Entrance Allowance

[ingrid28]

I'm a first year EPIK teacher, I arrived in Korea about a month ago. The finance man from my school just gave me my payslip and it didn't have my entrance allowance on it. I pointed out this in the contract and he still didn't seem to think he needed to pay me my entrance allowance of 1,300,000. He said that I get that when I leave Korea. But that is the exit allowance which is a separate 1,300,000, right? It was very hard to communicate and no-one at my school speaks very good English. It h been left up in the air. Do the POE pay the entrance allowance? I was under the impression that the school paid that?

Also, I am told that although EPIK pay day is 25th, and in the contract it says that if it falls on a Sunday it will get paid the preceding business day (Friday), that I won't be paid until Monday or maybe Tuesday.

Any advice fellow waygookers?

[techteacher]

Last year, the entrance allowence came from EPIK, just before payday. The school didnt pay it. Show them in the contract, the Korean translation, about the payday times.

[ingrid28]

Ah, well if it comes from EPIK, that's great!

I did show them the contract about pay day, but they didn't seem too bothered. He said he was too busy.

Grrrr. I hope you're right about the entrance allowance.

Thanks.

[techteacher]

I am 99% sure about EPIK giving the first allowence, because the deducted the 55,000 for the medical check. I remember teachers in other cities got it on the same day also.  I will have to check my bank book to see where it came from.

[ingrid28]

Great news. Thank you.

[Jozigirl]

Check your bank account to see if it's been transferred.  Mine wasn't reflected on the payslip - it was just transferred and my school let me know when it was done. 

[pjhow2000]

The alloance comes from Epik.  I emailed Epik a week ago who said we will be getting the entrance allowance on the 26th, Monday.  I also started in August too. 

[ardentis]

Are ARCs taking a while to get because of all the new SMOE employees? I applied for mine on Sept. 6th, still waiting for it... To be fair, immi did say 3 weeks. I just thought they were being pessimistic, haha. Anyone else still waiting?

[Marie Brown]

I arrived in August too and got my entrance allowance on the 23rd along with my pay.

[keese16]

It comes from EPIK. I am also new to EPIK and have yet to receive my entrance allowance, but some of my friends have already received theirs. No matter what though, we should get it some time during our first 6 weeks here. So hopefully we will get it soon.

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

You only get it if you were hired outside of Korea.

When I did EPIK I was already here and leaving another job, so they didn't pay me it.  It's essentially to cover your flight if you flew here to take the job.