Korean Job Discussion Forums

[captain kirk]

I'd appreciate hearing feedback, experiences, insights regarding the following situation. Has it happened to you?

The contract at the public school job that I'm working at says there's a 900,000 won airfare reimbursement which will be paid at the contract end along with severance.

The boss wants an airfare ticket receipt.

I was already in Korea when I took this job so there is no airfare receipt. Usually there is if it was someone who flew over from there home country, so no problem.

However the contract says there is a 900,000 won airfare reimbursement. That's part of the deal. It doesn't say one needs to provide a receipt for a ticket.

It just so happens I went home and back during the contract period and I'll present the receipt from that, see if it works.

What I'm asking is, is it legal or actually required that an airfare receipt be presented in order to get this money?

Have you experienced this situation? Is there a recourse, such as the Korean Labour Board, should my boss not accept the airfare receipt from my vacation trip?

Thanks for reading, thanks for feedback.

[fusionbarnone]

I used to do that all the time(taking a week-long stop over in Australia each time) until a later contract clause stated that no long stop-overs were permitted(define, "direct"???). On that point, I think if the journey passes through the drop-off point enroute anyway it shouldn't be a problem. My opinion only.

Was it "from" your home country? If that is true, than yes you did fly over to start your job with your new employer.

[joewaller]

He is required by the contract to pay 900,000 won according to the contract. The reality is that if he doesn't pay the entire amount it will be difficult to get it through the legal process. The labor board may rule in your favor, but you'd likely have to go through small claims court afterwards to force payment. I�d do that because I can be a bit vindictive, but I know that other people would recommend you to bargain for the best deal and walk away with as much of that amount as possible. It is also possible to call a travel agent and get a quote for the date that you arrived in Korea. You could try to use that as a receipt.

[laogaiguk]

Even back home they ask for receipts for almost everything. They need it for their taxes most likely. While it's a little strange for Korea, it's not strange at all for every other country I have been in.

[the eye]

A little piece of sly advice. If you have an email copy of ANY old airline receipts, you can transfer them to MS Word and edit them.
Then print out the 'new' receipt date and amount..

I still have old copies. If you want, I'll do that for you.


Your presence is missed here, BTW.

[captain kirk]

The contract simply says that, at completion, there's airfare reimbursement of won 900,000. It's simple. I give them an airfare recipt and they give me won 900,000. Simple to me but not to them. I think the Supervisor likes to ooze his 'powerful influence', like a cheapskate Midas (everything he touches turns to slime), wrecking havoc on the minds of foreigners and ruining their composure^^.

Because he thinks it's fun.

By the way the receipt I have is for a trip home and back during the contract period. It isn't a receipt from a plane ride that took me here in the first place, which is the ideal.

IMO they shouldn't need a receipt at all. They said they'd pay 900,000 at the end when I signed the contract, so pay.

The latest, thrilling, excerpt is a message relayed thru a Korean co-teacher who can't speak a lick of English. "He will pay you ticket to your home country or wherever you are going next? Japan? He will pay one time...". I think this means, instead of paying the contractually agreed 900,000 won, he will buy me a ticket, one way, to wherever I'm going next be it home (Canada) or Japan.

Since I'm going to Japan a one way ticket is not 900,000 won. So he saves some money. Maybe he tells the school board he followed the contract, paid me 900,000 won, but he actually bought me a one way ticket to Japan for 400 bucks. He, personally, pockets 500 dollars. This may be life at the top of the totem pole. I always thought the Supervisor was simply a knob, but maybe he's a topshelf totem pole ornament/end-cap^^, to the bank, with antics like this.

Thanks, Eye.

Joewaller ,you recommend taking the best deal instead of baulking at him trying to change the deal. I appreciate your warning re; lack of recourse. He seems to be dealing and not following the contract. I was VERY surprised. It seems very egoistical and not his authority at all. I've heard Koreans 'see a contract as a loose guideline to follow, not to be strictly held, with relationships more important'. The Supervisor doesn't speak English well. So when he's trying to bafflegab me it sounds like incomprehensible gibberish^^. Like, 'instead of airfare reimbursement I hit you on head with big club, ugh'.

But I was the guy who said, 'sounds good, where do I sign?'^^.

[kprrok]

Buy a fully-refundable ticket to wherever you're from, give him that receipt, get paid, cancel it, get the cash and buy a ticket for where you want to go.

KPRROK

[captain kirk]

Good plan!^^He said HE'D buy it but I can push for myself buying a fully refundable ticket. Thanks KPRROK.