Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jamesandjessica]

My husband and I are just starting to view potential jobs and many of them seem to require very long working days. How many hours should we expect to work? Is it normal to negotiate the amount of hours you are required to work?

Thanks,
Jessica and James

[butlerian]

[jmbran11]

If you work for a hogwan, technically anything is negotiable. But, it isn't all that uncommon to agree to one set of hours on paper and then get here and realize you're really working more. Maybe it's because they calculate teaching hours differently (e.g. breaks not included) or because they simply don't follow the contract.

Your better bet is to nail down the hours you must be at the school explicitly (e.g. 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Although, in my experience, many hogwans will also not absolutely honor this either. They may force you to work overtime or just tell you that you are expected to pitch in when the team needs you. Remember, contracts here are not firm like contracts in the west. Your employer will tell you they are "guidelines" (unless, of course, you expect to deviate from your end). And, when you are on an E-2 visa, you will find that standing your ground about each little "contractual" agreement is difficult.

So, if this is really so important to you, you need to be certain that you sign with a school/government program/university/company that has a strong history of honoring contracts strictly, and you spell out exactly what you are agreeing to.

[hellofaniceguy]

Anything in life or work is negotiable...in korea or elsewhere. In your case, it all depends on the needs of the job and/or the school owners' selfishness, controlling manner, etc.
You have to speak up, be reasonable and in some cases, stand your ground. Or work elsewhere. If the school owner likes you, then you have a better chance.

[Voyeur]

Paying for housing, Visas, recruiting, training, etc... are all fixed expenses. Schools want less teachers teaching more hours - even if they are paying fully for the overtime. For a lot of schools, a teacher who is not putting in 27 to 30 hour a week in teaching is not worth it.

[VanIslander]