Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Boog]

Hi all,

I got a contract from "Herald Media-KNN Busan Global Village" what do you know about these guys?

Though my research I learned they are partnered with the government and Herald Media owns the biggest English Korean news newspaper. Here is a site of some information: http://etour.busan.go.kr/06_community/02_01/1242260_4239.jsp

What do you guys know of this?

Thank you very much

Pete

[cruisemonkey]

You probably won't get any replies because it's not open yet... nobody knows anything. However, if you research/post questions re: 'English Villages' (specifically, the ones run by Herald Media), you will get a good idea of what to expect.

I'd be very interested is seeng the contract. Can you post it?

[Boog]

yeah I saw that it is not open yet. I just thought someone may something more than me. Here is the contract:

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT is made between Herald Media, Inc., the operator of the Herald Media-KNN Busan Global Village, and , the English instructor, who will be transferred to the Busan Global Village after some period of training at the Seoul English Village (Pungnap Camp). In the event of any structural alteration in Herald Media, Inc., any and all responsibilities and rights of Herald Media, Inc. set forth in this contract will be assigned to third party designated by Herald Media, Inc. to be responsible for the operation of the Busan Global Village without consent of employee, and the employee will not object to such assignment.

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT has been made this April , 2009.

The specific purpose of this Agreement is to employ a foreign individual as an English-language instructor, and as such the individual employed hereunder shall not be subject to Herald Media Inc.�s employment rules or other internal rules and regulations. This Agreement shall be applied to such individual employed in place of Herald Media Inc.�s employment rules.

Contract Conditions:

1. EMPLOYMENT

The employer will employ the employee as an English-language instructor at the Busan Global Village on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

2. WORKLOAD, HOURS, DAYS

As a general rule, the work schedule is organized for the duration of 5 days per week, 8 working hours per day. Work schedule may be rearranged by the employer to accommodate effective operation of the Busan Global Village.

The employee will participate �on his/her time� in a maximum of 3 Busan Global Village events, each not longer than 7 hours, in any one contract year. A total of 60-minutes� teachers� meetings per week is also �on employee�s time�.

* Overtime is not obligatory. Any activity for or with the Busan Global Village in excess of what is agreed upon in this Agreement will be regarded as �payable� overtime.

* Employee is required to participate in program such as adult and Saturday duty if needed.

3. PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT

The total Agreement term is 12 calendar months from the day the employee reports for work at the Village (June 1, 2009).

4. EMPLOYEE�S DUTIES

a. Teaching Conversational and Written English to local students and other participants.
b. Attending teachers� meeting.
c. Participating in up to 3 Busan Global Village activity days.

* Employee will be provided with the teaching materials necessary to conduct the class. Employee is expected to conduct the class without assistance.

* Employee will set a good positive example at all times. Employee will follow set class schedule and will not dismiss class, cancel class, or start class late without approval of the employer.

* Employee should be in good health and will submit proof of his/her health condition before or upon arrival.

* The employer won�t object if the employee, in his/her free time, engages in other lawful activities.

5. SALARY & OVERTIME PAYMENT

a. The period of one month is accounted as one Pay Period.

b. Regardless of how few the employee�s monthly hours may be, his/her minimum monthly pay is (A): ??? million won per Pay Period.

c. Overtime: Any action and participation of the employee at the Busan Global Village or outside, directed by the employer, that is above the agreed-upon hours mentioned in this contract, is regarded as overtime work and is compensated with (B) 18,000 Won / 60 minutes.

d. Overtime is calculated and paid on Monthly Basis together with the salary. Work/service hour in excess of 5 days per week, 8 working hours per day is considered as overtime work. Overtime includes: Extra class preparation, Making teaching material, Translating, Meetings, Open house, Entertaining parents, Student minding, Camping, and any other action or participation in or outside the Busan Global Village that is arranged in agreement with the employee, by the employer, for the employee to do or to attend. Aforementioned activities stipulated in Clause 2 are not considered overtime.

e. The monthly pay of the employee will be made without delay on or prior to, the �pay day� that is the last day of each month. The payment of the salary and overtime are made up to date on the pay day. If the pay day falls on a holiday, the payment will be made on the last workday before. The payment of the last month�s salary and overtime, plus the annual bonus (severance pay) will be made on the employee�s last workday. The employee is responsible to provide appropriate bank account number to the employer for the monthly pay.

f. If the employer requires the employee to travel to different workplaces, all hours of traveling/work in excess of 25 working, and 5 traveling hours a week, will be considered as overtime hours, and the employer will also pay for the full cost of the employee�s traveling from his/her home, to all the workplaces.

6. TAX & DEDUCTIBLES

Income tax, the monthly payment for Korean National Pension Program, and the employee�s half of the �heath insurance premium� and such other deductions which are required to be made pursuant to applicable laws will be deducted from the employee�s monthly salary. No other fees not stipulated in this contract will be deducted from the employee�s salary.


7. HOUSING & ACCOMMODATION

The choice of housing is at option of the employer.

The rent-free housing will be offered to the employee on his/her arrival day. It must be returned to the employer in the same condition when the employee leaves the Busan Global Village.

* Privacy of employee is respected. For repairs/help, the employer will seek the employee�s permission for entry, one day in advance, or if the employee prefers, on the same day.

* Furniture for the employee�s private use shall be clean and in good condition. Bed, bedding, sheets, desk, curtains, closet, table, TV, fridge, clothes rack, fan or air conditioner, and a working heating system, will be provided with the housing. The furniture and the appliance provided will be clean and in good working condition, and must be returned to the employer in the same condition on the last day of this contract.

* Maintenance of, and repairs to the apartment, the appliances, and the heating system, as well as replacement of worn-out furniture, are the responsibility of the employer. The cost of repairs due solely to employee�s fault or negligence will be deducted from aforementioned Security Deposit.

* Security Deposit: The employee must present 300,000 KRW as a safety deposit within a period of 3 months of assuming occupancy. 100,000KRW will be collected on the first payday and every payday thereafter. This amount will cover repair cost for any damage caused by the employee to the housing and its contents owned by the employer. The remainder of the deposit will be returned one month after this contract. The deposit also covers any unpaid bills with regard to the apartment.

8. SAME DAY RESPONSE

Should the employee report a problem with the accommodation, or should s/he need medical attention, the employer will help or hire help and solve the problem on the same day to the extent practicable.

9. PAID HOLIDAYS / SICK LEAVES / VACATION / UNPAID LEAVE / TARDINESS

Paid holidays are given in lieu of regular national holidays throughout the period of this contract.
* Vacation: Employee�s three-week vacation must be taken in no less than one-week blocks, undivided. Such vacation scheme shall be applied to the annual and monthly leave entitlement of the employee. The paid holiday arrangement is, however, subject to intervention from the employer in order to ensure unhindered operation of the Busan Global Village. If the employee agrees to stay for an additional year, he/she will be entitled to an option of a maximum of 3 weeks of unpaid vacation before or during the next year�s work. This optional unpaid vacation can be taken in whichever form agreed on by both parties. All unpaid vacation must not overlap with other vacations and must not interfere with the operation of the village.

* Sick Leave: One week of sick leave may be used in lieu of paid vacation. In order to be eligible for paid sick leave, when employee is unable to attend class due to illness, s/he shall notify employer, with an accompanying proof of illness from a physician, at least a half an hour prior to the commencement of the class. If employee fails to notify employer with proper proof of illness, the employer has the right to deduct 1 day�s pay for every day the employee is absent from work. If employee fails to notify the employer with proper proof of illness three times, the employer has the right to terminate the contract.

Unpaid leave: Unpaid leave is permitted only under extreme and unusual circumstances. Extreme and unusual circumstances include, but not limited, matter of great importance and death or serious illness of self or immediate family member. Upon presentation of proper notice and proof to the employer, employee may be granted up to one week of unpaid leave.

* Tardiness: If employee is more than 10 minutes late without notification, 1 hour of pay may be deducted.

* Note: At no time may an employee take more than 3 weeks consecutive paid/unpaid vacation.


10. DRESS CODE

Clean and proper shirts and pants for males, and dressy shorts or skirt and T-shirts for females are acceptable work attire. Dress codes stipulated within the �Employment Handbook� provide guidelines for the employee and will precede all other regulation for the dress code.

11. MEDICAL INSURANCE

From his/her first workday, the employee will be covered for his/her dental and medical insurance by the �Korean National� Medical Insurance. One half of the insurance premium is to be paid by the school and another half is to be paid by the employee.

Payment of the employee�s half of the insurance will be made by deduction of the same out of his/her monthly salary.

12. AIRFARE, VISA, & �VISA RUN�

The price of an economy class one-way trip ticket is reimbursed to the employee, by the employer, to fly him/her from the international airport closest to his/her original home address, to his/her workplace in Korea, on his/her first �pay day� on condition that he/she should fulfill his/her one-year contract.
The employee receives the return ticket or its cash equivalent upon successful completion of the contract. In case of contract renewal, the entitlement for the return ticket is then carried over to the last day of employment. The employee should obtain his/her work visa prior to making any flight arrangements.
Should the employer send the employee to another country to obtain Korean �work visa�, all costs of transportation will be covered by the employer. This only applies to teachers who are already working in Korea.

13. BONUSES (SEVERANCE PAY)

In accordance to the Korean Labor Law, the annual bonus equivalent of employee�s monthly salary, is paid to the employee on the last �pay day� of this contract REGARDLESS of his/her renewing his/her contract for another year, or not.

14. DISMISSAL OR VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION

The employer and the employee reserve the right to nullify this contract in any of the cases mentioned in this clause.

It is agreed hereby that �copy of employee�s resignation or dismissal notice� will act as his/her legal �Release Paper�.

The employer may terminate this agreement and dismiss the employee after three warnings, whether verbal or written, and by giving one month�s advance written notice if the employee:

a. neglects his/her duties stipulated in this agreement.
b. is frequently absent from work.
c. shows blatant misconduct either professionally or otherwise.
d. does not report to work without due reason or notice.
e. suffers from health condition which makes it impossible for the employee to continue work.

The employee may terminate this agreement by giving 45-day�s advance written notice or forfeit all security deposits:

a. If the employer fails to perform its obligations under this agreement, including being paid on time.
b. Upon death or severe illness of a family member, or severe illness of the employee.

* In case of termination by the employee, the employee is paid up to his/her last day of work.

* All accounts and payments on either side, as explained in this contract, must be settled by the last day of employee�s work.

15. LEGAL ACTION

If at any time employee leaves the employer without giving prior notice and without going through the appropriate procedures, employer has the right to pursue legal actions, for damages and attorney fees, against employee. If employee has left Korea altogether, employer has the right to pursue legal actions outside of Korea.

16. GOVERNING LAW & JURISDICTION

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea. The Busan-related court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all disputes in connection with this Agreement.

This Agreement is made final and firm.

Photocopies of this Agreement will be considered as valid as the signed original.

Herald Media President The employee�s name and signature



Date: Date:

So what do you think of this?


Pete

[Kikomom]

From my research perch in the boonies of PA, I see it's in the middle of town at the old Gaeseong Middle School site in Bujeon-dong.

Google Earth: Busanjin-gu, Busan City

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=36496
http://hiteacher.com/job/2009-03-18/9124?show_emp=2211

Better go for the 2.4, and don't take less than the 2.3m. A washing machine would go nice with that clothes rack. And start saving up for that plane fare.

[spyro25]

location is sweet - right next to lotte if i have the right place in mind. i used to take my dog for walks in the old school. its next to bu-am dong subway station. i've been watching them build it for some time, and its a pretty impressive building modelled on the style of buildings you might find in harvard or somewhere. i'd like to pay a visit when it opens

[Boog]

O.K. I will give the numbers out .... they are offering me 2.25 mill per month.

I think it is fair considering I have no ESL teaching experience under my belt except for the practicum I did for my TESOL.

I have a computer science degree and the communication/teaching work I did (if you can call it that) was 0.5 years at a call center to help with HP printers, it was HP printer tech support to be exact. I have also been in toastmasters for about a year. The other work I did was software testing and development for a firm that makes TV set top box software. The economic down turn meant that my contract was not renewed. So now here I am!

So now what do you think?

Yes I am in the process of getting all needed documents and sending a package back to them .... (probably with a signed contract)

I would also like to thank you all for your help!

Pete

[cruisemonkey]

I'd be very leery of the fact the contract only specifies you work eight hours/day, five days/week.

It does not address how many classes you teach or what/how long constitutes a class... therefore, it's possible you will be expected to teach forty, sixty-minute classes per week. If this is the case, it's a ridiculous workload that will 'burn out' anyone. Also, it does not specify what days/week - expect to work at least some Saturdays and Sundays... and you may not get two days off consecutively in a week.

It seems you will be required to work national holidays.

Ask yourself why you should give them an hour of your time every week for a staff meeting?... are you going to be so busy teaching the other 40 hours of the week that they can't fit the meeting into your paid time?

Ask yourself why you should give them three, seven-hour days of your time every year for 'events'.

If I were you, before I signed anything, I'd talk to people who are working at other Herald Media-run venues... see if their contracts are similar/identical and find out how they are treated.

[Boog]

OK I will continue to look into it.

[buymybook]

7. HOUSING & ACCOMMODATION
The choice of housing is at option of the employer.
The rent-free housing will be offered to the employee on his/her arrival day. It must be returned to the employer in the same condition when the employee leaves the Busan Global Village.
* Privacy of employee is respected. For repairs/help, the employer will seek the employee�s permission for entry, one day in advance, or if the employee prefers, on the same day.
* Furniture for the employee�s private use shall be clean and in good condition. Bed, bedding, sheets, desk, curtains, closet, table, TV, fridge, clothes rack, fan or air conditioner, and a working heating system, will be provided with the housing.
* Security Deposit: The employee must present 300,000 KRW as a safety deposit within a period of 3 months of assuming occupancy. 100,000KRW will be collected on the first payday and every payday thereafter. This amount will cover repair cost for any damage caused by the employee to the housing and its contents owned by the employer. The remainder of the deposit will be returned one month after this contract. The deposit also covers any unpaid bills with regard to the apartment.

Housing is "employees choice," but they didn't mention your choices. You will probably share a toilet/bathroom with another Native English Teacher, live/sleep on campus with the students/teachers. If you drink during your non-teaching hours your privacy will not be "respected." They may tell you not to drink on campus/in your housing?

Ask them how much money they will pay for your monthly rent if you choose to live off campus, including key money/deposit on home.

Furniture..."fan or air conditioner," If this is a new place why wouldn't you get an air conditioner? Ask them for both!

Security Dep. "The remainder of the deposit will be returned one month after this contract."

Why would you have to wait 1 months after your contract, all money(deposits/salary/severance etc...) should be paid to you the day or day after the contract ends.

They can easily call any utility company(electric, gas, phone etc...) and find out what you owe on the last day you reside in the housing/last day of your contract.

[cruisemonkey]

The more I look at that contract the worse it gets. Its crafted to be purposefully misleading.

While it mentions a week of sick leave, there is no sick leave - sick days are to taken in liew of paid vacation. In otherwords, if you a sick day and it comes out of your holidays.

[Munzito]

I just got a similar contract to work with them. This is the second contract I have seen and compared to the first one (Which happened to be from CDI) this one leaves a lot to be desired. Anyone work for this 'Herald Media' at another Global Village?

[GoldMember]

The Korea Herald employs a lot of illegals for their outsourcing work.

[Munzito]

Boog, have you accepted their offer?

[poppamidnight]

I've been offered a contract here too, exact same one (although my start date would be different)

I can't decide...
I was mainly worried about the airfare not being paid (should I be as hesitant about this as I am?), but now some of the post's inside has me worried on other issues.

Has anyone officially taken it yet?

[Scouse Mouse]

I work at a Herald School franchise, and I laughed at my first contract (shown during interview). Thankfully, my boss was awesome and asked me right up what should be changed to make it better.

I told him, he changed it, and he never had a teacher laugh at him again.

Your hours are horrible, but it is unlikely they will change them... the other things may well be negotiable