Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ryn]

my girlfriend and i are seriously considering working with kjc in the hwamyeong district of busan. we would love to get some feedback...please help us out. thanks.

[garykasparov]

[wylies99]

I have friends who have worked for KJC and it's a bad chain. Expect all kinds of extra UNPAID work and a battle over every benefit in your contract.

[ryn]

wylies99...how many of your friends worked for kjc? what branch locations did they work at? the more details the better. thanks again.

[wylies99]

Are you in Korea? Why not go for a public school job?

[The Hammer]

Are you in America? Why not go for a food service job?

[wylies99]

Why work at a hagwon chain when anyone with a legit diploma can do better?

[ryn]

do better....how so?

i'd rather not be teaching in a public school as there will be 30+/- kids in the classrom.

also specific issues with kjc would be good.

[SOOHWA101]

[ryn]

hi sconner,

i can't pm you back because i'm newbie.

first off thanks for the reply. which kjc branch do you work for? i've spoken to a few teachers at the hwamyeong branch where i'd be working and they said aside from a bit of disorganization everything is good. u said the contract wasn't good? can you specifically tell me what in the contract needs to be adjusted in you opinion? thanks again!

[garykasparov]

Did you get answers to a majority of the questions below when you talked to the teachers?

Working Hours

( 1 ) What time does your workday begin and end?
( 2 ) When do you start preparing for classes and how long do you prepare for them?
( 3 ) How long are the breaks and does your employer allow you to use them freely?
( 4 ) How many classes do you teach per week?
( 5 ) How long do you teach per class?
( 6 ) How many students do you teach per class?
( 7 ) How many students attend the school?
( 8 ) How many teachers, foreign and Korean, work at the school?

Wages/Overtime

( 1 ) Does your employer always pay the teachers on time?
( 2 ) Does your employer pay overtime wages or avoid paying them?
( 3 ) Does your employer pay in cash or by electronic deposit?

Payslips/Pay receipts

( 1 ) Does your employer provide teachers a pay receipt that clearly defines deductions from your monthly salary for (1) pension (2) income tax (3) health insurance?

Health Insurance

( 1 ) Has your employer provided you with a health insurance card?
( 2 ) Does your employer pay contributions for both parties to the National Health Insurance Corporation?

Pension

( 1 ) Does your employer pay into the Korean Pension Plan?

Income Taxes

( 1 ) Does your employer deduct the correct amount for income taxes from the teacher's monthly salary?
( 2 ) Does your employer pay deductions from your monthly salary for income taxes to the tax office?

Severance Pay

( 1 ) Does your employer always pay teachers their severance prior to/upon completion of their contract?

Living Conditions

( 1 ) Was your apartment clean upon arrival?
( 2 ) Were you provided with all the furnishings as stated in your contract?
( 3 ) Were the furnishings/appliances in working order when you moved into your apartment?
( 4 ) Are the bills in your name or your employer's name?

Paid Annual Leave

( 1 ) When and how do you use your paid annual leave?

Dismissal

( 1 ) Does your employer have a reputation of firing teachers for the sole purpose of not paying them last month�s wages, airfare and severance pay?

Financial/Discipline

( 1 ) Is the school in financial trouble?
( 2 ) What discipline methods does your employer use towards the students?

[wylies99]

That KJC contract is a BAD contract. First, you can get more money for teaching closer to Seoul. That's a lot of hours for pay that low.

Quote:
2) The following furnishings are provided: bed and sheets, wardrobe, table, chair, sofa, VCR, TV, fan, refrigerator, gas range, washing machine, basic cooking facilities and utensils, and basic cleaning tools.


That's a FAN, not an air conditioner. VERY bad. It gets HOT in Korea.

Quote:
In such a case as the Employee does not carry out the responsibilities stipulated in the contract.
9)In case of failure to adhere to the above articles, the Employer shall notify to the Employee the cancellation of the contract in written form 15 days prior. The plane ticket and the severance payment shall not be given to the Employer.


What does this mean? if you are late by 5 minutes one time or have a cold and you're fired? Wow, that's bad.

Quote:
6) If the Employee previously owns a place to subsist, the Employee should be paid \ 200,000 Korean Won for the housing allowance with salary on the pay day.

200,000? That's a JOKE in Korea.

[bassexpander]

In my opinion, teaching 30 students in a public school, where I could easily send the homeroom teacher after them, is far easier than teaching 15 in a hagwon, where the kids are tired/cranky from being in public school all day, and I am not really allowed to discipline much.

How's that for summing it up in an ugly and long sentence?

[Kwangjuchicken]

[jobot]

just received a job offer from a kjc school in busan...anyone worked with them before or know anything about the school?