Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oneiros]

Cigarettes are 2000 won a pack here. Quitting smoking is the tough thing to do here.

As I've said in previous threads, I don't understand how people can manage not to save on a hogwan salary. I pay 600 - 700 thousand won in student loans a month. Several times I year, I also send various family members a few hundred thousand won when they need money, and I still manage to save.

You could always try to negotiate a higher salary, though, and see if they'll go for it.

[MonLMari]

Ok, so 1.9 is possible, if one isn't a bone head?

[oneiros]

[Grotto]

[quote="MonLMari]

As a member of the Institute, the Teacher will contribute to the cumulative experience, wisdom, and resources of the teaching team and remain dedicated to developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive program for teaching English to Koreans.

Developing a comprehensive program? Any compensation for doing so? Intellectual property!


C. Workload
The Teacher will have at least 20 (80-minute) classes per teaching week. The Teacher is expected to devote no less than one hour a day at the Institute for lesson planning, with co-teachers, student evaluation, reporting, consultation with parents, supervision of play, maintenance of the English environment during breaks, workshops, teachers' meetings, and upgrading one's professional knowledge and skills without additional pay. The workweeks will follow the yearly academic calendar issued by SLP, (Corp.) Sogang Univ. The total teaching load including overtime will not exceed for any given week 23/80-min classes a week, unless both parties agree.

The prep is unpaid! 23x80=1840/60=30.7 hours a week add in 5 hours of prep and you are at 36 hours a week even at 20 hours you will be donating 2 hours of your time.

Staff meetings will be scheduled at the discretion of the Institute Director. Attendance is required. Staff meetings will allow time for discussion of topics of current concerns such as new policies, procedures, methods of training, instruction, curriculum, and other matters as needed. The staff is encouraged to help work out practical solutions to problems at these meetings.

No mention whether staff meeting are paid? At their discression could mean every week before or after classes. I had a similar thing I would sit and they would speak Korean for an hour, then they would say it doesnt have anything to do with foreign teachers so I stopped going. Make sure the meetings are in English or translated otherwise a complete waste of time.


E. Overtime
Overtime is sketchy...they mention monthly and weekly and leave it ambiguous at best.

F. Work Schedule
The working time is from Monday through Friday.

No set hours...split shifts are a real possibility.

TEACHER BENEFITS

A. Monthly Salary
The Institute will pay the Teacher a total monthly basic salary on the fifth day of the following month and if the fifth day is a holiday, it will be paid on the following day by law it should be the preceeding day!. The salary is based on the sessions as dictated by the SLP calendar. The sessions provide 18-22 teaching days per month. Korean income tax, National Pension, & Medical Insurance will be withheld from the monthly salary. Medical insurance will only be withheld if the teacher chooses to join the Korean National health plan. Salary ranges are as following

27 hours/week ---------- 1. 8 million
30 hours/week ---------- 2. 0 million

I am unclear on this? If there are holidays during a month you get paid 1.8 if there are less holidays you get more?

B. Housing

If the teacher does not need his/her accommodation the school will reimburse 200,000won monthly over and above her/his monthly payment. The teacher can choose to live in school provided housing or to be reimbursed for outside housing. 200,000 is a joke 300,000 is about minimum

C. Health Insurance (optional)
Korean National Health Insurance , you will have to pay retroactively. Retroactively? Really?

D. National Pension Plan
In accordance with Korean Law all foreign workers employed by Korean business shall pay into the Korean National Pension plan at a rate of 6% (or the ratio stipulated by the Korean National Pension Law) deducted against monthly earning with the employer's contribution of 3%. This rate is subject to the National requirement for Pension deduction and may change without notice. SLP-Taejon has absolutely no control over this rate of Pension. Similarly, in the U.S. and other countries, there are Social Security and other Pension deductions. Please be aware this is not a Korea specific policy. The rate is 4.5% each...they are trying to make you pay part of thier contribution...apparantly SLP does have control over the rate!


F. Airfare
The Institute shall pay round-trip airfare between the nearest International Airport from the Teacher's living place and a major city in Korea. Round-trip airfare is provided only once. A one-way ticket will be provided to Korea and at the end of one's contract a one-way ticket to the port of the departure will be provided. However, if the teacher does not need a return ticket moving to another school provided a ticket by the new school, They dont pay if you go to a new school the Institute will not pay for it again.

In case the Teacher fails to complete the contract by his or her own fault/reason, the Teacher shall pay back to the Institute the total amount of the air ticket and the actual amount for the visa trip to Japan, in the case of an in-country hiring. Not likely..if they are so bad you want or need to leave too bad!

G. Teacher Training
The Teacher shall have a period of training, most likely class observation period, before starting to teach in the Institute. The Teacher will receive briefings from their Academic Supervisor, and the Institute Director, and will get acquainted with the local institute policies. During this time the Teacher will receive half the rate of the regular pay. Time? How long?


I. Quarterly Reviews
The Institute will carry out quarterly reviews of the teachers' performance. Criteria for satisfactory fulfillment of contract and teaching responsibilities include the aforementioned within the contract, along with the following:
1.Prompt attendance and recognition of time spent in class (starting class on
time, finishing a minimum of 80 minutes on a regular basis and regular attendance by the teacher)
2.Cleanliness, Personal Grooming and proper Public Relations with parents. Teachers are held in high esteem in Korea so it is important teachers�� dress and behave in an acceptable manner. The teacher��s image and appearance along with teaching skills are observed regularly by parents. (Sandals, thongs or sandals are not considered suitable footwear) Interesting...my new position at a public school requires the wearing of sandals in the school, no outside footwear This proper image includes not acting in a careless manner in front of parents, i.e. not smoking or drinking in front of a parent unless invited to do so. There is to be no hitting of any students under any circumstances. Desks, classrooms and working areas should be kept reasonably clean for parent viewing. Warning here...you will have to clean your classroom and possibly the school...welcome our new janitor!
3. Caring for ALL children despite any physical, emotional or intellectual problems. Yikes!
5.Proper use of Institute and supplies (abusing office supplies, telephone, fax or other long distance consistently over time may be serious grounds for warning and/or termination of contract). Kind of general..what constatutes abuse? Too much photocopying?
6.Other miscellaneous standards (over time, more standards may apply in the quarterly reviews, but staff will have a significant say into these standards). Oh they can make it even wierder later on?

Extreme inability to perform these contract guidelines and/or quarterly review standards satisfactorily may be grounds for warning and/or termination of contract. Sixty days will be given in most cases and reasonable assistance in finding "new employment" may also be available if problems do arise with employment. Stick around until the new teacher gets here so we can take your airfare and what not back

J. Severance Pay Incentive, Starting and Finishing Date
Severance pay equivalent to one month��s salary will be paid upon completion of a one-year contract. Severance Pay is an incentive (not an incentive a right under Korean Law) a teacher to work to the best of their professional ability at all times ensuring that the high standards of English Language teaching are maintained at SLP Taejon.

This contract shall start on ___________________ and will end on ___________________. On completion of the full contract period, an additional month of regular salary per one year shall be paid as severance pay. If the Teacher, however, does not complete the full one-year contract, none of the severance pay shall be paid according to Korean Labor Standard Law.. Korean severance tax will be withheld Is it just me ? Article 78 of Korean Labor Standard Law.
I didnt have any tax deducted from my severance pay? ny outstanding debts (international phone calls, utilities, etc.) will be subtracted from the severance pay.

The Institute reserves the right to terminate this agreement for cause with written notification sixty days in advance, and for serious cause without notice. The Teacher agrees to give written notification sixty days in advance of intention to terminate this agreement or of interest in renewing it. Breaking contract and leaving the Institute without any notice in advance, which may cause lots of problems to the Institute will result in fines- pay the penalty equivalent to one month salary and refund the airfare paid to the Institute. Fines So if you leave they want a months pay and the airfare paid back

Although pay starts the day the Teacher starts his/her Teacher Training Program, the effective date of this contract is the first full teaching day in the institute. The total period of this agreement is approximately one year, commencing from the first day of the session and finishing on the last teaching day of the teacher's 12th teaching session. A delay in the Teacher's arrival at the Institute, or in the opening of a new Institute may call for a re-negotiation of the contract period.
What You get here and they tell you that you will be working at a new school in a different city No pay until it opens Cya


Date: Date

Teacher: Director:

Signature: SLP institute

















COMPENSATION PACKAGE

1. SLP will pay for the round trip airfare.
2. Housing allowance is calculated on the basis of the monthly cash allowance of 200,000 (US$200) won which is not actually paid. If the Institute does not provide housing, the 200,000 won will be given in addition to the regular compensation.
3. Your compensation will be paid in Korean Currency. (US dollar amounts are for your reference only.) The institute will assist the teacher in establishing a banking and wiring account. The currency exchange rate applied here is won/USS1.00 (The rate may vary in the future.)

Note: Teacher is responsible for monthly apartment utilities (garbage removal, electricity, natural gas for stoves, water, etc.), miscellaneous apartment charges (security guards, basic television, etc.), periodic local taxes & telephone bill.[/quote]

[oneiros]

I should mention that I've had really good experiences with SLP schools, so I'm a little biased.

Grotto did a good job of tearing apart the contract, though.

[prosodic]

The contract is unclear about a lot of things, but it could be just a bad translation. It's important to review the Korean language contract. I've said it before and I'll say it again. English language contracts don't mean squat in Korea.

[oneiros]

Am I the only one here who has never signed a Korean contract? Mine are always solely in English.

[prosodic]

[oneiros]

[prosodic]

[MonLMari]

Thanks for the info guys.

Cheers!

[prosodic]

I just thought I would share some interesting email exchanges I've had over the past few days regarding contracts.

[lebowski]

I worked for a Topia. They are all pretty much the same. You'll have about 2-2 1/2 hours of prep time a day. But I must warn you...they have a curriculum set and teacher's guides. The lessons are practically scripted. So that 2 hours of prep time really takes about 1 hour while the rest of the time you have the pressure of looking like your actually doing something because the director hovers over you. Topia is not all it's cracked up to be...be careful. They also play favoritism amoung foreign teachers, luckily I was liked. So who ever they give you as a foreign contact will be one of these people. Expect to do a lot of butt kissing.

[lebowski]

I worked for a Topia. They are all pretty much the same. You'll have about 2-2 1/2 hours of prep time a day. But I must warn you...they have a curriculum set and teacher's guides. The lessons are practically scripted. So that 2 hours of prep time really takes about 1 hour while the rest of the time you have the pressure of looking like your actually doing something because the director hovers over you. Topia is not all it's cracked up to be...be careful. They also play favoritism amoung foreign teachers, luckily I was liked. So who ever they give you as a foreign contact will be one of these people. Expect to do a lot of butt kissing.

[Us in DC]

If you are still looking for info. on TOPIA - I don't think you are but I did find this reveiw of them:
http://www.hogwan.com/veracity/schools.php

Does anyone know what the standard/acceptable agreement on sick leave is? I see 3 days/year, 5days/year. What's appropriate? Also, if you take more than what the contract says what should the outcome of that be?