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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Gamecock
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
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 Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:49 pm Post subject: PREPAY a 1 year open airticket ticket? |
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ASK SPECIFICALLY - and get good answers about:
+PAY, overtime (do they pay it or avoid it with creative book keeping).
+CLASSES - how many per day / week / month. How long is a class and +WHAT IS A CLASS HOUR. A contract that says 120 hours can have you doing up to 180 x 40 minute classes (7200 contact minutes) per month for the same money as someone doing 120 x 50 minute classes (6000 contact minutes per month).
+Do they really pay into the pension and national medical?
+Do they do taxes properly or just flat rate you at 3.3 or 5% (illegal but often done - money is usually not remitted to the tax man)
+What is the housing like and what do they pay for? Your free apartment can cost you up to 150k or more won per month in maintainence and other fees (not really free).
+Holidays - when, how, how many and who decides.
+Will they PREPAY a 1 year open airticket ticket? Don't settle for less. |
Ttompatz...I notice you cut and paste this to answer to nearly every newbie on the board. Pretty solid advice...But does anyone really get a PREPAID 1 year open airline ticket??? I've NEVER heard of ANYONE getting this, especially a newbie who has never worked in Korea. |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's a good idea to ask for a "pre-paid" ticket. If the school is really serious about hiring you, why should'nt they pay. And, there are plenty of offers out there so you shouldn't settle for less. Anyway, why should you be out money if you're hired by a school that misrepresented itself during the hiring process??  |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject: Re: PREPAY a 1 year open airticket ticket? |
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| Gamecock wrote: |
| Quote: |
ASK SPECIFICALLY - and get good answers about:
+PAY, overtime (do they pay it or avoid it with creative book keeping).
+CLASSES - how many per day / week / month. How long is a class and +WHAT IS A CLASS HOUR. A contract that says 120 hours can have you doing up to 180 x 40 minute classes (7200 contact minutes) per month for the same money as someone doing 120 x 50 minute classes (6000 contact minutes per month).
+Do they really pay into the pension and national medical?
+Do they do taxes properly or just flat rate you at 3.3 or 5% (illegal but often done - money is usually not remitted to the tax man)
+What is the housing like and what do they pay for? Your free apartment can cost you up to 150k or more won per month in maintainence and other fees (not really free).
+Holidays - when, how, how many and who decides.
+Will they PREPAY a 1 year open airticket ticket? Don't settle for less. |
Ttompatz...I notice you cut and paste this to answer to nearly every newbie on the board. Pretty solid advice...But does anyone really get a PREPAID 1 year open airline ticket??? I've NEVER heard of ANYONE getting this, especially a newbie who has never worked in Korea. |
Personally, I have only met about a dozen or so people (in 5 years) who did not get a 1 year open return ticket prepaid. One of them got a one way ticket prepaid (he planned to stay for more than 1 year), 4 work for public schools and got reimbursed for 1/2 the cost their return tickets on arrival. The remainder were all screwed with when it was time to leave.
I would not be worried about the government (read public schools) reimbursing you for your ticket here or for paying for the return 1/2 on completion. Hakwons on the other hand have a bad habit of cutting corners when it is time for the foreigner to leave, especially now that they have to compete with the public schools for teachers and public school after school programs for students.
I also know that any/every hakwon will prepay the ticket if it is the only way to get the warm body on the plane. Simply say, "no ticket = no teacher". If they won't pay it, then choose another school. There are lots to choose from.
The job market is that competitive for teachers who can get an E2 and the government has announced that it intends to find enough teachers to put one in EVERY public school in the country school by 2010. The market for teachers is NOT going to ease any time soon.
Every newbie should demand at a minimum, 2 million salary for 120 (or fewer) classes (40-50 minute duration), rent free housing, prepaid return tickets, plus pension, medical, and severance (as required by law for ALL foreign teachers).
If you have any qualifications beyond your Bachelors degree you can certainly go higher. 2.2-2.4 (or higher) are not uncommon for teachers with quals or experience. |
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Novernae
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| We got a prepaid one-year (return) open ticket last year and it caused so much headache for everyone that we made sure our new school bought a one-way this time. It meant that we had to cut our contract at least 4 days short (two days travel each way). Had the school bought one-way tickets we would have been able to at least stay out the year, or extend for a bit without the school having to fork out an additional 4 million won to buy us one way tickets home when the new teachers fell through. |
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