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bonniedundee
Joined: 29 May 2007
Location: Suwon
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 Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:38 am Post subject: W Language School, Bupyeoung-Gu, Incheon |
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Does anybody know anything about this school? I cant find much online about it. I gather the are W Language Schools all over the place? Has anybody any info? Good, bad or indifferent?
Any info much appreciated. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: W Language School, Bupyeoung-Gu, Incheon |
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| bonniedundee wrote: |
Does anybody know anything about this school? I cant find much online about it. I gather the are W Language Schools all over the place? Has anybody any info? Good, bad or indifferent?
Any info much appreciated. |
Have they started paying their staff yet?
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=65483&highlight=severance |
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skconqueror
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:09 pm Post subject: Re: W Language School, Bupyeoung-Gu, Incheon |
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Well, it is possible since your link is 1 yr old.
You spout alot of shit about the franchise but there are good and bad ones. I worked at 1 for a year.. (I didnt resign, but got everything owed to me). I also have friends who re-signed contracts and have just recently left (as of 2 months ago) and were paid everything in full.
As for the OP, talk to the current staff, as if they have ever been paid late, how long they have been there... etc. It is a better idea, then listening to people with a vendetta on a message board.  |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: W Language School, Bupyeoung-Gu, Incheon |
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| skconqueror wrote: |
Well, it is possible since your link is 1 yr old.
You spout alot of *beep* about the franchise but there are good and bad ones. I worked at 1 for a year.. (I didnt resign, but got everything owed to me). I also have friends who re-signed contracts and have just recently left (as of 2 months ago) and were paid everything in full.
As for the OP, talk to the current staff, as if they have ever been paid late, how long they have been there... etc. It is a better idea, then listening to people with a vendetta on a message board. |
I know it is possible and there are a few good hakwons .... which is why I asked if they had started yet?
I am not against hakwons specifically but there are tons of my posts about checking them out first.
There are lots of bad hakwons and I spent 3 very long years as an advocate (paralegal in western terms) helping newbies who were getting screwed as a matter of routine by their hakwons before I ever left and went to teaching instead.
Maybe asking staff if there are any pay problems would be a good start considering their history (and 1 year is not that far back). It's not like I was quoting posts from during the meltdown in '97.
Perhaps I should have put in my usual diatribe to newbies:
When it comes to the school - again - repeat - Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE.
1st - READ the contract over very carefully. If that doesn't scare you away then...
The best you can do is minimize the risk by talking to MORE THAN ONE of the foreign staff and ask POINTED AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS (*when the boss is NOT listening over their shoulder). Don't accept non-specific answers and broad generalizations.
No foreign staff references to talk to = walk away now.
Accept NO EXCUSES for any reason.
The hard questions to ask AND get acceptable answers to ARE:
-What are the hours? (start time / stop time / breaks).
-How many classes per day, week, month? NOT hour many hours per month. 30 classroom hours can mean anything from 1350 -1800 minutes per week standing in front of the class. The difference can be up to 7.5 HOURS in front of the class EACH WEEK.
-Do they ALWAYS pay on time? (no=red flag 1)
-Do they pay at the end of your month or do they have a hold back period (5-10 days after your month end) to prevent runners? (no=red flag 2)
-Do they really pay overtime or avoid it with creative book keeping? (no=red flag 3)
-Do you get credit for classes on the national holidays or do you get the day off but still have to work your 120 hours before you get overtime? (no=red flag 4)
-Do they have national medical (with the little booklet)? (no=red flag 5)
-Do they pay into pension? (no=red flag 6) These two are legal requirements (not optional) and are usually NOT complied with (to your detriment).
-What about the holidays? 10 or more WORKING days? (legal requirement here) (no=red flag 7)
-When and how do you get your holidays?
-What extra stuff do you really have to do - mentioned or not in the contract.
-Then consider the quality of life issues - things that are important to you that aren't mentioned here (housing, furnishings, THE BATHROOM, access to recreational facilities, shopping, banking).
Do they take additional deposits in addition to the delay in payday? (yes=red flag Cool
I would also like to mention for comparison:
My co-worker who is a green as grass, fresh of the boat newbie gets a base salary of 2.1 mil per month for 22 classes of 40 minutes each.
She gets 20k won for each 40 minute class over 22 per week and works from 8:30-4:30 each day. She usually averages 26 classes per week and her salary works out to about 2.5 mil per month.
She also gets (as required by law and ignored by most hakwons) NHIC medical, pension, severance, non-shared housing, airfare and 4 weeks annual PAID vacation.
Do NOT be in a rush to sign anything. There is NO rush or urgency in spite of what your recruiter may tell you.
Take your time. The job (or more likely a better one) will still be there next week and probably next month too.
There are 30,000 openings in Korea each year and only about 25,000 applicants to fill those jobs each year.
I hope that has been of some help.
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: W Language School, Bupyeoung-Gu, Incheon |
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| skconqueror wrote: |
| As for the OP, talk to the current staff, as if they have ever been paid late, how long they have been there... etc. |
Actually, I'd suggest talking to recent EX-employees. They have less incentive to lie to you than current teachers do. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Roch wrote: |
My employer "pocketed" contributions for medical insurance.
My employer "pocketed" contributions for the Korean Pension Plan.
My employer "pocketed" income tax deductions.
My employer didn't pay me on time.
My employer didn't deduct income tax according to Korean tax law.
My employer didn't specify all my job duties before I signed my labor contract.
My employer fired me without a justifiable reason.
My employer didn't provide me with a health insurance card.
My employer didn't pay me overtime wages for overtime hours worked.
All of the above have happened to me thus far. An Ewha school tried a home invasion deal on me back in early May, 2002 and it took the U.S. Embassy and Yongsan-gu police to sort it out.
Sparkling!! |
Ewha school = "W" by another name.
Check VERY CAREFULLY.
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