Korean Job Discussion Forums

[katydid]

Having a phone seems like such an extraneous charge. I can't live without my cell phone, and in fact, have rarely if ever used the phone in my room to call someone.
It'd be nice if they would offer a choice to me, especally if I live on my own. Might make the security deposit charge smaller, if they don't have to worry about a ginormous overseas phone bill.

[schwa]

On the other hand I've seen new foreigners arrive to phoneless apartments & they make a major grievance of it.

I asked to have mine disconnected but my boss said no, explaining that its neither simple nor cheap to establish a new homephone account when its needed again later.

[katydid]

Ah that is true...turning on the phone again does cost some major green. But then, to pay for a phone you don't really use....
Totally random but this reminds me when I was living in Boston. There were three separate phone lines already in the house, and when I found out the roommate I shared the phone bill wth had not paid hers in like a year, I decided I would get my own line.
Well, the phone company guy comes in and starts saying "I can't believe you want another line put in, this is ridiculous, do you know how much this will cost you?" but my roommate had proved to be totally irresponsible and I sure as hell wanted a phone that I knew would not be cut off at any time.

[kangnamdragon]

I see nothing wrong with a security deposit seeing how many teachers run away without paying bills.

[Harvard Material]

I think we know what the deposits are for; easy money. Yes, it is logocal to want some 'security', but it is ok to request the director pay half of my final salary, severance and complete posession of my return plane ticket 12 months in advance? How about some of that? The answer would be absolutely not. No security, no promises.
I do admit some teachers come here, get laid lots, party lots...not too interested in teaching. Some also rack up bills big time and stick the hakwon to suffer the consequences. Bad deal. Then the school is short a teacher, out (possibly), several thousand dollars...it stinks for either party who gets ripped-off.

Get a cell phone yourself! Why have two phones in the first place? Most of us aren't home enough to constitute having two telephones; I certainly am not. Show your employer that he/she isn't assuming any financial repercussions if you do leave.
The apartment bills? Same as the phone; GET YOUR OWN! Don't rely on an employer to have compassion for you when shit hits the fan. Get a problem at work; something that can not be resolved you get a letter of release and carry on. Hopefully with a more stable working situation, if you get stuck at a bad institute.

I'll pay deposits. I don't mind a bit, but it will be directly to the utility company, not an employer. Certainly not a hakwon owner. I simply don't trust them from my experiences.

Get your own apartment and you are free and clear of the situations that some teachers find themselves in. When you have your own place you can squabble over how much of a 'living allowance' the institute will provide, since you are assuming responsibility for your own accomodation. Deposits cease to matter. Seperate deposits from your salary and a third party. Deal direct with the utilities and landlord yourself.

I would refuse a contract that insisted on keeping 25% of my salary. IF you get it back, fine. What if you lose it, severance, salary and plane ticket all in the 10th month?

I'd look elsewhere for a job. As said in a previous post, it's either the school driving people to run, or they aren't too picky who they hire in the first place, therefore, hiring people who will run. I haven't done a runner. I have been lied, cheated and ripped-off at two out of two hakwons.

Deposit? Good idea! How much do I get?

[Homer]

Harvard,

What about landlords back home (there are many) who ask for a deposit (first and last months rent) before you can move in?

Same principle....

[Harvard Material]

No Homer, I do not agree with that. Landlords back home speak, read and write the same language I do, and they do not control my salary; they want payment for service. Those facts help me feel a little more secure than I do here. I understand the written contract(s), verbal agreement(s), all the bills are in English and none of that effects the hours I work or the relationship I have with my employer. Aside from my salary/deductions, I prefer to keep my financial affairs to myself, and my employer certainly will as well.

What I stated is that I pay a deposit to the property owner myself, and the utility companies, and do not entrust my employer to do so on my behalf. I have a bank account. The money can be deducted electronically, or I can pay in cash. Why should my employer hold a percentage of my salary for 12 months? That's why I rent my own apartment/pay my own bills; same as back home.

When I had to pay a cable hook-up fee for a service that was ALREADY hooked-up and paid for by a former teacher (at my last hakwon provided apartment), I was slightly offended, but it was only 25,000won so I wasn't too worried about it. Guess how much I got back Homer? Same amount the former female teacher did. ZERO.I know it isn't much, but it's the principle.
200,000won for a telephone deposit at the same address. How do I collect that? I mean, I shouldn't really have to! I worked to pay that 'deposit' money, and I wanted the bloody house line disconnected since I have my own celluar telephone. Too difficult apparently. It wouldn't be very difficult if it was in MY name and I was dealing with Bell Telecom directly, but I am dealing with a Korean hakown director who doesn't want to return it as promised. Live and learn. I won't get into lack of health insurance, pension, X3 income tax deductions per employee, holidays, etc...

...I know some of you lay down deposits for 12 months and get a full return on your deposit at year's end, but that simply isn't the case for everyone. It is a risk you decide to accept or refuse. I removed that factor from my salary/profession altogether, and I doubt I will ever regret it.

Furthermore, back home the 'first and last' rule is strictly in the tenant's favor. Trash the place or not, you have 30 days from the last point of payment (not including the eviction rules/laws that will follow). The first month can't be considered a deposit, as it is payment for service - rent - and the last month is no big sense of security for a landlord either. That simply allows the tenant to remain for a MINIMUM of 30 more days. You get what you paid for, and it isn't 'witheld' from you in the same sense. Your landlord is simply not in a position to evict you from your residence, keep your 'deposit' money (if you view it as such), and invite the next tenant to fork out a so-called 'deposit'.
ALL landlords back home request first and last; not many. It isn't a deposit; it is bought, paid for and secured. It isn't questionable.

When a hakwon director hires an employee there is usually a standard 'allowance' which the employee is entitled to for providing their own accomodation; usually around 300,000won a month, but obviously it will vary (I have seen teaching positions available in Kangnam offer 500,000won per month for rental allowance if you can provide your own accomodation). The director has, undoubtably, deposited a very large sum of money for a teacher's apartment (let's just say 70/80,000,000won). If our salary is increased by roughly 300,000won per month by providing our own accomodation, it must be fair to say a teacher who does use a hakwon provided apartment is certainly not receiving that same amount per month; the director is...on top of the original deposit (70/80,000,000), being reinstated in full when the director cancels the contract. Some apartments have 2 or 3 teachers sharing. Plus a deposit from each of them?
Check it out at your own instiute. There will be some stipulations, depending on your institute's rules, but it is a fact. Your rent isnt' "FREE!FREE!!FREE!!!" as advertised in the job offer; it is an invisible deduction.

Be careful that your boss doesn't take an undeserved (or deserved), disliking to you at the 10th or 11th month mark or you can kiss your 'deposit' money away.

This topic concerns language institute employers witholding deposits from an employee's salary and being in a position to keep it, not North American rental practices. The principle, I am afraid Homer, is not the same.

[Homer]

The principle, I am afraid Harvard, is exaclty the same.

The school in most cases is the owner of the appartments, hence it is protecting its property.

The teacher in this case is also the tenant of the appartment the school owns. The teacher is also a foreign worker on a one year contract.


In these conditions, any landlord would be quite justified in asking some sort of security deposit in case of damages. Its just a sound business practice.

There is the possibility of getting shafted by your boss if he or she is a creep but the reverse of the coin is that these deposits protect the good bosses (there are many) from the teachers (there are also many) who just decide to run because they don't like the job and do not want to live up to their end of the contract.
The deposit can mean an employer has had teachers run. This does necessarily mean that the runs happened because of the employer (it can be the case of course but not always).

All this applies only if you choose to take the school housing.
If the deposit bothers a person so much then they can ask for a no housing contract and negociate a housing allowance with their employer (I did that my third year).
Then they can rent a place on their own and pay the bigger deposit which is called key money. Thats the real choice Harvard.

[Butterfly]

I don't think it's such a big deal, they give you an apartment and just ask for some money to make sure all the bills are paid in case you decide to do a 'midnight run' which is really rather common if this board is anything to go by. I have my own apartment with my own key money, so I didn't pay it, but if someone else was giving me an apartment I'd consider it fair. 400,000 won maybe?

[Harvard Material]

I do too Homer, rent my own place. I haven't been asked to pay any housing deposit at the institutes I have worked for thus far, but I would refuse to do so. I have had interviews, read the 600,000won deposit clause and said "Thanks for your time." That is our choice, agreed.

Considering we get paid monthly provides deposit enough in my opinion. I understand sound business practices, and realise that one has to protect one's investments.

If I trusted a language institute to repay me at the end of a contract I wouldn't have a problem with deposits, but I don't trust them as the result of failure to collect said deposits on the way out. I was lied to and ripped off, so I have a huge problem with leaving a deposit.