Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Weigookin74]

Five minute search here on Dave's could tell anyone not to work at Wonderland. As I said, if you have a specific recommendation (not from a recruiter) then go for it. Like I've said for years, if you get an offer from Wonderland, run like He!! .

[GregH]

Thanks everyone for all the information you have submitted - a recruiter suggested a Wonderland job and (thanks to you), I informed him that I would not accept a position with a Wonderland school.

Thanks a million to all of you and especially the administrators. I can't help but feel that I dodged a major bullet!

Greg

[Carbon]

[Blanca]

Quick update on Chungju Wonderland - I had (against my better judgement) an interview with this branch a couple of weeks ago. Maybe I was feeling charitable and thought they might've changed their ways from a few years ago.

Unfortunately it seems like they're still up to their old tricks. No national pension (illegal) and no NHIC (also illegal). It's ok though - to make up for this shortfall in benefits, the school did offer a competitive salary of 2.1 to a teacher with 2 years experience for only 9 hours per day.

Business as usual for Wonderland, it seems. Avoid.

[ontheway]

[Blanca]

[quote]Nothing has changed regarding IC status.

It's perfectly legal to be an IC on an E2 visa.

The Independent Contractor status is a tax status. It is under the jurisdiction of the Tax Office and is controlling as to who is responsible to enroll and pay for National Pension and National Health Insurance. Immigration has no say over this matter.

I am neither pro nor anti IC status. However, teachers should be informed as to what it means and that since it is legal they should fight this battle before taking a job.

As an IC you have to pay 100% of health and pension yourself. You are not exempt but rather you take full responsibility. For most teachers and under most contracts this status means you make less money, assuming that you make the required payments yourself. If you sign an IC contract and are registered properly but do not make the payments, it is you and not your boss who is breaking the law.

There is no law or rule whatsoever that says that an individual on an E2 visa cannot be what we call (rather loosly and incorrectly translated) an Independent Contractor in Korea. Immigration will accept contracts that state plainly in English and Korean that the teacher is an IC and is not an employee and is responsible for their own pension and health insurance payments. They cannot legally refuse.

Posters who say otherwise on Dave's and other forums are misinformed or in some cases where they have been informed but still insist on giving incorrect information, deluded.


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This is not to say that Wonderland is a good school to work for. I've read the stories, although I never worked for one but based on their reputation it is probably good advice to avoid all Wonderlands, unless you have somehow verified that you've found an honest one.

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If standard E2 starting pay is 2.1 mil. won per month, then you should get at least 2.4 to compensate for being an IC. If other benefits are also missing or hours are long even more additional compensation is needed to match the standard employee contract.

For nearly all E2 teachers the IC contract will result in either working illegally - if you don't make the payments yourself as required - or making less money.

Unless you actually plan and are able to work multiple jobs as an IC on an E2 - and very few teachers do that - then you should refuse IC contracts.[/quote]

Today I learned. Every day's a school day I guess. Thanks for the clarification, ontheway.

I realise ICs are required to pay their own tax and pension etc, so does that mean that there should be no deductions from pay? If you're on 2.4, you should receive 2.4 from the school in full (from which you then pay your deductions)?

[ontheway]

[Weigookin74]

As an IC, you should way more than 2.4. Tell them you want 30,000 won an hour minimum and that an hour is actually a 45 or 50 minute class. Make sure that is specified in your contract. Also, specify that you work 5 days a week and that you are gauranteed a minimum of 25 hours a week or pay in lieu of. Then you can pay your own taxes and register for your own insurance and pension.

30 K an hour at 25 hours a week is 3 million won a month. But remember there are larger tax deductions, two pension, and two health care payments (yours and what would be your employers). So, it will knock you back down to size. If you work 30 hours a week, then even more money. Don't do an IC unless it's in your interest to do so. I use to see CDI offering 30,000 an hours 2 or 3 years ago for this and thought it was the fair minimum. Not sure what the do or offer nowadays. If you get 2.4 or 2.5 and aren't paying for your insurance, your getting scammed and will be in for a surprise if you get injured.

Don't get conned and accept the first offer you get. Spend a couple of months longer in your parents basement waiting for the right offer folks. It seems I can't stress this enough. Let the BS offers fade away into the ethernet somewhere. BTW, Koreans (some) are great manipulators and will often try to push you into a bad deal if they sense any reluctance. They'll even make it seem someone else is ready to take it when they aren't. If you get this pressure vibe from a recruiter or an employer, drop them like a hot potato and move onto the next job offer.

Better yet, use a western based recruiter and avoid the Korean ones as much as possible.