The information below discusses the
usual elements of a contract, but keep in mind each individual institute
will have its own specific contract.Be sure that all of your concerns are
addressed in the contract and your questions answered so that both parties
have the proper expectations.
Contracts are beween you and the institute who employes you(sponsors your visa)
and are generally quite similar among school.
Salaries
at most Korean language instituion(hakwons) range from 1.8 million won per
month to 2.2
million won per month. (depending on your career and position)
15,000~20,000
won/hour The
usal overtime rate is over and above 120 hours per month.
When
you finish a full one-year contract,you recieve an extra month`s regular
salary. It
is equal to monthly salary. No severence payment is required for periods
of employment less than
one year.
Employee
will be covered by medical benefits under the Korean Medical Insurance Union,
a Government
Health Organization. The costs of this coverage will be borne half by employer and
half by employee (Abt 2% from your salary)
The
institute offer air transport to and from Korea as part of their standard
contracts. Most
of the time air tickets are one way. At the conclusion of the contract you
may receive a return
ticket. If
the Instructor purchases the airline ticket,the ticket shall be reimbursed
by the Institute with in
the first week upon arrival.
All
the jobs we offer include rent-free housing. To avoid the many problems
related to finding accommodations,the
Institute is responsible for finding a comfortable,affordable location and
adequate
housing. Each Instructor shall have the use of one (private) bedroom in
the living accommodation
provided
by the Institute.The accommodation may be a two or three-bedroom apartment
or a leased
multi-family house, which is usually shared by one or two other foreign
teachers. Teachers
will be provided with basic furnishings by the Institute. Sanitation and
heating facilities in
Korea are now comparable to those in typical western countries. Utilities
are the teacher`s responsibility. They range from $30 per month up to $100
per month,depending
on how many people share the apartment and the season. Sometimes there is
an
apartment management fee,which is used to pay cleaners for building stairways
and common areas. If
you are paying a housing management fee then you`re probably in a nicer-than-average
apartment.
This
fee ranges from $30 to $60 per month. Some
employers collect a housing deposit of 400,000 ~ 750,000 won. It`s usually
collected in two,
three, or four monthly instalments deducted from salary. This is supposed
to cover unpaid bills
at the end of your contract ; however it may used by your employer for any
expenses he incurs
as a direct result of a teacher`s violation of the contract or clear negligence.
The
Instructor shall observe the same national holidays that are observed by
the rest of the staff at
the Institute. The instructor will normally received ten(10) paid vacation
days per year. All schools
close for Korean national holidays and most schools close for a week in
summer and a week
at the end of the calendar year.
Most
employers will withhold income tax(3-4% of salary),resident tax (10%
of the income tax),national-plan contributions (4.5% of salary) and national
health insurance
premiums (2% of salary) from monthly pay. If you are Canadians and Americans,
the
pension contributions are refunded in full when you leave Korea.
English
teachers are usually allowed 3-6 days of paid sick/emergency leave. Legally, for
any sick day taken,your employer can deduct a day`s salary unless you present
an official note
from a doctor. Unused sick leave cannot be taken as vacation time and is
usually not compensated.
Sick days and emergency leave vary among contracts.
Contracts
are one year in duration,commencing the day you start teaching. And at the
end of the
contract,there is the possibility of contract renewal. This one year length
of time is primarily due
to visa issuance.
The
work week is generally from Monday to Friday. Some institutes offer Saturday
classes.
The
instructor is normally required to perform ESL instruction for up to 6 hours
a day and up to 120
hours per month according to the schedule the institute provides. (30
hours per week / 40 or 50 minutes each class) Working
hours vary a great deal from school to school.
You
will find yourself in front of a class of 5-12 students ranging in age from
5-14 (kindergar
ten to Middle School).Kindergarten classes are generally in the morning
and elementary
and middle school classes are in the afternoon. You
will share your classes with a Korean part ner. Your partner can help you
with your classes and
clear up any miss communication between you and your students (please note
that you do not
teach together at the same time) Class and teaching are scheduled in accordance
with the needs
of the Institute ;however reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate
Employee`s requests.
Employee may not accept any work not assigned by institute.
Your
school will provide you with textbooks appropriate to the student`s age
and English level.Most
textbooks cover conversation,grammer,reading comprehension,and pronun ciation;
using
common everyday situations to present the material (i.e. At the supermarket).
Some schools
follow a strict lesson plan for their program but most have a more flexible
program,giving the
teacher more freedom to present the material as they want. A lot of the
textbooks have flashcards
and taps that go along with the books,as well as ideas for games and activities
to help
out. Teachers have access to all teaching materials and resources and not
required to bring
their materials.
Dismissal or Resignation
Of course,you can leave Korea any time you wish if you are unhappy with
your job or feel that you made the wrong decision in going abroad to teach.
Generally,voluntary resignation results in loss of the severance payment
and the loss of air transportation home. It can also involve repayment of
your air to Korea and the loss of your housing deposit. Some schools may
also try to withhold some of your wages. School management will, in the
vast majority of cases, follow the contract in this area if you follow it
by giving the required amount of notice (30 or 60days) and if you are cooperative
in the interim. The sudden departure of a teacher costs a school director
anywhere from U$2000 ~U$5000
In lost business,hiring costs,and any lost transportation costs. Bear this
in mind if you find yourself thinking about leaving without proper notice.
If you leave early and /or leave on bad terms with your boss,you may find
it very difficult to get a job in Korea the following year or even two or
three years later.The more reputable and desirable a language school is
to work for, the more likely it is that they`ll call your previous Korean
employer.
Suite#1102,Daewoo Maison Libre Offistel 45-5,
Yoido-Dong,Yeongdeungpo-Gu,Seoul,Korea ,Zip Code 150-891
Tel : (82)2-364-0591,(82)2-364-0595,(82)2-785-0596 / Mobile : 019-204-1141
/ Fax : (82)2-364-0592
E-Mail : master@esl4korea.com / Copyright(C) 2005 By ESL4KOREA All Right
Reserved.
Salaries
at most Korean language instituion(hakwons) range from 1.8 million won per
month to 
