Korean Job Discussion Forums

PatrickSiheung · Joined: 21 May 2003

First, I don't want this to be an all-hate Ewha post. I stayed there for a year and a few weeks and loved most of my time there.

I'm sure many people know of their recent financial problems. This is just a shout out to those who may be answering some of their desperate calls for teachers. They are desperate now because teachers, korean and foreign, are jumping ship.

I'm fighting them tooth and nail just to get my deposit back which is about 500,000 after paying for my final bills. Sparing you the details, they've lied to me repeatedly about why they haven't paid me yet. Of course, Monday I go to the Ministry of Labor.

Here's a copy of an email from the principal at our school. I like to think it carries a bit of weight since the head office is in the same building as our branch. We seem to get info from Brian the man himself faster than others... I've of course taken out the names of the teachers involved, save myself.>>>

(EDIT - Deleted email for a short while until some friends are free and clear of the school)

======

That's it, word for word. You can clearly see that Ewha's situation is pretty bad. In the letter she says that I, Patrick, was paid everything. That is definitely not true.

She also says that Brian, the CEO, said that this is the first and last time this has happened. Anyone who's been at Ewha for any length of time should know that isn't true!

So, why am I writing this. yeah, it's a bit of a rant. But mostly I want to save you all some trouble and let you know that if you get a job with Ewha now, you'll probably be looking for another in a couple of months.

Teachers are quitting left and right, the number of students has dropped to about half at the Bangbae branch. They've hired a principal and a head teacher that openly discusses the financial situation of not only the company of also of others teachers. If you're looking for stability, Ewha's not it.

That's my news. Do with it what you will.

Roch · Joined: 24 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

You can say that again about Ewha A.L.S. I worked at Mapo Ewha. Bait and switch is their motto when hiring, eh.

Do you hang at Olde Towne and Club DeBut on Hooker Hill and are you from Vancouver, B.C.?

Thunndarr · Joined: 30 Sep 2003

Sadly, this has been a constant state of affairs at Ewha for some time. When I worked there, it was not uncommon for the office staff to go unpaid for months at a time. I've heard of the present problems, because two of my friends still work there, or did up til this week. I hope everyone still working there gets out with most of what they're owed.

PatrickSiheung · Joined: 21 May 2003

nope, not from Vancouver. I don't spend any time in Itaewon either >< Little too far for me.

I think it's hilarious that Brian has the gall to say this is the first time this has happened. I really hope Ewha goes under. It's about time she was put out of her misery.

Anyone have any friends working for the papers? I would love if they printed this story. It's about time the papers started printing something about English teachers that didn't leave them looking like sick perverts. I wonder how people would react when they learn that even when we work for a huge company like Ewha, we still get screwed out of pay.

PatrickSiheung · Joined: 21 May 2003

I just thought of something else...

I'm sure many are aware of the new laws that limit the amount of money an English school can charge for their tuition...

Ewha got around this by dividing the usual group of 3-5 classes in half. They even went out of their way to create different folders for the classes.
So instead of charging one large tuition, they are now charging two tuitions. At least, that's how they are writing it up in the books.

I would love to be the one that rats them out. Anyone know if any authority would care about this little work-around they've been pulling?

Hobophobic · Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:29 am Post subject:

I worked for them for almost 4 years...I am waiting for my deposit as well...

Ewha was good to me...but like the posters before I have to say it is time for the big W to bow out, and atleast fess up to their wrong doings...

Big B Lee mentioned, so I was told, that this situation is like go/stop...
He used to get all the good cards, but for the first time ever it is not working out...great....whatever...

In anycase...pensions haven't been paid since Nov 2004...heads up!

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

worked there last year.. we were late on our payment once. I was paid everything when I left a few months ago. was a great school for me.

anyone hear anything good or bad about the bundang branch?

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

PatrickSiheung · Joined: 21 May 2003

I was told by both the principal and the head teacher at the bangbae branch that there is no money right now and they can't pay my pension or deposit.

It really blows my mind that they actually spend the deposit money. In the west, people who collect real estate deposits can't even make interest off of it. It has to go into a special bank account.

Anyway, I have a feeling that it will be some time before I get my pension taxes paid. If my trip to the Ministry of Labor doesn't do any good, they'll probably be bankrupt before I get my money.

inkoreaforgood · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Location: Inchon

PatrickSiheung · Joined: 21 May 2003

Well the tax office here wouldn't care. I learned that the hard way. The first school I worked at, Oh Sung Sik, didn't pay my taxes. They deducted everything from my pay, but there was no record of my taxes at their offices. When I showed them my old pay slips and visa stamp they just strugged and said that it was very normal for Korean businesses not to pay their taxes. Still, I can hardly believe it, but two different people at that tax office told me that.

There's an apathy in this country that makes me sick sometimes.

nickthegreek · Joined: 23 Jun 2005

Does anyone have specific info on W in Ulsan? I had work there for a mouth, saw it was not financially stable, so I left. The President came down from Seuol. he sad to the staff that there's 110 students in the school, in three months there should be 150 or I'm going to kill somebody." TALK ABOUT NO CLASS. Well, if you have any info about Ulsan campus or any other e-mail me at [email protected]
Cheers Nick Very Happy

quadra87 · Joined: 28 Jun 2004

I remember from another thread on this board (can't remember which one though Embarassed

) that you do not need to wait for your school to organize the pension thing. A couple posters said that you can just go to your local pension office, pay a lump sum payment to cover the pension you owe, then the pension office will go after the school for their share. If I remember correctly, if you are leaving the country, the office will pay out the full amount owing to you (your's & the school's contributions) even if they haven't collected from the school yet. I guess the idea is that the government will get the cash eventually.
Might want to confirm this at the EFL-Law site though. Vague recollections from a previous post do not make for sound financial advice Laughing

Hobophobic · Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2005 7:36 pm Post subject:

Hobophobic wrote:
In anycase...pensions haven't been paid since Nov 2004...heads up!

This is inaccurate. I was paid pension, severence, and housing deposit before I left the country on vacation 4 months ago. Just because it is the case for you does not mean that it is rule.

You are correct, but for our branch that IS the case...guess I should have been more clear...that was why there was a head's up.. the pension hasn't been paid by them...their contributions... or ours which was taken off our pay but not submitted by them to the NPO...

I stayed there for almost 4 years...this is the first of any real problems I have seen...other than the smoke and mirrors game they play once in awhile...I loved my kids there...having taught many brothers and sisters...family students there...

So, just a quick call to the NPO will clear it up...2 foreign teachers have since gotten their pensions but only after the NPO made a payment plan with the company and 3 months rather than the 1 month after departure.

Good luck to all....my last pay and deposit finally came today Very Happy

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Ehwa in Changwon are in big trouble..I'm not sure if the workers there know about it yet...

They have had their hagwon franchise name taken away because they complained there was another Ehwa set-up recently in the same city and they would like it shut-down so Ehwa head office turned around and told them, fine..you are not part of our group anymore, you can't use our name..

So they have had to change(to what I'm not sure) so heads up anyone that is working there...I'm not even sure you know and it is meant to be a secret but this comes from the director of the hagwon herself..not some second-hand info, I've been told to keep it a secret.