Employment Contracts

[Kizzy Kuhn]

Yes!

At the previous place where I worked, they divided my salary and had a portion of it be a pre-paid overtime allowance. As a result, I couldn’t get paid for any extra hours I worked and refusing to work overtime would have violated my contract. In three months, I worked more than 400 overtime hours and did not get paid for any of it.

This is one of many things to look out for in an employment contract. Especially if you are working for a larger company, it is a good idea to have a lawyer look over your contract. And, if you are going to be on E series visa, it is a good idea to include a guarentee that they will give you a letter of release in your contract.

[Bri Nasmyth]

Thank You!

[Kelly Nicolle Medina]

Very interesting, but now I have a question, what’s a letter of release?

[Kizzy Kuhn]

Great question! If you are on an employment visa and leave before your contract ends, you need a letter of release to be able to get a new visa or start a new job.

If they do not give you a letter of release, you will be required to leave the country in two weeks. And, you might be barred from ever getting a Korean visa again. So, it is SUPER important that contracts for foreigners on an employment visa include a letter of release. Otherwise, you really can’t quit your job unless you intend to leave Korea or have the money to pursue legal action.

[Kelly Nicolle Medina]

OMG

I never thought it was that complicated, thanks a lot for the info, when I get a job here i’ll definitely make sure it includes that letter!

[Rayssa Góis]

This topic is very important, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have a question about part-time job, I started working at a company as a test for a few weeks, and now they want to hire me. As I arrived in Korea a short time ago, I still need a permit to legally work here. Could you help me on how I file the request for this permission? I have study visa, D4.

[Kizzy Kuhn]

Hi Rayssa, if you are on a D-4 visa, you need to have been in Korea for 6 months and have at least a TOPIK 2 or KIIP equivalent Korean score. If you have that, then you just need:
1. A letter from your school stating its ok to work

2. your academic transcript

3. your employment contract

4. the general immigration form
You should call 1345 and double-check on the documents you need because it changes frequently. Then, you can fax the documents to the local immigration office.