| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
tangofingers
Joined: 19 Aug 2010
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:36 am Post subject: Renewing contract- my entitlements |
 |
|
I would really appreciate some sage advice on whether to accept the offer I am being made by my company for renewing my contract in a few months. I know that I definitely want to continue working for them, I earn well, I like the places I teach at and where I live.
They're letting me fly back home to the UK for a couple of weeks in between contracts so that I can see my family before I come back for another year. They are not giving me any flight allowance (although the contract stipulates 1 mill is given at end of contract) and they are not giving me severance pay (again, in the contract as standard). But they want to give me a 100,000w p/m payrise at the start of my new contract and then pay me 2x lots of severance pay at the very end, when I leave Korea next year.
I am not arguing with them over this but they're making it sound like they're doing me a huge favour, and I've been told that the CEO has already made his mind up on this. However, my recruiter says that the flight allowance + severance pay is too much to give me all in one go (3.5 mill)- I reminded them that they'd be spending a lot more on a new teacher, PLUS the amount they'll have to shell out when I finally leave will be in the region of 6 million!
It's not because I'm greedy; actually I'd just prefer to stick to what's written in the contract because at least I know they're not going to try and do one. Any advice- what would you do? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Wiltern
Joined: 23 Sep 2009
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| So, you expect the hagwon to pay for your plane ticket to the UK now AND when you eventually leave? I would imagine the contract says they will do so at the end of the contract. Since you are continuing to work for them, you should pay to go home now because it's optional. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 4:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| They're letting me fly back home to the UK for a couple of weeks |
They are not your mother, they are not your father, they are NOT "letting" you do anything. You don't need their permission.
You are not 10 anymore. You are making your own decisions. You are deciding to fly home.
| Quote: |
| They are not giving me any flight allowance (although the contract stipulates 1 mill is given at end of contract) |
Flight allowance is for the 1 year contract. If you take on a 2nd year, then new variables enter the picture. For example, they could hire another teacher and pay a lower salary instead of giving you a higher salary to do the same job.
| Quote: |
| and they are not giving me severance pay |
That is when you "sever" your working relationship with the school. If you are renewing the contract, then you definitely aren't severing anything.
The good news is they should pay for every additional month now if you decide to quit earlier. You don't have to finish another 1 year contract. It is good they aren't paying, they should be wanting to reset the clock. So, this part gets my attention. I understand the airfare thing, but paying severance would help them in the long run.
| Quote: |
| flight allowance + severance pay is too much to give me all in one go (3.5 mill) |
And if you leave after 2 years, then it's flight + 1 severance + the 2nd severance (about 5.5 mill). If they are admitting they can't pay 3.5, then what makes you think they will pay 5.5, and this might be the reason why they don't want to pay severance. This might be why they want to keep you. Do you have many students at your school? If so, they have money. If not, this might be a good time to move on to another school.
| Quote: |
| I'd just prefer to stick to what's written in the contract |
Again, that contract you signed is relative to 1 year. When you add a 2nd year, you are entering into a new agreement with new rules. If you want to get your airfare and severance now based on the contract, find another school. Have they paid into pension? Find out.
It doesn't matter if you had a good year, it's better to move on. You could get your flight home paid, and then a new employer could pay for your flight back. And, you would have your severance.
The only thing you lose out on is the prorated severance aspect since the clock would reset. I would do that at a time you aren't going back to visit family and when you are going to continue a second year immediately. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Renewing contract- my entitlements |
|
|
| tangofingers wrote: |
I would really appreciate some sage advice on whether to accept the offer I am being made by my company for renewing my contract in a few months. I know that I definitely want to continue working for them, I earn well, I like the places I teach at and where I live.
They're letting me fly back home to the UK for a couple of weeks in between contracts so that I can see my family before I come back for another year. They are not giving me any flight allowance (although the contract stipulates 1 mill is given at end of contract) and they are not giving me severance pay (again, in the contract as standard). But they want to give me a 100,000w p/m payrise at the start of my new contract and then pay me 2x lots of severance pay at the very end, when I leave Korea next year.
|
This is legal (as regards the severance pay). In Korea you are paid severance not at the end of the contract but when you stop working for them. IF you sign a NEW contract then severance pay is rolled over into the next year.
When you finally finish working for them (no new contracts) that is when you are supposed to get severance pay. This is generally true of public schools and companies although most people working for hakwons try to get severance at the end of every year due to the greater unreliability of the private market.
As for the airfare I'd have to see the actual clause in the contract before commenting on that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tangofingers
Joined: 19 Aug 2010
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks everyone!
| Quote: |
| So, you expect the hagwon to pay for your plane ticket to the UK now AND when you eventually leave? |
Well- to be honest this was one thing I was unsure about. My contract doesn't mention what the deal is if I renew. I assumed that after completing a year I get a month's bonus/severance, regardless of whether or not I was ever working for them again! I don't know what the 'norm' is.
| Quote: |
| They are not your mother, they are not your father, they are NOT "letting" you do anything. You don't need their permission. |
Please don't read into my choice of words too much  Unpaid vacation is not a clause in my contract, so I do feel lucky. They could tell me to bugger off instead and find a new teacher- but they are organizing a cover teacher for me themselves- they could have even asked me to have done that bit of dirty work for them.
| Quote: |
| In Korea you are paid severance not at the end of the contract but when you stop working for them. |
Thank you for this insight. As I said to my recruiter, I look forward to receiving the 5.5million or so when I leave the country next year.
I don't work for a hagwon. It's a private company although I have heard that its supposed to be some division of the Government. There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of students; I know the company has the money but they HAVE tried to screw my friends over in the past.
I should ask them to revise the contract for me before I re-sign, right? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Unpaid vacation is not a clause in my contract, so I do feel lucky. |
It's not vacation. If you completed the contract, then you had that year to use your vacation days.
This is something different. This is you in between jobs. The fact you are going to return to the same job doesn't mean you are on vacation. Would you say you were on vacation if you were not going to the same school but another?
Vacation is a contractual matter written into contracts.
| Quote: |
| but they are organizing a cover teacher for me themselves- they could have even asked me to have done that bit of dirty work for them. |
It is not your responsibility to get them a teacher. You are mistaken.
| Quote: |
| It's a private company although I have heard that its supposed to be some division of the Government. There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of students; I know the company has the money but they HAVE tried to screw my friends over in the past. |
Then I would find another school, get what you can now.
| Quote: |
| I should ask them to revise the contract for me before I re-sign, right? |
That is a pretty open ended question. Revise what? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
Quit. Get your severance and fly back home using the allowance for the flight included in the original contract. Reapply to the same school after a month or two. Get the flight back to K-land or turn them down...IF they want you back.
You might come across a better job, but then again you might not. You lose a bit by signing on with them again because you're paying to mitigate risk. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
Ah, and I should add that you should NOT tell them that you think you have the option of playing it this way. You'll look like a greedy, caniving dork.
Tell them that you've decided to move back home because you have a sick grandma or want to get more schooling or something. Lie. After you've had a normal vacation, tell them that you've straightened out your business and would like another shot with them. You need the flight and the raise, though! Apply to other places, too. Who knows, you might get a better deal somewhere else. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
"Entitlements" (beyond what is required by law) are what you can negotiate and in an employer's market your value, unless there is something special about you (you bring in hundreds of extra students), isn't very high.
Salary increase and airfare plus holiday time is probably not in your future.
Time to look for a PS position and hope they all get funded next year.
. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
