Korean Job Discussion Forums

[derbot]

Hi folks,

I was told yesterday by a fellow EPIK teacher that if I renew my contract at the school I'm in it means I won't receive a contract completion bonus until the end of the next contract. Is this true. I'm kinda banking on this bonus. It doesn't mention anything like that in my contract.

[decolyon]

Yep, it's true. The standard contract language used to read like "upon completion of contract a bonus equal to the average of the most recent 3 months salary shall be awarded to the employee. If employee signs a new contract with the school, the bonus shall be awarded at the end of a future contract unless otherwise noted."

Long and short of it is, yeah, they will only give it when you finish your contract and don't sign another. Also, you realize you only get one bonus per school right? If you contract another right after, at the end you don't get two bonuses, just the one. It doesn't matter if you continue to resign for a decade. Once it's all over, you still just get the one month bonus.

This is a stupid rule because it encourages people that want to be here more than one year to change schools every time they contract. I mean, who wouldn't want to? Working conditions and responsibilities are basically the same across the board, but change school and you get paid more. haha. I've been doing this since I got here. Luckily the school I worked for for 2 years changed owners at the end of my first term and the new owner wanted new contracts with the new name. Thus, while I worked in the same building, I didn't work for the same school. Whole 'nother bonus check. Bam!

[wesharris]

The pay you're speaking of isn't a bonus guys, it's your Severance pay.
It's a payment after you finish working ,equal to the last 3 months of salary, divided by three. MULTIPLIED by the number of years worked. If you work at a school for 10 years, your last bit of pay would be roughly 10 times the average of the last three months.

[derbot]

Well that's a bit of small print if ever I've seen it. But you've both given me contradictory answers on how this severance pay accumulates.

I can't believe this. I've just renewed my contract and booked my holidays being under the impression that I would be getting an extra months wage.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Ramen]

they have to give it to you if you ask for it.

i always get mine.

[derbot]

I suppose I shouldn't complain until it's confirmed. Thanks for all the feedback though.

[Fox]

[thatwhitegirl]

We've been at the same public school for the past 3 years, and every year we receive our severance pay. It's usually paid on or around payday (after you get back). Never heard of anyone not getting it every year. Ask them for it. Make sure you ask them when you'll get your airfare money/refund and the severance pay.

[derbot]

Ok, I'm gonna have to raise this issue again. I hope you can help. I should have said this earlier but myself and three others were offered a unique six month EPIK contract with "all" the benefits of a 12 month contract including

"Severance pay (equivalent to approx. one month salary) upon completion of contract".

That is a quote from the original email offer from my recruiter. The contract itself states that

"The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the standard formula set out by the Ministry of Labor (equivalent to approximately one month's salary), upon successful completion of the duties for the entire Term of Employment set out after the Renewal Contract."

The latest correspondence between myself and my recruiter had the following
The italics are the questions asked by another of the 6 month contractees and the bold is the response from the recruiter.

Am I paid the one month salary contract completion bonus? There is something in my original contract about it but the details are very unclear and can be interpreted either way. Part of the reason I took this job was because in an email from Footprints, and I quote: Severance pay (equivalent to approx. one month salary) upon completion of contract

� Six month contracts basically don�t exist in Korea, so most terminology is based on the assumption that a �contract� is for one full year. You�re in a pretty unique situation and the contract given to you was a slightly modified version of a one year contract- unfortunately it sounds like some things might have been overlooked as many incentives offered at the completion of a contract refer to completing a full year.

� Severance pay is given when a teacher finishes a one year contract by Korean law. The contract you have signed is only for six months which there is no severance payment. However you will get 1,300,000won of exit allowance (for a flight) at the completion of the six month contract.


2. I am being told that I don't get a renewal bonus if I renew my contract for one year. My previous contract stated that on renewal with the same school I get the entrance allowance for my new contract, 2 weeks paid vacation in addition to vacation already provided and a renewal bonus of 2,000,000 won. Is this not the case anymore?

� If you re-signed the contract, you will get the renewal allowance which is 1,300,000won. And you are visiting your home country, you will get entrance allowance again but you will not get exit allowance. You will get exit allowance when you finally finish and complete your contract


What do you guys think? Am i entitled or not?

[Illysook]

If you can stand the delayed gratification of it all, you will get 2 months pay when you finish contract number 2.

[derbot]

Are you sure? That doesn't seem to be what the response from the recruiter is saying.

[TheUrbanMyth]

You get one month's pay when you finish one year under Korean law.

If you work less than one year you don't.

So you will get one month's pay at the end of the second contract...with one exception

Here's the exception. If you are continuing on at your place of employment and do NOT collect your severance it becomes pro-rated. Therefore if you worked for say 18 months and THEN collected your severance it would be 1.5 months of salary.

So you won't get the full month for the second contract but you MAY be entitled to 1/2 of a full month's salary. I'd look into that if I were you.

[jrwhite82]

You will not get a dime of severance if you finish your 6 months and quit or don't resign.

Unfortunately, Footprints sort of misled you in saying you get a month salary. That was obviously copied and pasted from another offering. On the other hand, it did say in the contract that severance is in accordance with Korean Labor Law. And the law states that you need to work a full year to earn severance. That information is readily available on these forums. But I feel sorry that you were misled (by accident most likely).

If you finish another year at the school they will be required to pay you 1.5 months salary (at the average last 3 months wage). Which is pretty sweet.

Any teacher can do this. If you stay for two years, you can opt to have your severance witheld and paid at the end. The advantage is that you get 2x the mean of your last three months salary. So if for example you made 2.0 a month the first year and 2.1 the second, your severance would be 4.2 (2.1+2.1) instead of 4.1 (2.1+2.0). However, the disadvantage is the risk of not getting anything if ____ hits the fan for what ever reason. Also, consider the adage a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Take the money!

But to the OP, if you are doing another year at the same school, you'll get your money eventually (for 18 months). But you're going to have to wait. Sorry man!

[jonpurdy]

Renewal bonus: 2,000,000 to cover a round trip ticket back home. You get this immediately after you return.

Severance: approx. equal to one month's pay. School can pay when you renew or combine multiple years into one big one at the end.

So you will get at least 2,000,000, possible 2M plus severance.