Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jellypah]

I've been here quite a long time - about 2 and a half years. I've been working for the same hagwon the whole time, and I've stayed there because the boss is nice, the hours are alright, and everythings been generally ok. Plus, everytime my contract's end has come around they've begged me to stay!
So - I don't have an excuse for not knowing about the pension plan. This past week was the first time I'd ever heard of it. Obviously, I don't spend enough time on Dave's in the job discussion forums.
I have not been paying into it, nor has my boss. I'd LIKE to be paying into it. I'd get all my contributions back when I leave Korea next summer. Likewise, I haven't been paying for health insurance. I really wanted to when I first arrived, but my boss really didn't want to enroll me. She made an arrangement with the local doctor (that I be covered under her insurance?) so it's cheap visiting him when I get sick. The one time I was in hospital with food poisoning, the bill was over 100,000 won, which my boss ended up splitting with me.
Just as I didn't know about pension, I also didn't know about it being mandatory for foreigners to have health insurance as of Jan 2006 until this past week.
I learned a lot this past week.
I also learned that at my rate of pay, I should be contributing about 1.5% of my salary toward tax. With the "regional tax" this amounts to 31,850. My boss HAS been deducting tax from my salary. 100,000 a month!
I'm going to have a discussion with her next week, where I'll point out she owes me over 1.9 million won in tax, and she owes about 2.5 million to the pension plan (so do I, I realize) and about another 450,000 for health insurance.
I don't anticipate this going over very well, and I'm really nervous about bringing it up.
My friend suggested I be careful, as it might just be easier for her to fire me! Could she do this?
Any advice on how to approach this? (Thank you in advance!)

[laogaiguk]

[Jellypah]

I hear that. I hope it doesn't come down to me having to go to the Labour Board or Pension Office or what have you.
I shouldn't have to plead, though. It's ultimately her responsibility to make sure I'm enrolled in things that are required by Korean law. Still, I'm worried sick about having to talk to her about it.

[ChuckECheese]

Yep! She screwed you good all these years. No wonder she's been really nice to you. That's some chunk of money. Be prepared for your relationship with your boss to become sour because I'm sure she'll fight you to not pay that much money.

I would think you and your boss do owe and have obligation for all back taxes and pension, but in your case I'm not sure if the tax and pension office are willing to go back that far. I suggest you contact both offices and do some research so that you'll have firm answers about them before confronting your boss though.

Keep those numbers to tax, pension office, and labor board handy. I'm sure she may decide to let you go rather than to pay the money. If that's the case, you can contact and report to those offices to recoop your money, etc.

And start looking for a new job.

Good luck!

[The Lemon]

There's something working against you -precedent. You were happy with your deal for nearly three years. I'm not saying you're not entitled to these things, but you don't need me to tell you that your situation would be much better had you had this discussion with the boss back in 2004. And your boss would likely have been more receptive.

In a way, it might have been better if you had never learned about all this tax and pension stuff.

[laogaiguk]

[Jellypah]

Thank you for the replies, though it's not doing much in the way of making me feel better!!
Again, I hear what you're all saying - but legally - she couldn't fire me for this, could she?
As for the pension office going back that amount of time, I doubt very much they'll have a problem. Why would they? It's been mandatory that all foreign workers be enrolled in the pension scheme since 1999. From what I've read on this board, chances are they'd lay a late fine against her as well.
I did have numerous discussions with her back in 2004 about health insurance. Perhaps her reluctance to enroll me then was because it would have meant signing me up for the pension as well (from what I've read on the board, you have to have pension to have health.)
Lemon - you may be right, it might have been better if I never got wise to these things. But now that I know, I can't just "un-know." If it were just a little bit of money I'd let it slide, but we're talking thousands of dollars.

[laogaiguk]

[ChuckECheese]

[ttompatz]

[ChuckECheese]

By the way, are you american or canadian? If not, forget about getting your pension money unless you plan to retire in Korea.

[Jellypah]

I'm Canadian. And a she!
ttompatz: I realise I'll have to back-pay for pension. Not a problem. Since health insurance only became mandatory in January of 2006, that's when I would be charged retro-actively for.
The tax man WILL NOT come after both of us! The money has been deducted from my monthly salary. It's not my job to police my boss to ensure she's remitting it to the tax office!

[The Lemon]

[ChuckECheese]

[ttompatz]