Korean Job Discussion Forums

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

We had a great joke contract posted here before, but I'm wondering what are some of the sketchiest clauses in a real contract you've seen. I just got sent one whose highlights were:

-Months defined as periods with 20 class days, rather than those funny things on the calendar. Sounds like an attempt to screw you out of vacation pay.

-Tie and dress shirt are required. This isn't something I have a problem with, except there's kindy classes. No way I'm letting kids armed with crayons near any good clothes.

-No clause to not have to repay your airfare if you stay six months.

-If you quit you waive all back pay (sounds like an invitation to be paid late/not in full/not at all to me).

-There's a housing deposit that only get repaid 2 months AFTER you leave. Never going to see that money again.

-There's a no dating coworkers clause which unfortunately isn't funny since they're not hiring couples, laughed so hard when my friend and his gf signed a contract saying they couldn't have sex with each other Laughing

-The common stuff about being able to schedule classes anytime without notice and most of the rest of the standard hagwon boilerplate.

I'm wondering if there's any worse ones out there.

And this would be funny if I didn't really need a new job Sad

peppermint · Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 7:52 pm Post subject:

The twenty days per month thing is standard at adult schools. On the upside it means extra long weekends when every Korean is working once in a while.

Your comment on the airfare thing is funny too. It's illegal for them to ask you to repay the airfare or recruiters fees- ever.

A co-worker once rewrote a contract to include a pint of Hagen Dazs every week. (Checking to see how well the contract was read)

aussie col · Joined: 31 Jan 2004

How about the stupidest clause? Had one contract sent to me that said if you wanted to end the contract early you had to give them notice and stay until another teacher was found. Fair enough. But they would pay you 70% of your wage for that time.

Lets see. Your boss is screwing you and you are trying to decide wether to give notice and work at 70% pay or midnight run. To my mind that clause is just asking for midnight runners.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

Back in 98 I was offered a contract from a small university paying only 1.4, live on campus type deal. Turned it down.... Back in 98 I was making 1.6, and I thought going up to university would mean some better coin, but I guess not, in this case at least.

Dawn · Joined: 06 Mar 2004

Wasn't Woosong in Daejon, by any chance, was it?

They tried to recruit me in '97 by offering me less than I was making at a hagwon in the area for the same number of teaching hours (24) and larger classes. Then, they got offended when I didn't take it. Rolling Eyes

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

[email protected] · Joined: 06 Apr 2004

On the phone:

2 Million
Single Housing
etc...

When I got there (after lugging my suit case half way down the peninsula)

First thing he said was " You told me you were good looking" Shocked

Next we get to his "hakwon" Looked like the place was in use since the Korean War.
Then it got really interesting (But you have to picture all the while the director has this really obnoxius accent; having went to a uni in the Phillipines...OMG!) His offer is 1 mil for the first month, 1.5 mil for the second month, AND if I don't have any complaints from the students I get the agreed 2 mil a month retroactive Shocked

Without missing a beat he asks for my diploma and hands me a contract! Rolling Eyes

Needless to say I didn't hang around long enough to punch this idiot.

Epilogue: The place was so isolated I had to stay in a motel and wait for one of the twice daily departures on the train outta there! (And yes, I did contemplate burning down the hagwon)

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

I think the months defined as twenty days is a scam.

What my old hagwon did was pay per twenty day session. They also said they offered paid vacation.

The only problem is that you don't get paid vacation, as 12 X 20 day sessions leaves just enough time for national holidays and two weeks vacation.

oneiros · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Location: Villa Straylight

Worst contract offered: Fifty-five classes a week, shared housing, no sick days, no vacation, for the whopping salary of 1.8 million (this is with two years experience.)

My favourite silly contract clause: I am not allowed to date any of my students. My students are all elementary and middle-school aged. Did they really need to put that into the contract?

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

oneiros · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Location: Villa Straylight

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I came close to signing an 11 1/2 month contract.. meaning they don�t pay you severance (unless you agree to sign onto an additional 11 1/2 month contract).

However the deal also included that if you broke your contract for any reason, you would forfeit 1 million won to them of your last pay. Meaning if you sign on again, they�ll get you with that clause.

They advertised really funny as well.. one year contract with two weeks vacation.. its only when you read the contract you realize vacation is at the end of the year and because of that, there wasn�t severance. Real crooked.