will be submitted to School by inhabitants upon payment of said bill.

then why is there such a huge deposit?

Vacating Housing: Teacher shall vacate School housing within 48 hours of completion of this contract and leave such in broom clean condition, and in substantially the same condition as that in which such housing was provided to Teacher, normal wear and tear excepted. All furnishings provided in School housing must be in dust cloth clean condition, and in substantially the same condition as that in which such furnishings were provided to Teacher, normal wear and tear excepted.

?

Cleaning and Repair and/or Replacement Cost: In the event School housing and/or provided furnishings is not returned or returned not clean and/or returned in a condition that is not substantially the same as when Teacher received it, the cost of cleaning and/or repair and/or replacement shall be the sole responsibility of Teacher.

Medical Insurance: In accordance with Korean law, School shall pay 50% of monthly premiums for Teacher to receive medical insurance through Korean National Health Insurance. In accordance with Korean law, the remaining 50% of monthly premiums shall be paid by Teacher through deductions in Teacher’s monthly salary.

2.24% each

Deductibles and Outstanding Premiums: Any deductibles and/or outstanding premiums are the sole responsibility of the Teacher.
Combined Sick/Emergency Leave: 2.5 40-minute classroom contact blocks of paid sick/emergency leave per session, for a combined total of 30 40-minute classroom contact blocks, shall be given per contract year to Teacher in documented cases. Any classes missed in excess of the aforementioned 30 40-minute classroom contact blocks will be docked at the overtime rate. Abuse of combined sick/emergency leave is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

Buy Back: Contingent upon the successful completion of the Term of this contract and Teacher’s contractual Obligations and Responsibilities as aforementioned, School shall buy back any unused sick/emergency leave from Teacher at the regular rate.

Reimbursement of Combined Sick/Emergency Leave: In the event Teacher does not complete a 12 full teaching sessions due to ill-health, resignation or contract termination, Teacher shall reimburse any used Combined Sick/Emergency Leave in excess of the 2.5 40-minute classroom contact blocks per session of the actual number of sessions worked.

National Holiday: Teacher shall receive off all national holidays. In instances when a national holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, Saturday make-up classes must be taught as aforementioned.

Vacation: Teacher will observe vacations as scheduled by the School and detailed in a yearly calendar provided before the commencement of the calendar year.

Contract Termination: School reserves the right to terminate this Contract for cause with written notification sixty days in advance, and for serious cause without notice. Teacher shall give a minimum of 2 full teaching sessions advance notice of intention to terminate this Contract. The following events include but do not limit events that shall trigger immediate termination of this contract:
a) Unwillingness and/or inability of Teacher to meet the obligations and responsibilities of this Contract.

b) Unwillingness and/or inability of Teacher to meet the obligations and responsibilities of the job.

c) Conduct and/or action jeopardizing any student and/or staff member.

d) Conduct and/or action jeopardizing the reputation of School.

e) Illegal activity.

Covenants: Teacher hereby agrees, covenants and undertakes that Teacher will not disclose any information relating to Teacher’s employment conditions to others, any teaching materials, and/or any information relating to the academic program, whether verbally or in writing, to other individuals or corporate entities.

Jurisdiction: This Contract shall be interpreted according to the internal (domestic) laws of the Republic of Korea. A competent court in the Republic of Korea shall have jurisdiction in regards to any dispute or claim arising out of, or in connection with, this agreement.
School and Teacher have executed this Contract on the date indicated below. Intending to be legally bound to, and in witness of, School and Teacher have appended their signatures.

Its a crap contract....email them telling them they are full of crap and that you would never want to work for them!

[MinneasotaGirl]

With all due respect, your feedback on the contracts are great. And you sound like you have a lot of experience in South Korea.

Have you ever seen a good contract? We have been looking for positions since April, with recruiters (Planet ESl, Park English, Orange Recruiting, Footprints) and applying to schools on our own. It seems that we are constantly hitting a dead end. I have done my research. But, it seems VERY difficult to find a school with, great hours, no split shifts, liveable and somewhat decent apartments, great perks, at least 20,000 for overtime (upwards of 120 hrs,) etc, etc.

I am so frustrated. I spent a lot of time on this. Any advice. How long did it take you to find your first job in Korea?

Leah

[Big Mac]

I agree, this is a crappy contract.

Here's what I noticed:

--The use of teaching sessions to determine your contract length is weird. Does one teaching session equal one month? Your Visa determines how long you stay in the country...they can't keep you longer if your Visa expires.

--Under the section on your obligations...the only thing they say is your responsibility is to help design a curriculum. Strange. Aren't you a teacher?

--On the class observation section...how do they determine whether you don't meet the standards? If they don't like you, this gives them the power to sit in on a class, say they don't like it and let you go.

--They should be able to outline the rules of behaviour in the contract. They shouldn't make you wait until you get there. Who knows, maybe they have some really wacky rules they don't want to tell you about.

--Two hours a day preparation is ridiculous. If they have a curriculum you shouldn't have to do that. Tell them to design a curriculum before they open a school.

--You're expected to do maintenance without extra pay? You're a teacher, not a janitor. This is ridiculous.

--You should not be expected to make up National Holidays. Especially when it's unclear in this contract what other holidays you will be getting, if any.

--Forced overtime is illegal.

--They'll give you back your deposit three months later. Ridiculous.

--The pay is good...2.1 million.

--Get the amount of what your taxes will be for 2.1 million. I know for 2 million it is 1.6 per cent...but they should be able to tell you what it is for 2.1. If you work overtime, of course it will be higher but you know that.

--Pension contributions are 4.5 per cent, end of story. It does not vary depending on your salary.

--2 months notice is too much. One month is reasonable.

--You shouldn't have to reimburse airfare after you've worked ther for six months.

--The settlement for airfare if you decide to stay should be the equivalent of what they would have paid to get you back, not 800,000 Won.

--Shared housing is a deal breaker as far as I'm concerned.

--Medical insurance should be 2.2 per cent.

--Vacation...they need to tell you how much up front, otherwise you're stupid if you sign it. I guarantee you that they are not going to give you holidays unless you get it in the contract.

[alabamaman]

Okay.....

This contract is entered into by and between ________ an individual (hereinafter referred to as �Teacher�) and GDA, an entity (hereinafter referred to as �School�) in order to effect the placement of Teacher exclusively in School pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein.

Location of the school should be included in the above clause!

Term: The Term of this contract shall be 12 (twelve) full and complete teaching sessions. Solely for the purposes of convenience, the calendar dates on this contract are listed as from June 26, 2006 to June 25, 2007. If a discrepancy exists between session dates and calendar dates, the session dates shall take precedence over the calendar dates. Any delays in Teachers arrival in the Republic of Korea or ability to commence teaching at the start of the session calendar may call for renegotiation of the Term.

You may legally work for the employer when you get your E2 Visa. Your dates of employment will be from your issue date until your expiry date on your E2 Visa. It would be a good idea to include, "The Teacher shall work for the employer when the Teacher has received an E2 Visa from Korean Immigration Officials." If you don't have your E2 Visa, then your employer may pressure you into working on a Tourist Visa which is illegal. You could get deported and/or fined!

Renewal: The Term may be renewed by the parties by an agreement set forth in writing and executed by both parties.

When will this take place?


Exclusive Employment: In accordance with Korean law, Teacher shall work exclusively for School. Any employment outside of School for another individual or entity is illicit and strictly prohibited. Employment outside of School is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

You may work at another institution specified other than on your E2 Visa application papers with consent from Korean Immigration Authorities.

Observation and Performance Review: School reserves the right to observe Teacher�s classes and to conduct performance reviews. Observations are not announced. Failure to meet the standards of School is grounds for immediate termination of this contract for Just Cause.

What are their standards for school review and how often will they be conducted? Insist the standards of the School are written into this contract. Immediate termination for failure to meet standards of the school is unreasonable. There is usually steps taken before termination of employment.


Schedule: Under normal circumstances, the regular work week is from Monday to Friday. Teacher will have the equivalent 180 40-minute classroom contact blocks (Approximately 120 classroom contact hours) per session. Apart from the classroom contact hours, Teacher shall devote no less than 2 hours per day at School for the preparation and execution of administrative duties associated with classes assigned by School; this includes but is not limited to lesson planning, writing report cards, attending and participating in Parent/Teacher conferences, supervision of students, maintenance of the school environment, attending and participating in Staff and Committee meetings and workshops without additional pay.

Everything you do is for pay! This "without additional pay" needs to be thrown out..... What time will you arrive? What time will you leave? What does a 40 minute class consist of? What are the operational hours of the institution? All this information should be in your contract.... You may want to consider working six hour shifts. For example: 2-8, 3-9, or 7-10. If your working outside the establish work hours, then you should be getting paid accordingly. This should also be in your contract. In general, this clause stinks!

Saturday Classes: In the event a national holiday occurs on a Tuesday or Thursday, Teacher is required to teach Saturday make up classes, as scheduled by the Director. Though Saturday make up classes are separate from overtime classes, they are paid at the overtime rate.

Say No!!! If your schedules says Monday through Friday, then don't agree to teach on a Saturday. Smells like force labor which is illegal under the Labor Standards Act! How much will you get paid? 22,000 Korean Won per 40 minute overtime class!

Arrival at Work: As part of the 2 hours per day spent on preparation and execution of administrative duties associated with classes assigned by School as aforementioned, Teacher must arrive at and remain at School at least 1 hour prior to the start of Teacher�s first afternoon class. In the event Teacher has morning classes, Teacher must arrive at and remain at School by at least 9:00 a.m.

Like I said earlier, everything you do is for pay. You should get paid accordingly for arriving one hour early.....


Projects and Administrative Duty: School reserves the right to convert any part of Teacher�s schedule into research and development work/projects and/or administrative duties.

*Say no! Your there to teach English only, and to work accordingly the other duties within this contract. Say no to projects and blah blah.

Orientation and Training: Teacher will undertake orientation and training before commencing to teach. Half the normal salary will be paid for the orientation and training period. The orientation and training period lasts approximately 1 week. School reserves the right to reduce or omit the orientation and training period if Teacher�s arrival in the Republic of Korea is less than one week prior to the commencement of the regular session calendar.

If you don't have your E2 Visa you cant work for pay! It's illegal and you may get fined and/or deported..... You shouldn't have to take a pay cut! That's a load.....

Security Deposit: School will deduct and hold in account the sum of \250,000 from Teacher�s salary for the first 3 months. Said deposit is used as security on teachers Airfare to the Republic of Korea, and to clear all outstanding bills the teacher may have left behind at the completion of Teacher�s contract. All money left after the payment of bills, approximately 3 months, minus bank transfer fees, will be deposited into Teacher�s account.

Say no to security deposits. Too many cases of teachers not getting their deposits back anyway!

Salary: School shall pay Teacher a total monthly basic salary of \2,100,000 on the last working day of each session.

The teacher's guaranteed monthly salary shall be 2,100,000 Korean Won throughout the contract period.

Overtime Pay: Overtime pay is \17,400 per 40-minute classroom contact block. Overtime payment is made only for classes taught in excess of the 180 40-minute classroom contact blocks per teaching

You also receive payment for overtime classes outside your established work hours in this contract! Overtime is to low. Ask for 22,000 Korean Won per overtime class.


Taxes and Pension: All national and local taxes and National Pension will be deducted on a monthly basis at the rates mandated by the Republic of Korea. The rate of deduction is based on Teacher�s gross earnings for the session.

This clause is too vague:
Monthly withholding taxes-Your employer should deduct 33,430 Korean Won from your monthly salary throughout the contract periodhttp://nts.go.kr/front/service/refer_cal/gani/refer_gani_eng.asp

Korean Pension Scheme
Your employer will deduct 4.5% of your monthly salary in the amouth of 94,500 Korean throughout the contract periodhttp://www.nps4u.or.kr/eng/enpsk.html?code=./enpsk/a02.html

Reimbursement of Airfare: In the event Teacher does not complete a minimum of 7 full teaching sessions due to ill-health, resignation or contract termination and/or fails to give a minimum of 2 full teaching session months notice of resignation, Teacher shall reimburse the cost of the original one-way economy class ticket from Point of Departure to the Republic of Korea. In the event Teacher was hired in-country, Teacher shall reimburse the cost of the round-trip economy class ticket to Japan.

6 months (say no to 7.....) the ill health needs to go as anything can happen to cause ill health in a foreign country. You should only give 30 days notice of resignation.

Housing: School shall decide upon and provide furnished housing accommodations for Teacher. School housing shall be a shared two to three bedroom unit. All School units are shared exclusively by employees of School.

Your house should come completely furnished. It should have a bed, air conditioning, desk, chair, television, eating utensils, stove, washing machine, refrigerator, closet, bedding, and that's about it. Say no to shared housing. You want piece of mind on your own!

Medical Insurance: In accordance with Korean law, School shall pay 50% of monthly premiums for Teacher to receive medical insurance through Korean National Health Insurance. In accordance with Korean law, the remaining 50% of monthly premiums shall be paid by Teacher through deductions in Teacher�s monthly salary.

Your employer is required to deduct 2.24% of your monthly salary throughout the contract period in the amount of 47,040 Korean Won. Your employer shall pay lump sum payments every 3 months every 3 months in the amount of 141,120 Korean Won throughout the contract period.

Reimbursement of Combined Sick/Emergency Leave: In the event Teacher does not complete a 12 full teaching sessions due to ill-health, resignation or contract termination, Teacher shall reimburse any used Combined Sick/Emergency Leave in excess of the 2.5 40-minute classroom contact blocks per session of the actual number of sessions worked.

Say no! Negatory! They're stupid..... Another way for them to save money...


Contract Termination: School reserves the right to terminate this Contract for cause with written notification sixty days in advance, and for serious cause without notice. Teacher shall give a minimum of 2 full teaching sessions advance notice of intention to terminate this Contract. The following events include but do not limit events that shall trigger immediate termination of this contract:
a) Unwillingness and/or inability of Teacher to meet the obligations and responsibilities of this Contract.

b) Unwillingness and/or inability of Teacher to meet the obligations and responsibilities of the job.

c) Conduct and/or action jeopardizing any student and/or staff member.

d) Conduct and/or action jeopardizing the reputation of School.

e) Illegal activity.

30 days notice for both parties.....

Go to your nearest gast station tomorrow. Throw this contract on the ground on pump two gallons of gas on it. Light it on fire. Seek employment elsewhere. Seriously, be patient and you will get better offers!

[alabamaman]

[plattwaz]

I responded to someone a month or so ago, and said the same thing -- GDA offered this contract to me about 6 months ago and I laughed and laughed when I read it. Responded and told them "no" and the academic supervisor told me that I would not find a better job in Korea (forgetting somehow that I had been here for years already).

RUN RUN RUN - it's horrible. After the initial phone interview, even, I knew there wasn't a chance I was going to accept and I thought that came through clearly to the academic director, so I was shocked to be offered the job. He's a tad, how to say "overbearing and psychotic?" Some of the things he said to me in the interview -- "I demand blood, sweat and tears from my teachers!" and "You don't have my respect when you arrive here, respect is something you EARN, I don't just GIVE it! My teachers all want to work like mad in order to earn my respect, when they get it, they KNOW they have earned it!"

[Sody]