Korean Job Discussion Forums

fakeplastiktree · Joined: 15 Oct 2007 Location: Northeast Seoul

I'm looking to get a public school job for the September semester. I've known people in Korea that seem to get about 2 months of vacation time at public schools. SMOE, GEPIK, and EPIK all say 20 or 21 days of vacation time but I know some teachers get more than that. I also know everyone's situation is different because it depends on the particular school and on the principal. I'm just wondering if there are factors that have a high correlation with number of vacation days. For example, do people working at public schools in more rural areas tend to get more vacation time than those working in major cities? Do high school teachers tend to get more vacation time than elementary teachers?

dporter · Joined: 26 Apr 2009

Well, I have been reading the general EPIK contract and it seems that a EPIK teacher must get at least 22 days:

10.2 says if you renew you get 2 weeks paid leave at the end of the contract.

14.1 says you will get 8 working days for vacation during the summer recess.

I guess the trick is to get these to run consecutively but I'm not really sure how it works.

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

I'm with GEPIK, I get the vacation days allotted in the contract.

20 working days vacation + 5 working days vacation for rural bonus + 2 weeks (10 working days) for renewal = 35 working days, = 7 weeks vacation.

Then, my school (and many, if not most schools) gives extra discretionary days during the semester, often latched on to public holidays (days when the school is closed), and for this school year the total of 'extra' days is 6 which brings the total to 41 working days which is just about 2 months.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

The contract will state the normal time allotted for vacation and other leave, but it is discretionary with regard to additional time not included in the contract. This has been a hot button for some people in the past when things were communicated on forums and the schools caught wind of it, then schools decided to "enforce" the contract by requiring the NETs to sit at their desks during vacation time warming seats. Suffice it to say, some people have better conditions in their school than others. I never try to share too much about my school other than to say they have been more than fair to me in terms of my vacation and other time off given during the course of my contract. This is one reason why staying at my rural public school in GEPIK for five contract periods has not been a problem. When I compare it to other places, including universities I could have taken jobs at, the benefits of me staying here far outweigh going to a university teaching position. My situation may be unique, but it has been a really fun stay for me.

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

If you're counting random days off like Otherside does and consider that many unis have a four day (or less) work week and a shorter semester you get to count over half the year as vacation at uni. A public school might pay more, but that's the only way I can imagine it being equal or better.

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

danseonsaeng · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Location: Seoul, South Korea

SMOE offers 21 days paid vacation to be used during the summer and winter vacations (though I've known folks to take time off during the semester).

If you re-sign, you get an additional 14 days of vacation.

35 days a year ain't bad. That's not counting the random days off for testing, national holidays and other events.

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

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

I'm on my second whitey wrangler and she is a lovely lady, however she is a stickler for the rule book. My previous co-teacher just let me work two weeks camp in the winter and have the rest of the non-term time off.

However this teacher is telling me I have two weeks as camp, but then is leaving it extremely ambiguous as to what I get off. I told her I want to go abroad and she says I only get 20 days vacation out of the country. Her view seems to be that my 20 days vacation are for leaving the country, let alone I've already had maybe 40days off school. I can't really get my head round it. I guess I'll just tell her I'm going away for the weekend and stay out for the remainder of the summer holidays.

So really the time you get off is random, and the time that you can actually use is perhaps even more random.

timetotravel · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Location: korea

ekul, what happens when you dont go back to your school until the vacation ends?
like if u say youre going away for a weekend and then dont return, will they just not pay you for that time?

egrog1717 · Joined: 12 Mar 2008

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

That is what I don't understand. Last holiday time I just did my camp and then pretty much had the rest of the break off school (paid). However my new teacher seems to be a stickler for her guide book and I'm starting to get worried that I'm going to be called to seat warm this time around. If it really comes down to it I'll try and organise some study leave, I've heard that can work.

ChinaBoy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007

They might make you spend your free time studying the word "maximal".

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

Aelric · Joined: 02 Mar 2009

At my school, if we don't plan on having any camps for the break, I get the break off without deskwarming. I don't think it counts against my vacation days because I had the entire months of January and February off and expect I'll have August off as well. However, if there is a camp and there is any kind of turnout for it, I gotta work it, so it's no guarantee. This could be school policy, it could be that I'm well liked, it could be that they don't realize I'm technically supposed to deskwarm. Either way, I'm lucky. Best case scenario, I'll be able to extend my summer vacation a week or two with my renewal days, although my contract doesn't technically end until October, so I don't figure that will happen.