Korean Job Discussion Forums

Katchafire · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject: GEPIK - 'Whose Joke Is This?'

I'm half way through my 2nd year at my Public Elementary School for GEPIK (Yangju), and yesterday my co-teacher showed me changes to the GEPIK payscale (there are now 7 or 8 levels starting from 1.6 mil up to a Level 1 at 2.3 mil ((2 yrs GEPIK experience)) and a level 1+at 2.5 mil).
I was a level 1, but am now considered a level 2+, so the Education office is supposedly going to be altering my pay - therefore I'd be losing 100,000 a month.
They have another thing coming if they think that is going to happen. For new teachers coming into GEPIK, sure - introduce your new scale ... but there's no way on Gods green Earth that you are going to lower my current salary just because you decide to make a few changes.

Has anyone else heard about this?

farrepatt · Joined: 27 Jan 2008

I saw GEPIK's new pay scale at a training in December I believe. The new scale would bump me up a couple hundred-thousand won a month, but it won't be applied to me until my next contract. You should be getting what you signed your contract at. They can't lower your pay because they're changing their pay scale.

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

1.6?

Just say "That's nice. My pay stay same."

bogey666 · Joined: 17 Mar 2008 Location: Korea, the ass free zone

Katchafire · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject:

Bogey - yes, a typo .. it was meant to be GEPIK.

I'm not mis-interpreting anything though. My pay going down by 100,000 a month is exactly what the local Education office, according to my co-teacher, is intending to do.
I agree - there is no way it SHOULD go down - and it had better not.

ekul · Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Location: [Mod Edit]

People with a BA in English related degrees with get a pay rise. Everyone else would stay the same, and some new Filipino and Indian positions have been introduced. I can't understand how you would be getting a pay cut. Especially with two years experience.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

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

Why do English majors get higher salaries? What a joke.

semi-fly · Joined: 07 Apr 2008

JJJ · Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Location: Seoul

Oh yeah, screw that pay reduction thing. I wouldn't take it either.

However, if they want, they could do it and you could be SOL. I would start negotiating. Say, fine, but I can come and go as I please. No class, I don't have to be there. Summer camp, fine but rest off. 2 week winter camp and the rest off until March. You have some power.

Good luck.

Katchafire · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject:

I agree with what's being said by you all of course. The whole thing seems so perposturous.
I will definately keep you informed of what's happening.
I'm hoping that perhaps it is my co-teacher who may have got the changes confused, and presumed that it would come into effect immediately for all teachers, new or current.
Either way it didn't make sense to her that my pay should be changed, and she is going to check into it.

poet13 · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject:

"
Oh yeah, screw that pay reduction thing. I wouldn't take it either.

However, if they want, they could do it and you could be SOL. I would start negotiating. Say, fine, but I can come and go as I please. No class, I don't have to be there. Summer camp, fine but rest off. 2 week winter camp and the rest off until March. You have some power."

Are you fecking mad?

OP signed a contract for X money. It really is that simple. Who in their right mind would accept a pay cut (for whatever reason) mid-contract?

What a precedent that would set!

Imagine if you will...

GEPIK mass email :We've decided to cut all your salaries by 100K per month. But the good part is you can leave after your last class.

Unwashed masses: Wow, isn't that great! I don't have classes on Tuesday and Friday afternoons!

GEPIK mass email. : PS - Everyone's scheduled is being changed. Last class for every teacher, every day, is 7th period. Have a nice day.

bogey666 · Joined: 17 Mar 2008 Location: Korea, the ass free zone

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

They can't cut your pay. Usually when changes are implemented they'd be for new hires or be by a certain date for new hires. They can't just up and change your salary.

You could take EPIK or GEPIK or whatever the hell it is to the labor board. Anyway, most likely this does not apply to you and your school (or handler) is just being idiotic in a country where people dare not question authority.

Katchafire · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:11 pm Post subject:

Bogey - to clarify ...

Im half way through my 2nd year. With my previous teaching exp in New Zealand, combined with the previous teaching in Sth Korea - I made it to the Level 1 pay scale for GEPIK.
Now, with this new paylevel scale - I need to have completed two full years teaching for GEPIK in order to get to the same pay as I am now.

Eg: The original Level 1 is now called Level 2+ = 2.2 mil - for 1 yrs teaching experience with GEPIK (amongst other requirements).
The next level up is Level 1 = 2.3 mil - for 2 yrs teaching experience with GEPIK (amongst other requirements) .... and finally a higer level called Level 1+ = 2.5 mil (that I dont know the exact requirements for).

The stupid thing is ... I will have been working for GEPIK for two full years in August - just months away, so basically what my co-teacher said was .. I would go down in pay until August, then when I re-sign for my 3rd year at the school (which I was really happy to do because I've just loved my time here) - I will go back up to my current pay again.

Hope this explains my specific situation a little better. It all still sounds like rubbish however. Wink