Employment agreements
Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu specialist and support staff are covered by:
- the Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement, or
- an individual employment agreement, with similar terms and conditions as the collective agreement.
You are covered by the collective agreement if your work is covered by this agreement and you’re a member of the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI) or E tū.
You need to sign an individual employment agreement if your work is covered by the collective agreement but you are not a member of one of the unions. The Ministry of Education develops and publishes the individual employment agreement. The terms and conditions of your work are similar to the collective agreement.
- Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement– terms and conditions of employment for specialist and support staff at Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu. Effective 24 September 2014 to 24 December 2016.
- Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Individual Employment Agreement– published 6 March 2015.
Your pay
Your pay is set out in clause 4.2 of the collective agreement. Your salary scale depends on the type of work you do and which pay level (A, B, C or D) it fits into. Clause 4.2 describes the characteristics of the work done at each level and gives the pay scale for each one.
Pay increases
Each pay level has steps within it and you can move up those steps based on your performance review each year. This is explained in clause 4.4 of the collective agreement.
You can also qualify for a bonus payment if you make an outstanding one-off contribution or are at the top of your salary range and perform exceptionally well. This is covered in clause 4.5 .
If you achieve a qualification that is equivalent to level 6 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority framework and is relevant to your work, you will get a pay increase. This is covered in clause 4.7 .
You will be paid extra if you carry out duties at a higher level for a time. This is a higher duties allowance and is set out in clause 6.2 .
Leave
The different types of leave you are entitled to are covered in part 5 of your collective agreement.agreement .
Annual leave
You get 4 weeks’ annual leave each year, which is on top of the normal public holidays. You can carry forward up to 5 days of your annual leave to the next year.
Sick leave
Your sick leave allocation is 10 days each year ( clause 5.3 ), and you can use this to care for a sick family member (this is called domestic leave, clause 5.4 ). You can accumulate unused sick leave up to a maximum of 150 days.
Other leave
You are entitled to bereavement/tangihanga leave, as set out in clause 5.6 .
If you have worked at Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu since 22 December 1993, you may be entitled to long service leave and retirement leave.
This is explained in schedule A of the agreement.
Parental leave
You are entitled to parental leave, as set out in the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 .
Parental leave covers 4 types of leave.
- Maternity leave– mothers can get up to 16 weeks off work from around the time of birth or from the time you start caring for an adopted child.
- Partner/paternity leave– if your partner has had a baby or you have adopted a child together, you can take up to 2 weeks off.
- Extended leave– you may be able to extend your maternity leave for an extra 52 weeks.
- Special leave– while you are pregnant, you can have up to 10 days’ pregnancy-related leave.
You need to apply to your employer before taking parental leave. The usual notice required is 3 months but this can be reduced in some circumstances, such as if an adoption is arranged in a short time. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website explains how to apply for parental leave.
Parental leave payment
If you qualify for the parental leave payment, it is paid through Inland Revenue, so you need to apply for this payment and your school must confirm that you are entitled to parental leave. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website explains how to apply for parental leave payments.
If you work part time, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website can help you work out your parental leave payment.