Payroll update Start of Year special edition 13 November 2024

News for School Payroll Staff

 

Kia ora koutou

A big thank you for sending your school’s End of Year information. Congratulations on getting that job ticked off your list.

Start of Year opens on Monday 2 December

Soon it will be time to complete your school’s Start of Year actions. There are five things to check: 

  • Are your school’s term dates correct for 2025?
  • Have you restarted all fixed-term teachers and term-time-only non-teachers?
  • Do you need to make changes to your existing teachers’ and non-teachers' pay details,
    eg hours, employment status, allowances, funding source, leave or annualisation?
  • Do you need to onboard any new staff in 2025?
  • Do you need to terminate any jobs? 

Start of Year is open in EdPay from 2 December 2024 to 21 February 2025.

Key dates

This table shows key dates that are coming up. We have highlighted the important dates for Start of Year.


You can also download a printable key dates flyer (PDF, 150KB).

Restarting employees

You need to restart fixed-term teachers and term-time-only non-teachers who are returning to your school in 2025. Do this in the ‘Restart job’ tab before you make their other pay details changes. Permanent part-time teachers do not need to be restarted.

Reason for restart

You will need to choose a ‘Reason for restart’ for fixed-term teachers who started after 7 February 2024. Select either:

  • New contract
    This is when an employee has signed a new contract for 2025 (different position).

or

  • Continuing/extending existing contract
    This is when an employee's current contract is continuing in 2025, or they have signed a contract to extend the fixed-term end date of the same position.

For example, a fixed-term teacher with a one-year contract covering a parental leave period from the start of term 3 2024 until end of term 2 2025. When they are restarted, this is continuing/extending an existing contract as no new documentation is signed for 2025.

When a fixed-term teacher is continuing their contract, their holiday pay will be reversed and repaid as if they were a permanent teacher. The holiday pay reversals will happen from pay period 20 in the pay period they are restarted.

Why do we need to restart permanent term-time only employees? 

You need to restart permanent term-time-only employees because we need to know which day they are returning to work so they can be paid correctly in 2025.

Annualisation

Annualisation is the process of spreading out the earnings of support staff who work during term-time only, into equal fortnightly pays throughout the year (including during school holidays).

Reminders about annualisation

  • Current employees: Annualisation does not roll over. You need to submit a new EP23nt form each year for continuing employees to have their pay annualised.
  • New hires:You will need to submit the New Hire/Onboarding in EdPay. If this creates a ticket number, then reply to the ticket with the EP23nt form, so the new hire and the annualisation can be processed together.
  • Due dates:
    • Authorised EdPay users at your school whose pay is annualised: Please send us their EP23nt forms before your school’s last day of term four. This is to make sure they do not lose access to EdPay when they return to work in 2025.
    • All other employees whose pay is annualised: Forms must be submitted by Monday 27 January 2025.

Annualisation form EP23nt

You can access the 2025 Annualisation form EP23nt here: EdPay and forms (EdPay.govt.nz)

Annualisation screen

We have created a new screen in EdPay that shows information you will need to complete the EP23nt annualisation form. You can find the screen in EdPay on the Employee Dashboard tab. Select the green Annualisation button.


Currently the screen only shows your school’s employees who had their pay annualised in 2024.

Please use the annualisation screen to help you complete the EP23nt form, even if you are familiar with the process. The screen will make it easier to complete the form and to get all the details right first time.


No 'Complete' button in Start of Year 

There is no Start of Year ‘Complete’ button. This is because all information updates in real time. You can update or change details as required up to the close of the Start of Year screen on Friday 21 February at 5pm.

Changes to 11AP allowance

The latest collective agreements for secondary and area school teachers changed how part-time teachers are paid the 11.11% salary loading.

Previously, the 11AP allowance was added and paid automatically. In 2025, instead of receiving the 11AP allowance, some part-time teachers’ full-time teacher equivalent (FTTE) hours will need to increase by 11.11%.

Secondary and area schools with part-time teachers were emailed with instructions for their teachers on 7 November 2024. For more information, please see the guidance from the Ministry of Education for secondary schools and area schools (education.govt.nz), and  our EdPay webpage (EdPay.govt.nz).

Emergency contact details

Thank you to those schools who have already provided an emergency payroll contact for the term 4 holiday period. If you haven’t yet done so, ple ase let us know your school’s designated contact (who must be an authorised user) for when your school is closed. Please email their name, phone number and email address to support@novopay.govt.nz with 'Emergency contact' in the subject line.

Guides and help 


If you are new to Start of Year and you are finding the process a bit overwhelming, please contact your payroll advisor and they will help you get started. 

We appreciate the extra work you do to ensure your school’s Start of Year processes run smoothly and everyone gets paid correctly. 


Ngā mihi
Education Payroll