Korean Job Discussion Forums

[openning]

Hey there,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this school. I have a contract offer from them. I've skype chatted with the director, and he seems okay, although his English is... shall we say less than stellar. I asked for the email address of one of his foreign teachers and he gave me the email address of one of his Korean teachers. They answered my questions fairly well, and seemed to be content, but it kind of worries me that he didn't give me the contact info for one of his Native English teachers. But perhaps he didn't understand me. I've asked again, the job sounds okay, and it's in an area I would love to be in. But well, thought I'd ask here as well.

Thanks!

[EZE]

[openning]

Yeah, I found that one too... but it's 4 years old, so I have no idea if it's still relevant. I also found another one that was a glowing review, but they described it as a religious school, and when I spoke with him on skype he said it wasn't religious. So I'm really not sure.

As far as what they are offering me, they haven't offered me anything yet, they asked me what I wanted, and then sent me a contract. But the date on the contract was wrong, so it's not useable anyway. I told them I wanted 2.3, and he didn't seem upset.

Oh, and I didn't speak with him, he's actually never told me his name, he sent me an email, and didn't sign his name, and then we chatted (not spoke) on skype and he never said his name. All of this leaves me quite wary, but the korean teacher who responded to my email was quite happy (and obviously not the person I chatted with on skype because their english was much better).

Anyway... that's rant over. Anyone have any actual experience working for them?

[EZE]

While they could possibly be hiring for multiple positions, I'm sort of getting a gut feeling they're sending contracts to several people for the same position.

He wanted me to mail off my documents, but I want to talk with him again to find out exactly how many positions they're hiring for before I mail off my long awaited and much cherished apostilled FBI CBC. If I only rate 2.1, maybe I'd be one of the odd ones out and end up SOL on my documents.

[openning]

Well... I think something fishy is going on with them... I have emailed them twice now (over the past 2 days) asking for a western teacher's email address, and have tried several times to call over skype and they aren't responding. Ah well...

Edited to add: Literally 10 minutes after I posted this he contacted me via skype, and gave me the address for a foreign teacher so... maybe it's all good.

[openning]

[EZE]

Congratulations and best of luck.

Here's a cut and paste of the contract he sent to me. If there's anything in mine that's better than yours, maybe you can renegotiate for something better. Since your salary is 200,000 more than he offered me, you probably already have a much better contract than mine was.

Employment Contract

Terms and Conditions:
1. Job Description:

The �employee� will work for the �employer� as an English Instructor.
The �employee� will do as follows �
a. Implementing curriculum given by the school.
b. Building the curriculum
b. Finding and using materials and resources to teach the better curriculum :
 The �employer� has a copyright about materials and resources which the �employee� produces during period of employment.
 The �employer� doesn�t have a copyright about materials which was made by the �employee� who made it in previous school.
c. Grading and evaluation of students
d. Attendance at teacher�s meetings and workshops
e. Other activities directly related to teaching
f. Monthly student management meetings with supervisor.
g. Participating in school events with no pay : meetings, sports day, open class, graduation, ceremony, teachers� education, workshops, contests(essay, speech), evaluations and parents� meeting
h. Prepare daily, weekly and monthly plans which should be handed into supervisor at the appropriate date.
i. Recording the tape for listening materials
j. teaching the class
k. If other teacher can�t do his(or her) job, the employee has to do his(or her) job within the employee�s working time.
l. writing the text for the students within the employee�s working time
m. cooperate to take the pictures and movies during the class


2. Place of Employment:
The �employee� will work for the �employer� at the following address:

KingsKids English School
Robert Kim (here after referred to as the �employer�)
(138-160) 147, Garak-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea

3. Period of Employment
The period of employment will begin on august 6th 2012 and end on august 5th, 2013.

4. Regular Hours of Employment and Salary:
As a full time instructor, the �employee� will work Monday to Friday (excluding Saturday and Sunday) for a total of 40 hours a week(9am ~ 5pm). 30 hours will be devoted to teaching while the remaining 10 hours will be used as preparation time. All classes exceeding 30 hours per week will be considered OVERTIME, and will be paid with the properly issued overtime salary of 20,000won/hour.
The base salary paid for regular hours of employment will be 2.1 million won per month. The salary will be paid to the �employee� once per month. And it will be paid every 10th next month. The payment will include services rendered from the first day to the last day of the previous calendar month.

5. Income Tax
Income Tax will be deducted from the monthly salary according to the Korean Tax Law.

6. Health Insurance & National Pension Plan
The �employer� will provide the �employee� with the National Health Insurance in accordance with Korean Law. According to Korean Law, the �employer� and the �employee� will each share 50% of the cost of the National Health Insurance. Every �employee� will also be provided with the National Pension Plan. The �employee� and the �employer� will each contribute 4.5% of the �employee�s� salary into the plan.

7. Housing
A single studio apartment is offered to the �employee.� The �employer� will be responsible for the key money and rent and will provide the following furnishings for the apartment: a bed and comforter, a gas hotplate, a kitchen table and chairs, a refrigerator, an air conditioner and for the living room, kitchen utensils, a washing machine and a clothes rack. The �employee� is expected to acquire all other essentials related to the apartment. The �employee� is expected to pay for management fee, maintenance, utilities, internet, and telephone expenses (including the installation fee) from the date the �employee� enters the apartment to the date the �employee� vacates. The �employer� can deposit every 100,000KRW/month for 4 months.

If the �employee� chooses to find housing on his/her own, a minimum of three months notice is required. A housing allowance of W450,000/month which is taxed will then be added to the salary.

The furniture provided to the �employee� is clean and nice, and must be returned in the same condition on the last day of this contract. In return the �employee� agrees to respect and care for the apartment.

8. Air Ticket
If the �employee� will work until on august 5th, 2013, the employer assist the one way air ticket(from incheon in Korea to the usa) of the employee. If the employee will retire within February 5th, 2013(within 6 months), the employee has to refund the fee of one way air ticket.

9. Severance Pay
If the �employee� will work until August 5th, 2013, the �employee� will receive 2.1 million won as severance pay. Besides, If the �employee� will work until February 28th, 2014, the �employee� will receive 1.23 million won more.

10. Holidays
In accordance with the Korean Labor Law, the �employee� will be paid for all statutory holidays:

a. Sundays
b. All public Korean holidays

11. Vacation
a. There are two vacations per one year. (summer season and winter season)
b. Each vacation is one week.
c. The exact dates will be determined at the �employer�s� convenience. No deduction will be made to the regular monthly salary during the vacation days. The unused vacation days will be paid as compensation at the end of this contract.

12. Absence Deduction
a. In the event the �employee� is sick and unable to work, the �employee�s� has the responsibility to notify the school in a timely fashion and ensure that the message is communicated effectively.
b. If an �employee� fails to come to work, it will be considered a breach of contract/unexcused absence and 115,000 won will be deducted from the �employee�s� pay for each not worked. If an �employee� fails to come to work for half of one day, it will be considered a breach of contract/unexcused absence and 70,000 won will be deducted from the �employee�s� pay for each each not worked.
c. Long term or severe illnesses will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and may end as a cancellation of the contract.

13. Sick Days
a. The �emplayee� can have the two sick days per one year without deduction.
b. In the event the �employee� is sick and unable to work, it is the �employee�s� responsibility to notify the school in a timely fashion and ensure that the message is communicated effectively.
c. The �employee� must also provide a doctor�s note from a hospital that clearly states,
i. the doctor�s contact information, including name, address and phone number,
ii. the date the note was generated,
iii. the name of the patient involved, and
iv. certification of medical consultation that indicates the nature and severity of the illness as well as how the patient was advised by the doctor.
d. If an �employee� fails to come to work without proper medical documentation, it will be considered a breach of contract/unexcused absence and 30,000 won will be deducted from the �employee�s� pay for each no working hour (or 115,000won will be deducted from the �employee�s� pay for each day).


14. Rights and Responsibilities
Both the �employer� and the �employee� are to be considered professionals and as such will treat each other with mutual respect and dignity. However, since the �employee� is working under the contract for the �employer,� the �employee� will make every effort to follow the direction, training and supervision of the �employer.� The �employee� will also carry out the teaching assignments given by the �employer� in a cooperative and professional manner.

15. Dismissal
The �employer� may immediately dismiss the �employee� from employment under the following conditions, which include but are not limited to:
a. Violation of the laws of the Republic of South Korea
b. Teaching classes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
c. False information provided during the interview process
d. No keeping time(Being late or closing early) for work or class on a repeated basis
e. Repeated failures to follow the teaching guidelines and school policies
f. Absence from work without valid reason
g. Behaving in a manner that compromises the integrity of the workplace environment including bullying, intimidation, refusal to cooperate, threats of or acts of physical violence and sexual harassment, backbiting.
h. Failure to comply with any of the standards as set out in this contract.

16. Changes to Contract
There will be no changes or additions to this contract without the written consent and approval of both parties. Any changes made must be in writing and signed by both parties to be included in this contract. Any changes made to this contract, whether verbal or other, without the knowledge and written consent of both parties are to be considered invalid, and as such are not part of this contract.

Date : July 12, 2012


Employer : _______________________________
Robert Kim
KingsKids English School


Employee : _______________________________
Teacher�s Name

[openning]

Well, that's the exact same contract he sent me. Have you gotten another job?

Oh, and he didn't offer me 2.3, he asked me what I wanted...

[EZE]

I received my FBI CBC the other day and have been doing interviews with schools in Korea and China over the past couple of nights. I won't be mailing my documents to Robert.

[wonkavite62]

I have already sent you a private message I think. But the one I am sending now is for general consumption.
Nowadays I like to get feedback from a Western teacher at any school I apply for. If it were me, then I would insist on getting the feedback, or you will not come. If you think that the director really didn't understand you, then you need to put your request in writing. BUT I think he was being disingenuous in putting you in touch with a Korean teacher. I think the boss has recently fired his Western teacher, possibly after 6 months and took the airfare out of his or her salary. Or else the Western teachers are miserable. Believe me, this still happens.
There are also issues here. Your contract seems to state that you have to design the curriculum from scratch, and it's a bit much. You are also required to do unpaid over time. It might be too much work.
In my last 2 jobs in China, I gotT DETAILED feedback from Westerners there.Ask the recruiter to find you another job.

[EZE]

This is an example of why it's important to get at least one or two extra copies of the criminal background check.

[mistermasan]

as of july 26 he is still looking for a teacher!

[iggyb]

If it takes a little while for him to give you an email address to another foreign teacher, you should have yellow lights flashing.

This is not an uncommon request. Anybody who does any kind of research about the industry knows you have to contact a current worker. They should have been able to put you in touch with someone quickly.

The delay isn't a big flashing red light. In fact, sometimes the truly dishonest and horrible schools will have a foreign on staff they will give more pay and better schedule and benefits just to handle contact with potential teachers so they can say good things about the hakwon. -- And they would have been able to give you a contact email right away.

Still, a delay in giving an email is a cause of concern.

Regardless, you should always get a phone number to call - either from the director or better from the foreign teacher directly after you get an email address.

You can't trust a truly terrible hakwon won't fake an email exchange.

You should also always get the first teacher they put you in touch with to give you an email address for another teacher there (if they have more than 1 expat on staff).

Also, the Korean teachers are unlikely to say anything bad about a school. They face a rougher and more precarious situation than the expats.

[openning]

Well, he did finally give me an email address for a foreign teacher, but she never replied. I asked him several times to ask her to reply, but she didn't... I took another job.

[iggyb]

Good move. Definately warning signs worth heeding...