9.10.2010

Contract bull-gogi.

Yeah. I'm having a Korea-you-can-kiss-my-ass moment. It's actually, as usual, an MOE-you-can-kiss-my-ass moment.

Look at this shit adjustment to the contract for this year:

The Employee may reapply to another Provincial Office of Education upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Provincial Office Education by obtaining a letter of release from the current Employer which may be issued if the Employee has satisfactorily completed the current contract. However, the Employee shall not receive an Exit Allowance for the completion of the current Term of Employment nor shall the Employee receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Provincial Office Education. The Employee shall be paid a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won, when he'she begins the contract with the new Provincial Office of Education.

Cunt the fuck off. So, if I 'decide' to change from one school district to another, even if I complete my contract faithfully, I still have to get a letter of "release" (release from what? if the contract is finished, I'm free to go....) from my school, and I'm out both the 2,000,000 won renewal bonus and the total 2,600,000 in entrance and exit allowances.

Basically, if I complete my contract faithfully with my school, but decide I want to change schools, I not only have to get my school's permission, but it also cancels out the 1,300,000 I'm supposed to get for finishing my contract.

The topper? I've just been informed of a mythical limit on the number of years a foreign teacher can stay at the same school. Apparently, it's three years. Which the principal mentioned in passing to Co last night. So if I stay in Korea next year, I apparently have to change schools -- I have no choice.

Boy, Korea. You really aren't a fan of foreign teachers sticking around, are you?

I'm telling you. It's one thing after another today.

8 comments:

Burndog said...

EPIK must be semi-retarded if they place these limitations on their teachers. None of these things apply with GEPIk....especially some sort of three year rule. That's just stupid.

I'm no Picasso said...

It's pretty fucking cunty, huh? If I decide to stay in Korea, I guess I know where I'm headed. EPIK can keep up a steady rotation of clueless rookies, if that's what they want.

CeilingofStars said...

Holy crap that better as fuck not have any sticking power. I guarantee you that if they try to enforce that there will be RAGE among the 원어민들...with me at the frontlines!

I'm no Picasso said...

What are we going to do about it? I don't know. I really have just about had it with these kinds of things in Korea.

My coworkers are incredible. My principal and vp have been nothing but supportive. But every time I hear something from the higher-ups, it's condescending as fuck. And they're the ones who spend all their time whining about how hard it is to get good foreign teachers in, and keep them.

I feel like doing my time for as long as they will allow me to, unhindered, and then when I hit up against their stupid limits, just sending a big old letter explaining why Korea will never, ever have a decent English education program if they keep behaving in the same clueless manner. How I'm going to ______, where foreign teachers are not treated like children/a necessary evil, and good luck with the next replacement who has no idea what's going on.

Or just moving to GEPIK, where apparently none of this dumbass shit happens.

Gomushin Girl said...

Frankly, sounds like time to have a chat with a labor lawyer . . . the contract, as written, may be in violation of Korean labor laws. Which, suprisingly to some people, apply to all workers in Korea, regardless of nationality.

Anonymous said...

In that vein, I'd suggest contacting the ATEK labor officer nearest to the place you live (atek.or.kr/officers) - ATEK's employment and legal issues officers are good at looking through a contract and letting you know what the best next step is.

Roboseyo said...

In that vein, I'd suggest contacting the ATEK labor officer nearest to the place you live (atek.or.kr/officers) while they don't give legal advice, ATEK's employment and legal issues officers are good at looking through a contract and providing information about your options.

MikejGrey said...

Well, on the bright side, at least no one is trying to eat you. Like the German fellow that tried to eat me when I signed my contract.

uh


Seriously though. Looks like everyone was right about the new P.