Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jkelly80]

I'm planning on teaching for SMOE in March and just got my contract. I have two concerns about the contract I was wondering if anyone familiar with SMOE has any idears. If this is in the wrong section mods please move.

1st: "If Employee works fully until the end of the term of employment and returns to his/her home country within 10 days from the expired date of the term of employment, Employer shall pay for Employee's return flight based on the rate provided for in the foregoing Section 1."

I'd like to travel first before I go back to the States. Can I do this?

2nd: "Employer may designate multiple work places for Employee."

I'm not a fan of this, either.

What's the best way to go about negotiating contracts? I'm under the impression that any changes made to the English are meaningless, so I'd need to change the Korean (great!), but it's a .pdf and I don't know how to do this.

Thanks to all in advance for any help.

[schwa]

What you see is what you get. Non-negotiable. I'm with EPIK not SMOE but they operate similarly.

If you want to travel at the end of your contract you should be able to parlay your ticket home to an alternate nearer destination, but from there home will be on your dime.

Multiple locations comes down to the luck of your placement, probably a last-minute determination. But working in different schools isnt necessarily a bad thing.

Best luck.

[jkelly80]

Thanks for your help.

This parlay, is it just a face-to-face thing I'd have to swing with my supervisor? Either way, that doesn't sound too terrible.

Is there anything like the following in your program:

" Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by Employee."

Can I request them to be more specific on what I should expect to pay?

[pkang0202]

They will pay rent and deposit. Thats about it. You have to pay electricity, gas, water (if applicable), internet, TV, etc...

SMOE is still a better deal than GEPIK or EPIK.

[Snowkr]

My understanding is that SMOE does tend to designate you to as many schools as they see fit at the very last minute. The contract will not state any specific school or schools and they may tell you over the phone that you'll be in a certain place but then not follow through..

When you've only got a promise from someone via word of mouth (in an interview over the phone) and you sign the contract (with no school listed) then you're pretty much at their mercy. I turned down what could have been a very good job offer from SMOE for this reason. Didn't feel like taking any chances.

I do however also agree with whoever said that working in multiple schools may not always be a bad thing. I'd just rather know exactly what schools I'll be working for before coming over here. Just my preference...

Good luck!

[Rapacious Mr. Batstove]

SMOE are never the most organised of outfits and they even recognize that themselves.

Out of the 47 or so of last March's SMOE recruits I don't know of any who are working at multiple schools (during normal school hours). From what I gather, you get placed in one school in Seoul and stay there for the duration of your contract.

The SMOE contract will never be negotiated. They made that perfectly clear.

Waiting until the last day of orientation before you find out what school you're going to be at can be stressful but usually everything works out OK, if you're prepared to be flexible and don't mind where you work in Seoul.

Housing can be hit and miss. I'm lucky. SMOE pays my 700k per month rent in an apartment. I pay 100k in management fees which includes flat rate power, water and internet.

[Rapacious Mr. Batstove]

As for traveling: SMOE will provide you with a one-way airfare home if you choose not to re-sign with them after a year. If you show them the cost of a one way flight back home, they will usually negotiate a flight voucher of the same value if you want to travel first. They just need plenty of notice and coaxing before this happens but it can be worked out.

[jkelly80]

[Bibbitybop]

RMB is dead on the money about the plane ticket. If you travel somewhere else, they will reimburse you (or pay for your Korean Air reservation if flying Korean Air) for a ticket equal or less than a flight home.

SMOE doesn't put people at different schools like EPIK does with people in rural Korea. You won't even see all the students in one school while you teach there as there aren't enough teaching hours in the week. Even if you were split between 2 schools, you would only teach 22 hours a week, or receive overtime if you teach more. But this simply doesn't happen unless you decide to work at an after school program in another school, and most people don't even do that.

About contract negotiations, there are exceptions to every rule. One qualified ESL teacher over a year ago was already in Korea. SMOE hired him and showed him his new apartment in the Co-op Residence (Hell) at Dongdaemun Stadium. He said "no way, here's what I want." He negotiated 10 million deposit money and 500,000 won a month. SMOE will pay a deposit on your provided apartment, but if you refuse it or move, they will not pay for furniture or a deposit on a different place. But this man negotiated with them and it worked. Granted, this was right before his contract started and he simply had the choice of bailing on the contract.

That said, no one should have to live at the Co-op. I recommend anyone thinking of getting on board with SMOE get it in writing that they will not live at the Co-op, especially if you are not a first year teacher or if you want to have a real apartment instead of a hotel room all year.

[jkelly80]

One question about travel. Can I just convince them to give me a voucher for a later date two months down the road and travel on my own dime, then get back to Seoul and go from there?

[Bibbitybop]

[marlow]

[Bibbitybop]

[Holoholo]

In reference to the Co-op Residence, what SMOE(or in this case the district office) negotiated with the teacher was not what the teacher received. So beware, many promises are made and not kept. After retracting the offer, the district rep tried to flip everything around by saying that the teacher "misunderstood" and that such an offer was never made. They offered to find an apartment up in Nowon-gu. Not wanting to head way up there, she (not he) opted to pay her own deposit and live in a different area. She also bought all of her own furniture.

[Bibbitybop]