Korean Job Discussion Forums

Freakstar · Joined: 29 Jun 2007

I received my contract today (it's written in Korean) for my new job and after having a friend look it over, everything's cool, but there are some parts in the email body that I'm confused about...yeah it's written in English but I've got some questions. By the way, this ain't a teaching gig...

Also, I found out that the tax percentage for contractors who make under $ xx,xxx per year is only around 3.63%. Instead, you need to do tax report by yourself in the following year's May wherese standard emplyees have to do the tax report in Dec.of the year assistated by the company. (How to do this will be advised by our accounting dept. and they said they would assist you)

Will I need to file taxes both here in Korea and back in the U.S? If so, will I end up owing in both countries? Can someone enlighten me?

We don't have specific paid sick days set in regulations in Korea. Korean people may not be logical but they are not unreasonable so if you have to get the sick days off, they are granted as paid sick days depending on your situation. But if you are seriously sick more than 5 days and if it can affect your work, performance or obligation as an employee for a long time, you may have sick days leave which wouldn't be paid and may affect the termination of your contract.

So basically, if I get sick, I'll be given a certain amount of paid sick days as long as I'm not out for days at a time, right?

10 days annual leave is paid vacation which means you don't get your salary discounted because of this leave. (Normally standard emplyees have only 5 days annual leave and 1 year contractor doesn't get any annual leave so this is special) and you can also be off on any kinds of nationaly holidays or special holidays and weekends when other emplyees are off as well.

10 days paid vacation is standard in Korea, no? I detect that she's just trying to word it so that I'd think I got a sweet deal with 10 days paid. Blah.

valkerie · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Location: Busan

Certainly sounds like someone is trying to make u seem like u r getting a better deal than the other employees. Mu contract says I get 3 sick days 'as per Korean labour law', and am pretty sure they wouldn't be offering anything over what they have to.

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

3 sick days is a pretty bullsh1t standard. 5 is normal although I get 3. 5 is not because you are sick though. They should be personal days. For anything. Makes you look good when you don't take them all or any. I have never, in my employment history, abused this.

It's funny because being hungover is a valid excuse back home to call in sick. Not that you would ever say you were. You don't even have to say why you're sick or that you are. "I won't be coming in today" suffices. Overbearing mangers will say "What's wrong?" or "What do you have?", but that's when you should hang up the phone.

Depends on what company you work for though.

hubba bubba · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

Freakstar · Joined: 29 Jun 2007

valkerie · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Location: Busan

Hmmmm, not sure 'lucky' is a word I would use in your situation (based on what you wrote in the original post). I read it as the company hinting at the possibility of some paid sick days. The phrase 'depending on your situation' is suspicious.

My point was that you are entitled to have 3 days PAID by law, so they are not doing you a favour by mentioning this. It seems this company are not even prepared to mention that in a clear way...

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject:

Freakstar · Joined: 29 Jun 2007

htrain · Joined: 24 May 2007

Boodleheimer · Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:17 pm Post subject:

Freaka, you have to file in the US if you're making over about $7 or 8 thousand. but they don't start to tax you until you make over something like $75,000.

htrain · Joined: 24 May 2007

Freakstar · Joined: 29 Jun 2007

ontheway · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:48 am Post subject:

htrain,

This is the usual way for teachers. Teachers have vacation when the students are on vacation, too. So, that means teachers take their vacations when the school is closed.

In all my years as a student, from K to 12 to Uni, I never had a teacher take a vacation and not show up for class. Sick days, yes; vacation, no.

If you are a real teacher at a real school, you should have your vacation when the students have their vacation.