Korean Job Discussion Forums

[goodgood]

Has anybody gotten their boss to give them money insted of a return ticket at the end of their contract? I want to travel around a bit at the end of this contract, not go straight home. I figured I would ask for the amount of the cheapest ticket available home. Sound doable?

[tzechuk]

Not unless it is specified in your contract.. they normally don't want to give you any cash.

No harm in asking, though.

[Canadian Club]

I know someone who did. It wasn't in the contract, but the boss is an unusually accomodating person.

[jajdude]

Maybe if you can make it a deal for the boss? Say the ticket costs him a million won, and you say you'll just take 800,000 cash, I bet he'd go for that.

[oneofthesarahs]

My boss has already agreed to pay for an equivalent plane ticket, and I've only been at my current job for three months. I know you will all scream, "Don't trust her!" so I'll have you know that she's already done it for two former teachers that I know of. If your director is a fairly reasonable person, they probably won't care either way. It'll still cost them the same amount of money.

[Novernae]

My last hagwon offered us the choice. My current hagwon offers us money in between contracts in lieu of the ticket they owe us that we can't use.

[tiger fancini]

I work in a public school and my contract is gonna expire on May 2nd. Instead of them flying me back to England I am going to ask them for a ticket to Bangkok instead as I am planning to do some travelling around SE Asia. Ideally I would like a return ticket to come back to Korea, as my intentions are to take up work in another school as I don't want to stay at the school I'm at now. My contract does state that they will give me a ticket back home (to England) but I'd really rather take the cash and use it for a return to Bangkok, which I figure would be cheaper than a one-way to England. Can anyone tell me if this sounds unreasonable, or what the chances of my school actually doing this are? I'm on vacation at the moment and haven't suggested it to my school yet, but I'm just curious as to whether anyone has managed to successfully negotiate anything like this? Any advice or info is greatly appreciated.

[dam_on]

Your boss's reply to that may also depend on how your school treats your return airfare. If it's a larger school they may have to submit reciepts or what not to accounting for tax purposes. Does your contract say anything about a relocation payment in lieu of a ticket (meaning it would help you to relocate to your next job)? I've seen these in contracts but usually at a set figure...like W500,000 or so. If not, you could just make the suggestion as others here have said. Make it equal or less than the cheapest ticket available back to your home.

If the boss insists that you get a ticket...ask them to price a ticket back home, then get them to buy you a round trip ticket from Korea-somewhere in S.E. Asia for equal or less than the quoted price and have yourself a nice little break in-between contracts.

Or you could always try to return your ticket to the travel agent. I believe with enough notice, some will do it minus 10-20% service charge.

[passport220]

I agree with the previous posts. It would seem you have 3 options:

- Ask your boss to pay you a reasonable equivalent to the ticket in cash. Explain the merits of having you �sing his praises� as a fair and reasonable boss.

- Book a fully refundable return ticket, after you are reimbursed by your boss, cancel it.

- Book a ticket home via a stop over in your true preferred destination, once you arrive at your preferred destination, abandon the last leg of your trip once to home.

[gosia]

My school asks us what we want. As most of us are staying, we are getting cash. They check the price to our hometown, and give us that regardless of whether we are staying or going elsewhere. It hasn't been an issue at all for the three years that I have worked here. If they are an honest company, they should do it...

[Novernae]

[sadsac]

My wife and I have it in our contracts. We get the cash, a mil each at the end. It's becoming a more popular option these days, with many staying or traveling before they go home. Ask the question, you have nothing to lose.

[SunnyD]

I only just got here Dec 29th. I am from Minnesota. At this point, I figure that I will stay in Korea for longer than 1 year, so I'd like to travel home to visit family during the summer, rather than at the end of the year when Minnesota is so freezing. So I guess I'll buy my own roundtrip ticket to Minnesota in the summer, and then I'm hoping the boss will just pay me a one-way equivalent at the end of my contract, or a roundtrip equivalent if I renew the contract. Sound do-able? He paid me 900,000 when I got here to reimburse my arrival, so that's what I'd ask for at the end (for one-way). Or even 1500-1800,000 for a round-trip if I re-sign. That way, I'll have some moolah to travel around SE Asia somewhere.

On reputation, and thru my experience so far, he seems to be a very fair man, reasonable and understanding. I think I can make it work out ok.

sunnyd

[VanIslander]

Before I signed my contract I was told I would receive 700,000 won extra payment in lieu of the return portion of an airline ticket (they paid for my visa run to Japan to start the year). And it's noted in my contract.

Get it in writing and count your lucky stars. It gives you real flexibility at the end of your contract to go to Europe or southeast Asia on your way home or cash if you stay another year.

[crazylemongirl]

My contract states I get 1.5million so I'm finding the a refundable airfare for that much.