Payroll Update 13 February 2024
Kia ora koutou
We hope your first days with students back in class have gone well for your school. Here are few payroll reminders for you.
- Start of Year restart job tab should be zero
- Annualisation top ups in pay period 24
- Check the Auto Increments screen before 22 February
- 2023 audit reports
- Cultural leadership allowance implementation
- Primary short-term relief teachers increase to maximum step
1. Start of Year restart job tab should be zero
Please check that you have restarted all your term-time-only employees and fixed-term teachers for the 2024 school year in the Start of Year Restart job tab.
Click the 'Add employee to be restarted' box to see which employees still have jobs to be restarted.
The job counter along the bottom of your screen needs to be at zero if you have completed this task.
2. Annualisation top ups in pay period 24
Annualised employees who completed the 2023 annualisation period (ended 30 January 2024) and who are owed a top-up amount, will receive it in pay period 24, pay day 20 February 2024.
Top-up amounts may include a holiday pay top-up for additional hours worked throughout the year, or a percentage of gross earnings for pay periods 19–22 if they were term-time-only in 2022 but annualised in 2023.
The 2024 Annualisation agreement change of hours/pay rate for support staff form (EP24nt) is now on our website. Go to EdPay and forms (EdPay.govt.nz)
3. Check the Auto Increments screen before 22 February
Employees covered by the following agreements can automatically progress to a higher salary step on their work start date anniversary:
- Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement (SSSCA) 2022–24 or Individual Employee Agreement (IEA), or
- Librarians and Library Assistants’, Science Technicians’, Teacher Aides or Administrators Pay Equity Settlements
This is called an auto increment.
Sometimes an auto increment needs to be deferred (postponed). If an employee:
- has not met performance standards or
- they cannot progress between grades as their work remains solely within their current grade.
Please remember a deferral needs to have been discussed with the employee two months before the increment is scheduled.
As many people’s work anniversaries are in pay period 23, it’s important for schools to check the Auto Increment screen now. If deferrals are needed, please make these before 22 February 2024, as these auto increments will be made in pay period 25, pay day 05 March 2024.
Please go to EdPay > My School > Administration > Progression > Auto Increments
The Auto Increments screen shows support staff at your school who are due to receive an increment in the next 90 days. If they have met their performance standards and their work can progress between grades, then there is nothing you need to do. They will receive an increase in their salary automatically.
If an increment needs to be deferred, please follow these instructions on our website: Deferring automatic salary increments for support staff
For more explanation about the work that falls in each grade, please refer to the work matrix table section in the remuneration section of the Support Staff in Schools Collective Agreement 2022–24, for the employee type e.g. teacher aide, administrator, librarian or library assistant, or science technician.
Teachers' salary increments
Teachers need to have their upcoming increments checked and manually confirmed via the Attestation School report.
The report can be downloaded from EdPay > Reports > Attestation School report.
Please regularly check this report as schools need to confirm whether teachers’ salary progression should go ahead and notify Education Payroll of this. The progression will not happen automatically.
Please go to our website for more information on the Attestation School report
4. 2023 audit reports
The 2023 audit reports that schools need to complete their financial statements are now available.
The ‘School annual accrual’ report and ‘Leave liability’ report are available to download from EdPay.
The ‘Overpayments error schedule’ and the ‘Funding code error schedule’ are available to download from the Ministry of Education’s Secure Data Portal
Your school’s financial statements need to be with your auditors by 31 March 2024, and your annual report submitted to the Ministry by 31 May 2024.
If you need help with your school’s 2023 annual financial statements, please contact your regional Ministry school financial advisor. Their contact details are on this page:
Managing school finances – Education in New Zealand
For more information see: School annual financial statements – Education in New Zealand
5. Cultural leadership allowance implementation
The Cultural Leadership Allowance is being implemented during February 2024.
This allowance was negotiated as part of settlements for the:
- Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement 2023-2025
- Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement 2023-2025
- Primary Principals’ (NZEI) Collective Agreement 2023-2025
- Area School Principals’ Collective Agreement 2023-2025.
The allowance recognises the mahi done in schools and kura by kaiako with extensive cultural knowledge and capabilities, serving as cultural leaders within their schools and community.
Principals who meet these criteria receive the allowance automatically. Allowance payments to principals began in pay period 23.
In February, the Ministry of Education will contact area schools and eligible primary schools about the application process for teachers. Only primary schools meeting agreed phase one allocation criteria for allowances will be contacted. How the phased allocation process works is explained to the Ministry’s website – Cultural leadership allowance allocation
The allowance is part of the Ministry’s commitment to improving pay and working conditions for frontline education staff and recognising the important role they play. The allowance is $5,000 per annum. Details about the agreed process to allocate these allowances to teachers can be found at on the Ministry’s website – Cultural leadership allowance
6. Primary short-term relief teachers increase to maximum step
The maximum annual salary step for short-term relief primary school teachers has increased one step from 28 January 2024. Employees who are eligible to receive it will have it applied in pay period 24, pay day 20 February 2024.
There is nothing you need to do this change will be applied automatically.
Please refer to the Ministry’s website for more detailed info:
Changes to the Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement 2023–25 – Education in New Zealand
Thanks for reading. We know that payroll is just one of your many jobs, and we appreciate your attention and mahi to ensure your school or kura employees get paid correctly and on time.
Ngā mihi
Education Payroll