Korean Job Discussion Forums

[daz1979]

Hi

I have been applying for many teaching positions throughout Korea and have recently received offers from several recruiters and one in particular from a privately owned H'won that caught my eye.

I have read a lot of nagativity on this board surrounding these privately owned schools and wondered if you could advise me on my contract offer before I consider signing it:

My main concerns are that:

I would be the only foreign teacher in the school besides the owner who is apparently an American who has worked and teached for 7 years in Korea, he will be my boss. Whilst I am overjoyed that he is there and he seems a particulary nice bloke (by e mail) I can't help but feel if he isn't there much when I arrive I would be the only foreign teacher. He says he wants to expand this year and bring more foreign teachers on board but does he really plan to expand with an inexperienced teacher in tow in an otherwise all Korean school? I find this a relitively strange business plan!! "right what were going to do is get a really inexperienced teacher in and build from there!!!" But is this how it is?

I have no experience of teaching besides a 20hr TEFL that I have yet to complete in June, and am therefore again concerned about being the only foreigner and having no one round me to learn from.

The owner doesn't feel the TEFL would be beneficial and would like me to start ASAP!!

I will have to design all content of the curriculum!!

The e mail address that the owner provided me for the last foreign employee was incorrect.

I can find no positive or negative comments anywhere about this school!

I have been offered the position without a telephone interview, is this standard procedure?

I have asked class sizes and age but havn't been informed, maybe he just forgot to mention that though as it seems he has gone over everything else!



The positives for me are:


There are no funny clauses in the contract that I can see

Its in Busan/Pusan!!

The owner is very re assuring regarding my inexperience and says providing I am honest and enthusiastic I will have no problems!!!!

Employer will help me with ARC card registration

Accomodation is apparently 2 mins walk to work!! Ahhh yes never late for work again!! I commute 1hr there and 1 hr back in the UK and am generally fashionably late, making excuses up about traffic and the likes

Then obviously Health Ins, Rent Free and all that malarky!

Also dont know whether its positive or negative but I will teach five or six fifty-minute classes; or ten to twelve twenty-five minite classes????
Some are 50 minutes long, some are 25 minutes long. But the sum of the minutes you are teaching won't exceed 30 hours a week.


Heres the contract what do you think???

1. Job Description
The �employee� will work for the �employer� as an English Instructor. The duties of the �employee� will be as follows:
a. Curriculum design and implementation.
b. Development of educational programs and materials.
c. Grading and evaluation of students.
d. Attendance at teacher�s meetings and workshops

4. Regular Hours of Employment -
30 hours per month Monday through Friday.

5. Overtime Hours of Employment
The employee may work beyond the normal hours in agreement with the employer; and the employee shall be compensated for such extension of working hours by overtime payment of 20,000 won per hour. the employee is not obligated to work overtime. Working overtime is optional.


6 Tax 3.3%

7 Health Ins - 50/50

8. Housing
The �employer� will provide the �employee� with a furnished apartment consisting of basic appliances(TV, refrigerator, washing machine, bed, kitchen utensils). The employee is responsible for paying utilities, TV, and telephone bills. Any outstanding bill belonging to the �employee� will be the sole responsibility of the �employee�.


9. Airfare
The �employee� will be provided with round trip airfare to South Korea. The airfare will be provided to the �employee� prior to departure to South Korea. In the event that the �employee� decides to terminate this contract prior to six months of completion for reasons not in accordance with this contract, they will be required to reimburse the �employer� the full amount of the airfare. After six months the �employee� will reimburse the �employer� half of the airfare.


11. Holidays
The �employee� will be paid for all Korean national holidays and not be expected to work during these days. There are 13~15 Korean holidays per year. The �employee� will only be provided with days off for Korean Holidays.

12. Vacation
12 days paid vacations including four days of school vacation. At least five out of the twelve days will be taken at the end of the contract.

13. Severance Pay
Upon completion of this contract, the �employee� will receive one month�s salary as severance pay in accordance with Korean Labor Laws. Under no circumstances will this severance pay be withheld from the �employee�, with the exception of non-fulfillment of contract. If at anytime the �employee� terminates this contract for any reason prior to fulfillment of one year of employment, the contract is void and the severance pay will not be paid.

14. Rights and Responsibilities/ Unpaid leaves/ Tardiness/ Sick leave
Both the �employer� and the �employee� are to considered professionals and as such will treat each other with mutual respect and dignity. However, since the �employee� is working under contract for the �employer�. the �employee� will make every reasonable effort to follow the direction, training, and supervision of the �employer� and those appointed by him/her. The �employee� will also carry out the teaching tasks given by the �employer� in a professional manner.

A. Unpaid leave: Unpaid leave is permitted only under extreme and unusual circumstance. Extreme and unusual circumstance includes death or serious illness of self or immediate family member. Upon presentation of proper notice and proof to the Employer, Employee may be granted up to seven days of unpaid leave. Employer is not responsible for the travel expenses for an unpaid leave.

B. Tardiness: If employee is more than ten minutes late without notification, one hour of pay may be deducted.

C. Sick Leave: The �employee� is entitled to 2 paid sick days per year. In order to be eligible for paid sick leave, he or she have to notify the Employer, with an accompanying proof of illness from a physician, at least three hours prior to the commencement of the class. If the employee fails to notify the Employer with proper proof of illness, the employer has the right to deduct one day's pay for every day the employee is absent from work.

15. Dismissal
The �employer� may dismiss the �employee� from employment under the following conditions.
a) Violation of the laws of the Republic of South Korea.
b) Teaching classes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
c) Being late for class on a continuous basis.
d) Continuous failure to keep regularly scheduled class hours.
e) Repeated absences from classes without a valid reason.
With the exception of 15.a and 15.b above, the �employer� must first bring the problem to the attention of the �employee� in writing and make every effort to resolve the situation. The �employee� will then follow the direction of the �employer� also and make every attempt to correct the problem. However, circumstances beyond the control of the �employee� are exempt from Section 15. Circumstances may include, but are not limited to accident, death, and illness or unpredicted events.

16. Transferal of Contract
Under no circumstances can the �employer� exchange, give, sell, or transfer this contract or the services of the �employee� to another party or Institute without the written consent of the �employee�.

17. 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 such are not part of this contract.





18. Release from Contract
With the exception of Section 15, both the �employer� and the �employee� are released from this contract in the case of:
a) Death, war, accident, or unforeseen events.
b) Failure to obtain an E2 visa from Korean Immigration.
c) Failure to meet any or all of the terms and conditions of this contract.



Seems pretty ok but with bearing in mind my original concerns what do you think?


Sorry that was very long winded!!

[daz1979]

[happygirl]

NO!

[captain kirk]

I'd try two things. Try to get him to change the bit about holidays. School holidays are 4 consecutive days (working days) off. And the severance, change that.

About the vacation. You're in Pusan. It's not like you're in the middle of nowhere. The boss can get someone in to replace you while you go on a long holiday half way through the year. If he won't consider it before you sign the contract he's a control freak. You're young and you want to travel and Korea is close to so many interesting target destinations for vacation (Vietnam, Thailand, China). Try to negotiate some unpaid leave time in the year, half way through. Sure you get four consecutive paid vacation days, probably in July. But try to get more time off beyond that for a big trip, even if the balance is unpaid leave.

About the severance. Try to get him to pay the severance in monthly installments. Severance is 2 million. Divide that by 12 and get that sum at the end of each month at payday. Get that written into the contract.

About the other stuff. Do you like that one hour pay deduction if you're more than ten minutes late? I don't. Particularly after the bit explaining how the "employee" and the "employer" (why is this in brackets all the time, it's nutty) will be professional and courteous to each other and so on. If you're professional you won't be more than ten minutes late and you won't be fined an hours pay.

He isn't really paying much attention to who you are. Like no phone interview. He doesn't know what your voice sounds like? And, you're right, he wants a newbie teacher to get the place going strong? And the email for the previous teacher is incorrect. Getting a few bad voodoo vibes from this. It's a year. If he doesn't check you out more doesn't mean don't check him out more. What kind of self-respecting authority/business runner behaves so sketchily?

[daz1979]

[Koreaboundandgagged]

Although I'm soon to be a newbie....that sounds like great advice, Kirk. In fact, I'm about to get an offer from a Unigwon in Daejeon, and I would really appreciate it if I could write you about some contract details I'm certain I will will have a few issues with.

[kprrok]

[daz1979]