Korean Job Discussion Forums

ricky_lamour · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: jikdongli

Back in July I signed for my second year at the same school. They gave me some contracts which I read and which were identical to last years. No problem. I signed them. Next day they gave me some more which were different along a mumbled, incomprehensible explanation. Housing allowance was up to 400K and holiday time had gone up. There was also something about splitting the classes up. All good things which were well noted and felt much better about signing. Signed again. A few days after that I got given another one with the same mumbles and I just assumed they had lost it again. By this time I was pretty bored of it all and just wanted to go home so I just signed it again without reading it.

Now its pay day and the extra money is nowhere to be seen and the contract I have is the same old one from last year.

What's going on? Did I get shafted?
Am I entitled to the new benefits? or is it just for new contracts? I signed it before September but it takes effect from Sep 1st.
Am I screwed because I signed the wrong piece of paper?
They obviously knew what was going on. Did they give me the wrong contract by mistake? A genuine mistake?

What do you think? Anyone?

hari seldon · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Incheon

I trust you kept a signed copy of the "real" contract?

ricky_lamour · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: jikdongli

unfortunately not. Sad

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

YOU MUST HAVE CHUMP WRITTEN ON YOUR FOREHEAD. You obviously don't know too much about Korea or it's people.... Laughing

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

From what you said, it's a public school job. So how can you be swindled? How can things be negotiated under GEPIK? Aren't the contracts all the same and don't you get a raise after a year?

I'm confused.

And what's with all these contract signings? Don't you know how to look after yourself? Hmm.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject:

You signed a contract you didn't read? Rolling Eyes

Unbelievable!

jadarite · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:45 pm Post subject:

I have something similar with GEPIK, but I DID read each contract, revised or not. Specifically, I have moved from working at a higher paying hagwon job to a lower paying job through GEPIK. I explained I wanted more, so the recruiter offered to find another school. The next morning, the recruiter contacted me to tell me that the school was willing to pay me more.

Instead of agreeing to pay me more though, they just wrote up a second single page contract, which I asked to be called an amendment, that states they will pay overtime. They took what I wrote and changed 200,000 won more per month to 20,000 won per hour for overtime. So, all it is now is a repeated arrangement to pay me "possible" overtime. I have nothing in writing to help get this extra cash I was originally requesting.

When I signed it, I looked straight at the teacher who is the go between for me and the principal, and I explained I was only signing this because she is agreeing to get me overtime. So far, I haven't seen any overtime, but she did bring to my attention things like tax exemption for 2 years which will save me money. It is also possible that after a few months when we get things settled at the school, new curriculum, and English village completed that I will get this overtime.

The point of posting all this is that I don't think we as individual teachers can change contracts with public schools (GEPIK at least), and that in order to get what you want you are going to have to expect giving more than what you agree to. New things will come up. I don't offer 100% initially, because I know they are going to come for seconds in a few weeks.

I understand the original poster's complaint about splitting classes up, because this is essentially robbing overtime from not only us but also our co-teachers. If classes weren't split, then we would be teaching well over the 22 hours agreed to (my schedule now shows my co-teacher and I would be teaching 30 if classes weren't split). The position I suggested is that we team teach, give the extra hours, give good lessons to the students. Then, when they split the classes up, show the disadvantage. Hopefully, they will see team teaching is better, and give us the overtime.

My co-teacher naively tried to explain, "They want to split classes up because they are afraid we will be tired at the end of the day". If they were that worried, they wouldn't schedule a break at the end of the day then Very Happy

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:40 pm Post subject:

Do GEPIK recruitment ads specify the applicant must be incredibly naive?

How the hell did you two get degrees?

ricky_lamour · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: jikdongli

Ignoring the haters with their inferiority complexes, the questions remain.

This is GEPIK. Contracts are standard. The new one gives 400K for housing in lieu of a paid-for apartment and an extra 4/5 days paid holiday per year.
I have no problem with the old contract or with the school which is why I re-signed.

When is the new contract valid from?
Has anybody else seen it?

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

maddog · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Location: Daegu

R-Seoul · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Location: your place

Some of the shit you hear on Daves you just can't make up. Who in their right mind signs a WORK CONTRACT without reading it? OP I have some magic beans I'd like to sell you, interested?

jadarite · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 2:39 am Post subject:

Magic beans? Do they make you fart magic too?