Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Thunndarr]

I can think of three different ways my school is scamming me at the moment.

1: They're making a deduction for my severance out of my monthly salary, so that eventually I will have paid 50% of my own severance. (Basically, I'm getting screwed out of a million won over the course of the year.)

2: When I brought up the first issue, they told me that they would stop taking the severance deduction if I agreed to come into school every day during summer and winter vacation. (IE, they knew all along what they were doing but were trying to blackmail me not to raise a fuss, which worked, but only while I'm still employed there.)

3: As most of you know, only grades 3-6 have English class. At this particular school, they collected 400,000 won/month from the parents of the 1st grade and 2nd grade classes respectively to pay for English instruction. The full time teacher taught one class (and received the 400k) and they got a part time teacher for the other grade (also paid 400k.)

Well, when I started, they stopped paying the 400K with the rationale that we weren't teaching over our contracted hours. (Fair enough.) However, they were still making the parents pay 400K each month and collecting it! So, how was I getting scammed? Well, technically I don't think I was supposed to be teaching 1st grade, but the bigger thing is that they were collecting the money from the parents with the understanding that the money was to pay for English instruction which was already being paid for by my salary. Interesting.

[khyber]

as far as I could tell, they're fine. They never tried to screw me over in any way (I'm part of epik though).

I WAS right inside the room when a teacher received a bribe though. Just sitting at my computer desk when I look over at the parent handing over an envelope that was almost a cm thick.

damn.

[ChuckECheese]

Are you sure about only 3-6th grades having English class? If so, you should take pictures of your 1-2nd grade English classes that you're teaching and do the black mailing thingy that they are doing with your severance pay.

But are you sure about the deduction of your severance pay? Do you mean pension deduction?

[Thunndarr]

[ChuckECheese]

In that case, you should take picture of your 1-2nd grade English classes and go forward with your black mailing to get your severance pay thingy straight and maybe negotiate for extra vacation days.

But don't get greedy and ask for extra money or compensation if teaching 1-2nd grade doesn't go over 22 hours during your regular work hours.

[rothkowitz]

I dare say my school pockets a nice chunk of the allocated budget from the regional Education Board.I can never get a straight answer about how much my housing deposit is.Just keep hearing "Well,you know...Bundang is expensive..."I looked into how much housing goes for in my area myself,I'd say they've pocketed 30 or 40 K.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My school bends the law to make life better for me and I've even been able to dip into the ... ahem, I think I won't go there.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Korea is corrupt that way. Even government employees get extra money for "overtime".

Somebody's getting cash for your English classes. Parents are paying. Public school salaries are ridiculously low and some beaurocrats are making a nice chunk of change.

Then they have the balls to deduct severence from your pay? I don't even know what that is. Why would that make any sense? They're stealing from you. Tell them you want it all back and to hell with their "ok, but you must work summer and winter classes". Why? So, they can make more money?

You have proof that they're stealing from you. I'd go to the labor board and get your LOR and a month's severence.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[VanIslander]

so corrupt that Jimmy Hoffa is giving Rodney Dangerfield a little respect on the side, if you know what I mean

[ben the saint]

Financial Budget ESL Teachers in Korea.

The information about funding was passed by the Korean Government in the year 2000 here in Korea. It does not apply for small �mom and pop� hagwons and is only for legit schools with �good or reliable� reputations here in Korea. (Please note the quotations, because not every one from the outside knows the standards). If you have read my previous posts then you know where I work.

Ok let�s see. Your schools financial budget for each ESL teacher is W40 million won. This money is set for employing an ESL teacher in public and most private schools. The funds are available nation wide and all the school has to do is provide the proper documents to receive funding. Some areas of Seoul (Kangnam) receive a little more.

Salary- W26, 400,000 per year. Monthly= 2.2million.
Housing- 6, 000,000. Monthly around 500,000.
Tax, insurance and pension, roughly around 1, 500 per year.

Total W33, 900,000 per year. More or less.

Do you ever wonder about the other 6 million? Don�t tell me for books, other supplies, recruiter or airfare. These expenses fall under different budgets that the government covers.

If you still don�t believe, then get a K friend to request these documents at your local Gu office. These records are public information.

[the_beaver]

[ilovebdt]

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Smee]

For the first four months of the contract the school board was pocketing the money that should've gone into paying rent on my place. They found a landlord who would let me use the place for free. The board also "redirected" funds it was given to open up an English Town, which never opened.