Korean Job Discussion Forums

[northway]

My school is moving another teacher and I to new apartments in a different area. They're doing this, they say, because they want their teachers to have better apartments and all be in the same area. The apartments are definitely better, and the area is more ideal, so I'm definitely not complaining about the move. I know for a fact that these new apartments cost the same amount as our old apartments did.

The issue with this is that they're asking us to take on all the costs associated with moving. I'm being asked for 33,000 to get my old gas turned off and my new gas turned on, plus another 30,000 to move their furniture. Considering that they just signed year leases on these two properties and neither myself nor the other teacher signed past the end of March, it seems a bit ridiculous that we should pay for stuff out of pocket that will just end up saving either the school or a new teacher money when they move them into my former apartment upon my departure, particularly for paying a gas activation fee in the school's name.

What is standard procedure for this? Everyone else I know seems to have always had everything covered.

[ttompatz]

Let me understand.

You are being asked to pay for about 100k (total costs) in a relocation to nicer apartment?

You have about 7 months left in your contract?

You feel somehow that the costs associated with this move should be born by the school?

You didn't pay any of the hookup / move-in costs for the previous apartment?

I assume you do not go out on the weekend, never drink and scrounge your cash like Scrooge?

Really, the cost of the move is less than what you would spend on a Saturday night out at the bar. With all the problems that could potentially arise from complaining about this, do you really want to make this your issue to fight over?

Oh, and there is no standard - it is a contractual matter and if it is not discussed in your contract then it is what ever you can negotiate.

Personally, I wouldn't kick up much fuss over it but I am not you and the 60-100k won is going to come out of your pocket and not mine.

Just my humble opinion.

.

[Oliver]

Pay the money. It's not a lot.

Considering the trouble they went to to find their teachers a better living space and area. They didn't have to do that.

You'd rather stay where you are now than pay all of, what is it, 30 pounds, to live somewhere better?

Oh yeah, and they pay your rent too remember.

[northway]

I'd prefer to split it and make up the difference if I re-sign. Year visa, I do half until late. There's no acrimony at my school, I can bring this up without issue, I wanted to know if there was a protocol (I realize it's not a legal issue, I wanted to know what most hagwons do).

[Troglodyte]

There is no protocol. It's up to you to decide on this one.

Personally, if I was moved from a crappy apartment to a better one, I'd just pay the fee. It's not much. If they were moving me to an apartment of equivalent quality, I'd say "no".

[northway]

Another issue is that two teachers have been moved previously and haven't had to pay the fee, which makes me significantly less inclined to pay it.