Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BS.Dos.]

Just wanted to clarify with those who've enjoyed it; the additional 2-weeks vacation for renewing with your school through EPIK. I've just looked through the new EPIK 2008 contract and can see no sign of it, but I've read on daves that there are quite a few of you out there who've taken your contracted Summer vacation and had an additional 2-weeks once you resigned, usually meaning that you've had a 4-week vacation.

So, to those of you that have renewed with your school these past 12-months and who were given an additional 2-weeks vacation for doing so, was that written into your contract or was it an unwritten agreement between you and your school?

I'm asking as I'm with EPIK but I don't have anything written into my contract that states 'additonal' resigning vacation. I do however have 28-days contracted vacation (2-weeks Winter and 2-weeks Summer), whereas EPIK PS (I'm in a private PS) only get (or so it would seem) 14-days per year. I've just had tentative talks with my CT about my vacation and mentioned this to him to which he said he hadn't heard of any teachers getting 2 additional weeks vacation through EPIK and I just wandered if the old 2007 contracts had this extra 2-weeks written into them or not.

Cheers.

[healed]

14 days of home leave for resigning is written into the 2007 contract, though I had to point out to my co-teacher that it was truly IN ADDITION to the 14 days vacation. The wording is such that it could be challenged, but I knew from my training that the 14 days was a bonus for resigning.

I'm in Gyeongsamnamdo and haven't been presented with a 2008 contract yet. Where are you by the way?

[BS.Dos.]

Same as you, Gyeongsangnam.

Here's the new EPIK contract.

[Dome Vans]

I've just renewed my contract. I am taking my two weeks home vacation starting the 14th. It's in the contract that I can take it even though it interferes with the school schedule. It's not my fault that I started mid-contract. My principal after giving the thumbs-up for me to have christmas week off wasn't so pleased about the renewal holiday but the contract clearly states 'shall take place 2 calendar weeks prior to the contract end date'.

[BS.Dos.]

Cheers Domer, although there's nothing like that which you've quoted in my current contract, which makes me think they'll simply point out that regular EPIK contracts only offer 14-days, whereas I'm contracted for 28. I can mention it to them and appeal to their better nature, but I don't reckon they'll wear it.

I'm going to have to deal with this very tactfully as they also told me today that they want to run an additional Summer Camp (I've already agreed to do a 2-day Summer camp staying away over night in July), which they're provisionally planning to run during the last week of July and the first couple of weeks of August. This is the first I've heard of it and it seriously disrupts my plans for August. I think I'm going to be forced to compromise and offer to do a week or two of Summer Camp provided that they then give me the rest of August off.

I'll play the "I really want to re-sign, but I'm not actually sure if I can" card as a last resort. TBH, I'm actually trying to juice them for more than I'm actually entitled to so I don't really want to start kicking off when the gig itself it's so effortlessly peachy.

[Dome Vans]

That seems very tight not having that renewal clause in. So I suppose it rings true about different provinces cutting and changing bits of the EPIK contract.

What happens about your end of contract airfare? Surely if you finish the contract they buy you a roundtrip ticket before your new contract starts, or do they just give you the money? What's that about 500 000 won?

I suppose it comes down to how you negotiate it, you know your situation best so you'll know how to play it causing minimal fuss.

Apparently Immigration don't need your criminal check when you renew. All they want is your ARC, passport, contract and notice of appointment. Your office of education want a health check and criminal check. They'll get the CRC in good time, but there's no rush....hoping they'll forget.

[Stormy]

With EPIK is it possible to negotiate at all for more leave within the contract? I would re-sign in a flash if I could get more leave as everything else about my job is perfect, but 14 days leave a year is rubbish....and I know that you get 2 weeks for re-signing but still...
Has anyone negotiated this directly with their school?

[Dome Vans]

[BS.Dos.]

My airfare will be refunded upon return apparently.

Does anyone know if it's possible to take your contracted 2-weeks vacation at the end of your contract i.e. the last 2-weeks of August in my case, but re-sign my new contract so that it would begin on the say, the 14th of Sept so that I can take an extra 2-weeks off, unpaid of course, at the end of my contracted vacation before then returning and starting the 2nd contract?

This would obviously mean I'd miss the first 2-weeks of the 2nd semester, but I'm just wandering what the implications for something like that would be with immigration, assuming of course that the school would also agree.

[Dome Vans]

[BS.Dos.]

The only info regarding renewal is:

Article 10
1. The term of employment [...] may be renewed by the mutual written agreement between employer and employee [...]

2. Employer make a notice of renewal in written (sic) at least 2-months prior to expired date of terms of employment. Also employee let employer know [...] before 2-months of the termination of contract.

3. [...] Employee's round airtrip shall be reimbursed after employee's return to Korea [...]

One months severance upon completion blah blah blah.

Nothing whatsoever about any 'home leave' etc

[cruisemonkey]

It seems you don't have a standard EPIC contract - I think due to fact your county is designated a special foreign language education zone (or words to that effect). What does Yu Bum-suk's contract say (if anything) with regard to 'home leave' for re-signing?

[BS.Dos.]

It's okay. I've just been given 4-weeks off, but there are conditions.

A while back my handler asked me if I'd do a 2-day (one night sleep over) Summer Camp, which I agreed to as I knew I'd be able to use the 'brownie' points when I asked for extra vacation. So, yesterday I talked to my handler about my vacation. He's told me that the school closing ceremony will be on 21st of July and semester 2 will begin on 25th August. Now, he'd already told me that I could take the first week of semester 2 off as I'll be spending the time in the UK with my GF before she then flies back to the US and I come back out here.

My handler then tells me that the school want to run an additional summer camp after the closing ceremony and that they want to run it for 3-weeks, meaning that I wouldn't be able to go home until around August the 10/11th, possibly later. I iterated that I wasn't too happy about this, which ruffled a few feathers, but this morning my handler informed me that he'd spoken to the VP who said that I can take 4-weeks off from Sunday 3rd August but that I'll have to do about 11/12 days of Summer camp for no extra pay and do a couple of Saturdays being as they obviously want to squeeze as many days (read money) in as possible before I head back home.

So, the upshot of it all is is that I've got (roughly) 4-weeks off (2-weeks contracted and 2-weeks gratis) but I'll have to do both camps (the 2-day one and the 12-day one, including Saturdays) for no extra pay. TBH, the 12-day camp will be held at the school and will only involve maybe 3 classes a day, which will mean I can come in and work on an assignment that's due in on the 18th August, but I'm thinking that I should ask for extra payment for the original camp, say a couple of hundred thousand. However, I don't really want to ride my luck being as they have given me an extra two weeks off.

Not sure what I should do really. Be grateful for the extra 2-weeks or, push for some extra coin?