Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

In September I renewed my EPIK contract. I didn't want to take home leave in the middle of the semester. It's hard enough to be taken seriously as a professional here already.
So I asked my co-teacher to confirm that I could take it in Jan-Feb. He came back on Sept 19 and said that if I was willing to take it then, I could have 3 weeks. Cool. EPIK also pays for the plane ticket.
Just as we were planning the trip, my Granny died. (two weeks ago) Trip to see family in Canada was cancelled. Too late to book tickets to the Philippines as everything it full up with Koreans.
My wife and son already have tickets to go home to visit in March.
I don't want to go somewhere by myself.
So I said I would just take it next summer.
On Monday, my co-teacher came back to me and said, "If you don't use the 2 weeks home leave within 6 months or renewal, it's gone." I asked about the airfare. "No trip, no airfare."
I'm kind of at a loss. I have neither heard about nor read this policy anywhere.

Has anybody heard of this in EPIK?

[aarontendo]

Contract for EPIK states that you take the two weeks bonus renewal vacation at the end of your contract. If you started September 1st, then you should be taking it at the end of August sometime. All in all I think it's quite generous to let ya have it the first six months. I personally would have tried to roll mine into the winter just to get outta the cold!

Sucks that they're not being more accommodating though, I mean the time is owed to you and all...

[poet13]

I think the majority of people who come into EPIK do so at the beginning of the school year, or at least at the beginning of the fall semester.
Thus, there would usually be no confusion as to when to take the home leave.
As I signed on DURING the school year, it leaves me in the position of taking a long vacation during the school year of later during the winter break.
EPIK wants teachers to be professional. I can't imagine many things less professional than taking a long vacation during the school session.

I think my re-sign date was about September 25....so it would mean having two weeks of school and then leaving...

I did try to roll mine into the winter, but my Granny very inconviently died as we were making plans to viist there...

[Bibbitybop]

SMOE has a similar policy. You can't postpone your flight home. It's a stupid policy and if they wanted to keep good teachers, they'd allow the employee to receive a plane ticket at equal the cost of a ticket home when renewing (or finishing) a contract. Better yet, allow the teacher to receive the money for a flight back home that can be later by the employee for whatever reason.

[tob55]

First of all, sorry to hear about the death of a loved one. It is hard anytime, but especially when you are out of country and can really do nothing about it.

Now, onto the issue of EPIK not honoring your arrangements. Unfortunately as many have discovered, the Korean admins and officials can pretty much change contracts at will to satisfy their own needs, because there is no consistent standard on which the contracts are written in the first place. With all of the jockeying for position that commonly takes place regarding foreign workers. they have figured out if they keep contracts as vague as possible then they will have freedom to manipulation the language to say whatever they want and whenever they want.

You are not the first person to be lied to regarding promises that were never intended to be honored. There are stipulations regarding travel and extra benefits that are supposed to be honored, but seldom do the Korean schools follow through because they realize it costs them more money. If you take no trip home, then they should be giving you the equivalent ticket price up to 75%, unless it isn't specified in your contract. If it is not specified, then you are out of luck, because they can make it say whatever they want to. Check with your local labor board to see if there is any recourse, but I am fairly sure you may be another victim of the Korean system that is designed to benefit them.

[ED209]

The current EPIK contract from 2007 states that if you stay in Korea during your renewal you should receive a million won instead of a return ticket. Let us know what your contract says.

[poet13]

ED209 - I hvaen't seen that anywhere, and I've read my contract pretty thoroughly several times.....I will look again though.

I guess my chief complaint is applying a stipulation that they never said anything about....that is, the six month rule. If it's in writing somewhere, I will suck it up, say, "oops", and move on. No problem.

[poet13]

This is from
http://epik.knue.ac.kr/file/2007%20EPIK%20Contract_Form(A4%20size).doc and I don't see anythnig about a million won.

Do you have a link?


"제10조 (재계약) ① 제5조에서 정한 고용기간은 피고용자와 고용자간의 상호 합의에 의하여 1년 단위로 재계약할 수 있다.
② 본조 제1항의 규정에 의해 재계약을 체결하는 경우 피고용자는 고용기간 만료일 2주일 전부터 재계약 고용개시일 직전 일까지 2주간 본국을 방문할 수 있다. 이 본국방문 기간은 고용기간에 포함되며, 따라서 보수가 지급된다.
③ 재계약을 체결한 피고용자가 본국(또는 본국 범위 내 타국)을 방문하는 경우에 한하여 고용자는 한국 국내에서 피고용자 본국 거주 지역(또는 본국 범위 내 여행 목적지)까지의 최단거리 왕복 3등석 항공료를 피고용자에게 재입국 후 지급한다.

Article 10 (Renewal) ① The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed by the mutual written agreement between Employer and Employee, provided that each renewed employment term does not exceed one (1) year.
② In the case of renewal of this Contract pursuant to the foregoing ①, Employee shall be given two weeks for a home leave which shall take place 2 calendar weeks prior to the contract end date specified in Article 5 hereof until the day immediately preceding the commencement of the renewed term. This two-week home leave will be counted as part of the contract term, and accordingly salary will be paid.
③ In the event that the employee travels to his/her home country (or another destination which is equal to or less than the distance to his/her home) pursuant to the foregoing ②, Employee's round trip airfare shall be reimbursed by Employer after Employee's return to Korea. The round trip airfare for Employee's flight shall be based on an economy class airfare of the most direct flight available."

[tob55]

Actually, the language of your contract is quite favorable with regard to the fees. If the school is not going to honor the arrangement to give you a trip, then they should honor the payment. It would appear from what you have provided that the Labor Board would side with you in this case. You don't want anyone to lose face, so it is best to take the lets work this out approach giving them a chance to recognize their error rather than throwing it in their face and saying pay up retards.

[poet13]

I agree. I have no desire to throw stuff in peoples faces. Unfortunately, I have several levels to go through. First I have to convince my co-teacher, (usually my biggest hurdle), and then trust that he passes along to EPIK my explanation and what I said, not just his edited version.

example. "I can't join that one day camp because I am doing 9 other camps for 35 straight days, 23.5 hours a days with one day off before school starts and I am desperately sick and worn out. I want to spend that one day with my family."

translation. "He doesn't want to do it."

Now what my coteacher has said is that he asked EPIK about the policy and that was THEIR response, not the schools.

I think I will try and call EPIK and see if I can find out what the real deal is....

[ED209]

[poet13]

ED209 .... Cool, thanks for following up on that.