Korean Job Discussion Forums

kingssurfer · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

I have had a very good experience with my after school program so far. I won an award at the teacher seminar, and probably really pleased the co, since i had a significant rise in student numbers. They also asked me to renew, which I plan on doing.

However, I signed a 13 month contract with my company, and am wondering what the deal is with the 13 month contract.

Funny thing is, is that I have a 1 year contract with the public school i work in.

At the time I signed the contract, I was very suspicious, but did not question it. It also seemed like this job would be heaven compared to hagwon hell, and so far it has been.

When my recruiting manager came to my school to talk about renewing my contract, he said I had a 13 month contract, and the co would have to change some things.

With that being said, why did they want me to sign a 13 month contract? I can understand they need time to find people, if a teachers leaves, but i am very suspicious.

I have already been screwed before, and I don't want it to happen again.

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

It may be that they are taking advantage of the recent introduction of 13-month E2 visas which were to solve the problem of people's E2s expiring before contracts expired. However, where that leaves you with things like getting severance pay after 12 months or transfering to another school, I don't know. If you're unhappy with signing a 13 month contract, just ask them to change the dates to a 12-month one?

yoja · Joined: 30 May 2008

When does your contract end?

It could be that the school is just thinking ahead (unlikely, but possible)...

If, for example, your contract ends in January, they could ask you to sign a 13-month contract so that it will end at the end of the school year.

Or maybe someone just made a mistake. My school usually just changes the name and prints out the exact same contract they've used for the last 5 years, and it always has some typos that they forgot to change.

Did you ask the school why they wanted a 13-month contract?

Anyway, a 13-month contract won't allow them to screw you over any more than a 12-month contract, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

thegadfly · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Maybe they want to pay an extra month's severance at the end -- don't let them give you that extra money! They're all crooks!

Oh wait, that doesn't work in this case...hrm...maybe it is as has been said, that they are just planning ahead. Besides the end of semester scenario, another case could be that two teachers entered/left at the same time, and having two spaces come open together may stress the school...and so having the positions open a month apart may reduce that problem...in either case, planning ahead, which is always a good sign, in my opinion....

Skippy · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon

I thought the extra month was not for working but more for getting your business in order and getting out. Maybe the school is trying to cover it bases legally and even maybe get a little bit extra work out of ya by doing the extra month. As people are saying - ask! Still I think some laws like severance and that will still count if you finish 12 months.

Maybe this can be the start of 12 month firings.

Also check with immigration about this. I think immi will do 6 month, 1 year and 2 year contracts but not in between things. Extensions yes but a 13 month contract?

kingssurfer · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

j20kim · Joined: 08 May 2009

sorry to change the subject here.

kingssurfer, how many lessons do you need to prepare each week? do you have only one set of students to whom you teach a new lesson for every class?

koreatimes · Joined: 07 Jun 2011

So, next it will be 14 months. What is to say people won't wait 1 month longer to get their paperwork? This is simply an exercise in testing the limits.

kingssurfer · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

teacherinseoul · Joined: 18 May 2008

The short answer: they are not nice people.

Ask yourself, "Why did the government extend E2 visas to 13 months?"
- to give time to settle matters before leaving the country (maybe even search for a new job)

Your payday is probably on the 10th of each month, so they may hold your last month's salary (and severance) until you've left the country, hoping that you'll just give up on its collection. It has been done (to me). I didn't give up. Many people don't know that immigration will usually tag an extra month onto the visa, if you ask (they did this in the past for 12 month contracts).