Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thevmister]

My husband and I are currently being offered a couple of positions and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about these schools.
-CDI April Haeundae Campus in Busan
-Unium college language school in Busan
-Sung Dong Language Institute in Seoul
-LCI Kids club in Busan

Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks guys!

[garykasparov]

Hagwons

I cannot speak for the above schools. However, it would be a good idea to e-mail the following questions to more than two foreign teachers who are currently working at the school. You shouldn't be afraid to ask the tough questions. If you speak to a teacher over the telephone, therein lies a fairly good chance the employer is listening.


Working Hours

( 1 ) What are your working hours?
( 2 ) When do you prepare for classes?
( 3 ) How long do you prepare for classes?
( 4 ) How long are your breaks?
( 5 ) Does your employer allow you to use your breaks freely?
( 6 ) How many classes do you teach per day, week and month?
( 7 ) How much time do you spend teaching per class?
( 8 ) Do working hours change during summer and winter vacation periods?
( 9 ) If yes to ( 8 ), what are the working hours during vacation periods?
( 10 ) Does your employer require you to work on the weekends?
( 11 ) If yes to ( 10 ), what are the working hours when you work on the weekends?
( 12 ) If yes to ( 10 ), how many days have you worked on the weekends?

Job Duties

( 1 ) What job duties do you perform that are not written in your contract?
( 2 ) How often do you perform the above duties that are not written in your contract?

Wages & Overtime Wages

( 1 ) Does your employer always pay overtime wages?
( 2 ) Does your employer pay your wages in cash or deposit your wages into your Korean bank account?
( 3 ) How does your employer calculate overtime wages?

Pay receipt

( 1 ) Does your employer provide teachers pay receipts that clearly state the date of pay, pay period dates, overtime wages earned, monthly salary including deductions from your monthly salary for ( 1 ) pension, ( 2 ) income tax and ( 3 ) health insurance?

Health Insurance

( 1 ) Has your employer provided you with a health insurance card?
( 2 ) Does your employer pay contributions for both parties to the National Health Insurance Corporation?
( 3 ) Does your employer respect your right to medical privacy?

Pension

( 1 ) Does your employer pay into the Korean Pension Plan?

Income Taxes

( 1 ) Does your employer always deduct the correct amount for income taxes from your monthly salary?
( 2 ) Does your employer pay deductions from your monthly salary for income taxes to the tax office?

Severance Pay

( 1 ) Does your employer always pay teachers their severance as stated in their contracts?

Living Conditions

( 1 ) Was your apartment clean upon arrival?
( 2 ) Were you provided with all the furnishings as stated in your contract?
( 3 ) Were all the furnishings/appliances in working order when you moved into your apartment?
( 4 ) Are the bills in your name or your employer's name?
( 5 ) If the bills are in your employer's name, does your employer deduct the correct amount from your monthly salary for utilities?
( 6 ) Does your employer respect your right to privacy?

Paid Annual Leave

( 1 ) When and how do you use your paid annual leave?

Dismissal

( 1 ) Does your employer have a reputation of dismissing teachers for the sole purpose of not paying them last month�s wages, airfare and severance pay?

Financial

( 1 ) Is the school in financial trouble?

Discipline Methods

( 1 ) Is your employer abusive towards students?
( 2 ) Is your employer abusive towards teachers?

Paid Sick Leave

( 1 ) Have you used a paid sick leave day?
( 2 ) If yes to ( 1 ), how did your employer react?
( 3 ) If teachers use a day of paid sick leave, does your employer require them to work another day to make up for the hours missed?

Students/Teachers

( 1 ) How many students attend the school?
( 2 ) How many foreign teachers and Korean teachers work at the school?