Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BigJ]

Anyone currently or formerly employed at one of these two schools? I am aware that they are owned by the same person. The offers and sample contracts look pretty good to me but I need some more information before I am convinced. Specifically did the employer pay their fair share into the national pension and the national health plan? What about tax rate? It's listed at 3.3% which raises some concerns since it should be lower and could be used as reason not to pay into pension and health care.

Thanks.

[SeoulNate]

If tax is listed as 3.3% then they are trying to register you as an independent contractor.

Schools might be decent to work for, I dont know, but I would require that they change the tax rate and add pension and healthcare to the contract before I touched it.

[Big Mac]

I worked for a Reading Town that gave me a very difficult time with pension and medical insurance. I also discovered later that they deducted money for taxes, but never paid it.

This was six years ago though, and from what I hear they changed their ways after their fight with me. Different branches are owned by different people with different practices as well.

[BigJ]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have yet to find anything negative posted anywhere about either schools at this location. This is usually a good thing. Both contracts state clearly that we will be provided both pension and NHIC medical plan, 50% paid by the school. The tax rate, however, remains at 3.3% despite my best efforts. I have looked at numerous other contracts and this remains the best one that i have seen. I am thinking of accepting it as long as they are legally bound by the contract itself and won't try and use the tax rate as a means to argue that they are not required to pay pension and medical costs. After all the contract legally binds us, right?

[Big Mac]

My contract mentioned medical insurance, but when I got there they refused to give us the national insurance as stated in the contract, but wanted to offer private insurance instead. It never mentioned anything about pension. Vacation days were in the contract but they wanted to give us money instead of vacation.

So, just because it's in the contract doesn't mean it's binding. Koreans often like to look at contracts as simply the beginning of a working relationship and think that they can change things as they go. Not all employers do that though.

[FaceFaceFace]

So, just to bump this a little, did you end up accepting the position??

I have been offered a similar position also and am curious to know what you decided??

Thanks.

[ssuprnova]

Avalon = RUN!