Korean Job Discussion Forums

[skibum80]

Hi, I am first timer coming to Korea. What do you peoples think about this contract? Any insight will be appreciated. Thanks

Letter of Agreement

The Sunbuk Institute, the employer, under the license of Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "the Institute") and the employee _________ (hereinafter referred to as "the Teacher") agree to a employment for a regular full-time English teaching position.

The institute and the teacher agree as follows:

The Teacher accepts employment from the Institute to teach English under the terms and conditions set forth here in this agreement for a period of twelve full and consecutive teaching sessions. Employment commences from the first day of teaching and finishes on the last teaching day of the last teaching session under the employment period in the agreement.
The employment period is from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009

The teacher�s daily working hours � including preparation, class teaching, etc. � are 8 hours. The Teacher will have at least 21 classes(80 minute) per teaching week. Monday through Friday are teaching days except for scheduled public holidays and vacation days.

The Teacher is expected to devote no less than 2.5 hours a day at the Institute for lesson planning, working with co-teachers, student evaluations, reporting, consultation with parents, supervision of play, maintenance of the English environment during breaks, workshops, teachers' meetings.

The Teacher will be required to attend 2-3 annual events (graduation ceremony, etc) throughout the contract year. Teacher will receive additional compensation for these days. Teacher will be required to attend unpaid 2-3 day special training on Saturdays throughout the contract year.

Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to:
i. teaching
ii. substitute teaching
iii. supervision of students
iv. preparation/production of teaching materials
v. curriculum design and implementation
vi. attendance at teachers� meetings and workshops
vii. writing evaluation comments and preparing evaluation reports
viii. essay and journal correction
ix. implementation of Teacher Policy Guidelines
x. participation in micro-teaching group presentations
xi. interviewing new students for level testing / classroom assignment
xii. professional development
xiii. Teacher Training in the Institute or SLP headquarters.
xiv. assisting with preschool lunch during the summer and winter sessions

The Teacher will assist with lunch during the summer and winter session. The Teacher will be provided a free lunch and 6,000won compensation per 50 minute lunch period.
The Teacher may work longer than the usual working hours during the summer(August session) and winter sessions(January session). Due to the way the Korean education system works, this schedule is unavoidable. Overtime will be given over the hours of agreement
The Teacher�s duties and responsibilities, as well as the academic programs, may be modified, from time to time, after being agreed upon by both the Teacher and the Institute..
Any part of the Teacher�s workload can be converted into research and development work under his or her supervisor�s supervision.

Behavior
The Teacher should respect the rules and the standard of conduct set by the Institute (written, verbal and tacit) and obey the laws, regulations, instructions, and ordinances of the national and local governments.

Dual Employment Prohibition
The Teacher, after signing the agreement and receiving a work visa, can only legally work for an Institute designated by the Institute. If the Teacher works for any other institutes, companies, or individuals without the written consent of the Institute and the Korean Immigration Office, the Teacher shall face legal consequences which will/may include a fine and possible deportation.

5. Performance Evaluations
The Teacher may be evaluated in writing or verbal comment by his or her supervisor. The Institute has the right to determine if a performance appraisal is needed on a monthly basis or more frequently. The evaluation may include a review of the Teacher�s job qualifications and performance, the quality of his or her work, knowledge of his or her job, job skills, and attitude toward job; working relations with co-workers, students and parents; initiative, attendance, punctuality, and/or disciplinary record. The review is designed to provide both the Teacher and his or her supervisors with time to discuss his or her strengths, weaknesses, career objectives and other concerns.

6. Confidentiality
A. The Teacher hereby agrees, covenants and undertakes that he/she will not disclose any information relating to the Teacher�s employment conditions to others, any teaching materials, or any information related to the academic program, whether verbally or written, to individuals or corporate entities.
B. All teaching materials, including any books, textbooks and teaching resources, given to the Teacher by the Institute and reference materials prepared for the classes, by the Teacher, should be returned afterwards. The Teacher must not take out or use these materials for purposes other than for teaching at the Institute.
C. All materials and information produced, during the period of employment, become the property of the Institute. The Teacher may be compensated as regular pay, overtime, or in an agreed-upon lump sum.

Compensation
A. Monthly Salary
Except for the period of orientation and teacher training, the Institute will pay the Teacher a total monthly basic salary of 2.0 million won.
The monthly salary is based on the monthly teaching session and payment will be made on the 14th day of the following the month. Korean income tax and Medical Insurance will be deducted from the monthly salary.
B. Overtime
i. Overtime teaching - beyond 21 80 minute classes- is paid at the rate of 1.2 times the regular pay per class. The assignment of overtime above the regular classes is at the sole discretion of the Institute.
ii. Payment for teaching on Saturday is made at the rate of 1.2 times of the regular pay per class (80 minute). Payment for special events on Saturday is upon the discretion of the SLP director.
iii. In case of substitute teaching, the Teacher will receive substitute teaching fee at the rate of 1.2 times of the regular pay per class, only if the substitute teaching class hours exceed the Teacher�s contractual class hours.
iv. In case the Teacher misses his/her classes, the Teacher shall be responsible for the substitute teaching fee at the rate of 1.2 times of the regular pay per class. That means the substitute teaching fee shall be deducted from the monthly payment. The Teacher is also responsible for the arrangement of the substitute teachers.
C. Orientation and Teacher Training
The teacher will receive up to 2 weeks of orientation and training. Half of the normal teaching salary will be paid during the period of orientation and training. The orientation and training schedule will be approximately 8 hours a day.
D. Health Insurance
The Teacher will be covered by Korean National Health Insurance. According to the government guideline for teachers, the monthly insurance charge will be shared half by the Institute and half by the Teacher. Coverage will be from the date of joining the Korean Medical Insurance Union, commencing approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the teacher's arrival to Korea due to requirements of immigration and taxation departments.
.
E. Severance Pay
On completion of one's responsibilities of the full employment period, an additional month of regular salary of 2.0million won shall be paid as severance pay. If the Teacher, however, does not complete the full period of one year employment, none of the severance pay shall be paid according to Korean Labor Standard Law. Severance pay will be paid by bank transfer no later than 15 days after the Teacher has left the Institute. Korean severance tax will be withheld.

Housing
A. The Institute will select and provide furnished living accommodation for the Teacher
i. single housing with furnishings will be supplied by the Institute or,
ii. shared housing with furnishings - in this case, each Teacher will be
provided his/her own private room
iii. Furnishings will include air-conditioning, refrigerator, washing
machine, wardrobe, telephone, range, bed, desk, chair, and some eating & cooking utensil.
B. The Teacher is responsible for utility charges such as electricity, gas, telephone
charges, etc.
C. Normal maintenance needing to be accomplished on the apartment or furnishings will be paid for by the teacher. In the event the damage is due to the Teacher�s negligence, the Teacher will be charged any repair or replacement.
D. The Teacher agrees to pay 600,000won during the first three months of employment as a housing management deposit. This deposit is unpaid monthly services, utilities, telephone charges. The Institute will deduct 200,000 Won per month for the first 3 months from the Teacher�s total base salary (i.e. a full month�s work). This deposit will be paid back to the Teacher after all bills, that he/she is responsible for, have been paid.
E. In case the Teacher will have his / her own place to stay, the Institute will pay 300,000 won of housing allowance per month and the Teacher will not pay the housing deposit.

Holidays/Vacation/Leave
The Teacher will be entitled to observe public holidays and receive vacation days during the employment term according to the yearly schedule provided by the Institute before the commencement of the year to which the schedule refers.

Sick Leave and Emergency Leave_Documented sick leave and emergency leave will be paid for a combined total of 10 80 min. classes a year.. The Teacher should provide the Institute with as much advance notice as possible. Unused sick leave will not be converted into cash payment after the completion of the one year contract. If it is found that the hours/days of absence reported as sick leave or emergency leave were not in fact for such purposes, related costs shall be subtracted from the following month�s pay.
Personal Leave _In order for the Teacher to take Personal Leave, he/she must submit an application for Leave Form at least 48 hours in advance. Advanced approval from the Institute is required. The Teacher is not allowed to take more than 10 80 classes of Personal Leave. In case of Personal Leave, the Teacher will have pay at the rate of 1.5times of the regular pay per class deducted from his/her salary for each class missed. Only one Teacher will be granted personal leave on one given day. Requests will be honored in the order the Teacher informs the supervisor and the director.
Paid Vacation _ The Institute provides the Teacher with approximately 9-10 days of paid vacation in one employment year. The vacation will be scheduled on the annual SLP academic calendar, decided by the Corporation, Sogang University.

Transportation
A. The Institute shall pay round-trip airfare between the nearest International Airport from the Teacher's location applied and a major city in Korea. Round-trip airfare is provided only once. A one-way ticket to Korea will be provided and at the end of one's employment a one-way ticket to the port of the departure will be provided.
B. Teacher hired in-country shall have a visa trip to Japan paid for by the Institute.
C. In case the Teacher fails to complete the employment by his or her own fault/reason, the Teacher shall pay back 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, and recruiting fee.
D. Air tickets provided cannot be exchanged for cash equivalents or transferred to persons other than the Institute.

Termination
A. The Institute has the right to terminate the Employment for the following terms
Terms of termination :
i. The Teacher fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any one of the duties stipulated in this agreement.
ii. The Teacher fails to perform duties for more than 3 consecutive days without any excuse.
iii. The determination that the Teacher is prevented from or incapable of performing his/her duties for a medical reason, whether it is a physical or psychological ailment.(If requested by Institute, the Teacher must be immediately be available for a medical examination.)
iv. Receiving two warning letters.
v. Criminal behavior or misconduct.
vi. Working or Teaching outside of the SLP Institute.
vii. Breaches of Article 6 �Confidentiality�
viii. Defamation of Institute by falsehood
B. The Institute and the Teacher may terminate this employment with a written 30-days notice. Anything less than 30 days will be considered a breach of employment by the Institute or the Teacher unless the employment is terminated for a cause
In the event of early termination of Agreement, the final payment will be given 30 days after the last day of employment.
In the event the Teacher terminates the Agreement, before the end of the contract, the airfare, recruiting fee and visa trip fee in case teacher has to have visa trip to Japan will be reimbursed(deducted from last month pay).


12. Sole and Entire Agreement
This Agreement is the sole, complete and entire employment, agreement and understanding between the Institute and the Teacher concerning the Employment; the terms and conditions of the Employment; the duration of the Employment, the termination of the Employment and the compensation and benefits to be paid and provided by the Institute to the Teacher pursuant to the Employment. This Agreement supersedes any and all prior employments, agreements, correspondence, letters of intent, understandings, and/or negotiations, whether oral or written, concerning the Employment; the terms and conditions of the Employment; the duration of the Employment; the termination of the Employment and/or the compensation and benefits to be paid by the Institute to the Teacher pursuant to the Employment.

13. Applicable Law and Venue
This agreement and each and every provision hereof shall be interpreted pursuant to the laws of the Republic of Korea without regard to any conflicts of law principles, and the venue in which a claim, action or lawsuit may be brought shall be exclusively the Republic of Korea.



IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Institute and the Teacher have each duly executed this Agreement on the dates set forth below their respective signatures.


Name of the Director Name of the Teacher

Name of Institute


Signed___________________________ Signed _________________________

Dated:_________________________ Dated: ________________________

Thank You

[DongtanTony]

21 eighty minute classes is 28 teaching hours per week. Most hagwons will contract for 30...but in my opinion...21 eighty minute classes per week is a pretty hefty workload.

Add in 2.5 hours of prep...five days a week...12.5 hours there....you're working in excess of 40 hours per week.

That's too much for a measly 2.0 mil won contract.

Let alone housing deposits...they scare me

You can do better.