Korean Job Discussion Forums

[drama_addict]

I'm posting this question for a friend who doesn't have an account with Dave's and because I'll be dealing with the same situation a year from now.

Do SMOE Teachers receive their severance with their last paycheck, or do you need to wait 30 days after your contract expires? I worked with EPIK in Busan and had to wait 30 days (I just waited until I returned to Korea with SMOE and got the money).

My friend's contract with SMOE ends the 24th and she's leaving the 27th. She never wants to come back to Korea after she leaves.

Should we just have her school deposit the money into my account, and then I wire it to her, or will SMOE pay severance with the last paycheck on the 24th?

Thank you in advance for those who respond...

[mmstyle]

Per information given to some teachers leaving SMOE at the end of this semester (I am not leaving, but use another website that sometimes gives info for SMOErs like myself) teachers who are leaving should not expect to be paid severance in the final paycheck. That will be paid out a few weeks after the contract has finished.

No info on whether it will be paid into a teacher's account in their home country or here.

[drama_addict]

Yeah, we were worried that'd be the case.

It amazes me how Koreans think that's okay. Why pay someone a month after their contract expires, and after they've already left the country? They expect you to keep your account open after you leave Korea?


Ah well. Chalk this up as another "Welcome To Korea!".

[OculisOrbis]

They can pay anything up to 3 weeks late before you can make a claim at labor board - this also applies to monies owed at the end of your employment. They can take up to three weeks after your contract is completed to give it to you without any worry on their part.

Why not keep your account in korea open? If you have setup internet banking and online wire transfers you can wire it yo yourself when youre at home. Possibly even waiting until the exchange rate is suitable - if that ever happens. KEB is the best bank for foreigners BTW.

[Murakano]

apparently it`s upto the school. A friend of mine who is leaving this month is getting hers paid with her final paycheck on the 24th. We`ll see....

[Xuanzang]

Allegedly. I'm getting mine on Monday.

[brento1138]

Easy solution to this problem.

Set up a foreign remittance account with KEB. This type of account automatically transfers ANY money you have in it to your home country. You do not have to physically enter any bank, sign anything, nothing. The money automatically once deposited into this account, instantly is transferred to your bank in your home country.

Give that bank info to your school (bank account number). They will deposit that money to your KEB account, and two days later, it will arrive in your home country.

Problem solved.

[drama_addict]

[brento1138]

^ I don't see the problem of leaving a bank account open here in Korea. No need to close it, really. It won't have money in it, so no biggie. As for bills, I don't believe there's a problem if you owe money in Korea... haven't heard any tales of international bill collectors or problems with credit.

I think if you were to not pay off a bill here, that problem would remain in Korea, and only in Korea...

[mmstyle]

I've now heard that some (all?) SMOErs that are leaving at the end of this semester are being shorted one week of pay as well as housing allowance (if they take it) and SMOE is claiming that they were paid an extra week at the beginning of their first contract (which may have been paid at a lower rate, if they have worked more than one contract). Somehow, the fact that payday is 1 week before the end of the contract is being used to say that an extra week was paid (but if you worked form the 1st-30th/31st every month, this does not make sense).

Has anyone else heard this or been told this?

[winterfall]

[mmstyle]

Winterfall, I don't know when they were hired. At least one has been here for a while (4-5 years) and at least one other is completing a second contract.

Regarding housing allowance...I don't receive it, just noting what I heard. I'm guessing people receive it when they get paid.

I'm not sure what's going on, and want to find out more, because it will be relevant when I do leave. For my previous contracts, I was always paid around the 3rd week of each month, for the whole month. So, my first month, I received a full months pay, but the last month, I waited until the last day of the month, and was paid for that whole month. I am trying to figure out the SMOE logic (what they have given as explanation) because thus far it seems like they are scamming people (I would love to be wrong about that, though) out of some of their pay.

[crsandus]

[mmstyle]