Korean Job Discussion Forums

[is so delicious]

With about a month left on my contract I started looking into flights, and they were more expensive than I remember. Apparently that's because it's summer vacation here in Korea.

I found a flight back to New York for 1,350,000, which was actually a steal compared to the rest of the available tickets (though a pity I didn't look into this sooner and grab one of those 600,000 tickets). My manager comes out with the 'we only pay 1,000,000 as flight reimbursement.

I actually see where they're coming from... 1,350,000 is more than I thought it would be as well. The thing is, though, that it doesn't say anything about a million WON on my contract. It simply and clearly says I will be reimbursed for my flight home upon completing my contract (without mentioning any numbers)- which happened today, so I'm no longer afraid of stirring $hit up and getting fired without my bonus.

My company's been okay to me. Not great, and a bit distant and disorganized, but pretty honest. They are a huge after-school company with plenty in petty funds, I would imagine. I probably won't go to the labor board and set court dates and cause some big mutual headache over 350,000W, but the contract seems pretty clear, so I'm just wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences or has any advice for how to get that cash.

[Troglodyte]

If they have been honest with you so far, then appeal to their honesty. Point out that you don't control the cost of the tickets and that you are supposed to get a ticket home or reimbursement of the cost of one.

If they say that tickets only cost 1 million Won, then ask them (politely) if they could just directly buy you the ticket.

[is so delicious]

Yeah... the trouble is I already bought the ticket, and that was after searching high and low for the cheapest possible flight.

Maybe "honest" is too strong a word. I basically meant not specifically dishonest. I mean... they've paid on time every month. That's about it. I really have next to no relationship with them... they're kind of all over the place in that regard and I have literally no relationship with my immediate manager/sometimes antichrist, I mean co-teacher, and I'm never sure who to report to.

Anyway... thanks.

[northway]

Since when are teachers put in charge of finding their own plane tickets?

[kprrok]

[northway]

[blonde researcher]

Usually in contracts it says that the employer will provide an airticket home. NOT that the employer will pay for a ticket that the employee has already purchased and decided that should be paid in full for.
No employer has to accept and pay for a ticket you decided on.
Often employers buy cheaper tickets through Korean agencies and can do deals cheaper than we can get on tthe internet.
Did you ask him to buy your ticket first or just decide to get your own best deal?
You risk stirring up problems at the very end of your contract and getting a poor reference if you come back to Korea.

The provision of airfares is not even in the employment law so you cannot take this to the labor court. Airtickets and funding in and out of Korea is part of the immigration sponsorship of an employer, so it is the directors choice.

For 350 000 won is it worth a fight and ill feelings ?

[is so delicious]

[WadRUG'naDoo]

In that case, they should pay for the whole thing. There was no million-won stipulation in the contract. Flight home. Period.

You could let is slide or demand it. It's up to you.

[is so delicious]

Yeah, I wonder what they'll do if I DEMAND it, though. Probably won't budge. And I'm leaving on Monday, so I don't really have time to court.

Sigh. This place really is a drag sometimes.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Steve_Rogers2008]

the OP could just walk into the office of whoever made up this 1 million won ruse, and point to the page in the contract, repeatedly pointing at it.

nothin' like a scene of a potential irate and insane foreigner to get what ya want in a school...

[Troglodyte]

I don't think that they'd be obligated to buy him any ticket that he wanted. If he'd discussed it with them before buying the ticket and asked them if they could find something cheaper and the couldn't then he's probably be entitled to the 1.3 million Won reimbursement.

As it is, if he DID make a scene, they might check it out and find that a cheaper ticket is available and tell him that he's only being reimbursed the value of the cheapest possible ticket i.e. 800,000 Won.

[ontheway]

Both parties in this case failed to plan ahead. Tickets this time of year are more expensive, so both parties should have started looking sooner and booked further in advance at a cheaper price. Now, neither party wants to bear the cost of this failure to plan.

Ultimately, the contract makes the school responsible for this mistake, but the school has balked at its responsibility to pay. It may not be worth the fight, but I wouldn't just surrender $300 either.

The school should pay the whole cost (unless there is some price limitation in the contract). 1,350,000 won isn't that bad for a ticket to NYC anyway.

There is another possibility. The OP could have looked for cheaper tickets for alternative and later dates before buying the ticket. If such tickets are available then the school has legitimate grounds to only pay the cost of an alternative flight on a different date that is near to the current departure date.

This is a good example of why, even when the contract is clearly in your favor, it is a good idea to help out the other party. It's easier to share a win/win situation than one in which failure to plan requires one or both parties to come out a loser.

[Woominlee2]