Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cherrytree3003]

Hello!

I was offered a contract, which I posted on here for some feedback. There were some glaring points of concern:

No mention of pension
Tax deductions were not stated explicitly
Housing deposit would be deducted from the first 3 months' pay

I put these concerns to the Head Teacher and this was her response:

For your information, tax rates are the same throughout the country (around 4%). If you are told otherwise, be careful. Pension is NOT offered (ever) by language institutes. Instead, as a matter of law, severance pay equal to one month's pay must be supplied at the end of the completed contract. Pensions are only offered by universities/colleges and a few companies. Housing deposits are pretty standard (like security deposits back home).

How much of what she said actually true?? I know that the severance payment is mandatory; my main concern is that I thought that pension was too....so I am a little confused by her response. As it turns out, the position is no longer available (not that I would have taken it!!) but I just want to know the facts so I know what to look for in future job offers.

[ttompatz]

[teacherinseoul]

ttompatz was being generous by saying that the head teacher might not have known that she was lying.

The schools that start by messing you over with dicey, illegal contracts are generally not warm and fuzzy places to work. If you want to "lay down" with these people, then you're in for some nastiness.

[curiousaboutkorea]

Wow. Stay away. I agree, ttompatz was being generous in not calling her a liar. Don't work for that place.

[cherrytree3003]

Thanks for the quick responses!! Well, luckily for me the position is no longer available but I was going to reject it anyway on the basis of these shady clauses. I'm going to hold out for a non-exploitative contract (if that exists!!).

[NYC_Gal]

Every employers pays into and has their company match the pension. If you're a citizen of certain countries, you get what you and your employer paid into the pension when you leave Korea for good.

Some schools do require 3 months of deposit, but I'd shy away from them unless you're working for a public school system where this is the norm.

If you're from the US, you don't have to pay taxes for 2 years. Maybe this is the case for other nations as well. I'm not sure. Tax rates depend on how much you make, and I think that foreigners get only a percentage taxed anyway.

DON'T work there!

[ttompatz]

[danxtptrnrth]

amen tom