People and employment

This directory page connects you to information about being employed in a school. This includes employment agreements, and details about pay, leave and personal development.

Further reading is essential as there is mandatory action involved. Employment agreements should be referenced for further details.

The employment information linked to on this page may also help you to decide if you would like to begin, or continue, a career in schools.

Pay equity

Pay equity means that people are paid equally for doing work of equal value.

This can be a challenging concept because achieving pay equity means we have to compare the way that we value and pay for work that we perceive to be very different – such as teacher aides and correction officers.

By comparing the work and pay of female-dominated occupations with male-dominated occupations, pay equity ensures that workers in female-dominated occupations receive pay that properly recognises the value of the work that they do.

Become a teacher or return to teaching

Find information on how to become a teacher, return to teaching or find a teaching job. You'll also find information on registration, practising certificates and LATs, and information for teachers overseas who want to teach in New Zealand.

Principals and teachers

Employment information for principals and teachers of primary, secondary, area school, kindergarten, and Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu early childhood teachers. Also information about police vetting, performance management and scholarships, awards and funding for people working in schools.

Non-teaching staff

Employment information, including police vetting and performance management, for:

  • support staff
  • caretakers, cleaners and canteen staff
  • groundstaff
  • Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu specialist and support staff
  • special residential school non-teaching staff
  • Kaiarahi i te Reo, therapists, ATSSD and special education assistants
  • foreign language assistants, and
  • adult and community education staff.

See more through the link below.

Employment agreements

All collective agreements for:

  • principals and teachers of primary, secondary, area schools and kindergartens
  • Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu early childhood teachers
  • adult and community education staff
  • support staff
  • caretakers, cleaners, and canteen staff
  • groundstaff
  • Kaiarahi i te Reo, therapists, ATSSD special education assistants
  • employees at special residential schools and specialists and support staff at Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.

Also individual employment agreements, and special terms or conditions (concurrence).

Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement: Closedown guidance for schools 2023

Your school will need to manage and record other leave your staff may take during your closedown period. Education Payroll will be working to make the necessary changes to their systems.

In the meantime, the following information should help you to manage and record other leave taken during a closedown period. It also covers the implications of teachers’ annual holidays if they have taken other leave during a closedown.

How do teachers request other leave during a closedown?

Normal processes apply for family violence leave and bereavement leave.

Teachers notify the school, which will record the leave. Annual holidays not used because of the leave entitlement can be taken at a later date.

How does an employer record the leave taken during a school’s closedown period?

Family violence and bereavement leave must be granted if requested during a school’s closedown period. These are recorded using the EP12 form.

Forms – Education Payroll(external link)

What happens if a teacher is sick before the closedown and continues to be sick into part of the closedown?

In this circumstance, the teacher is entitled to sick leave during closedown.

Days taken as sick leave during closedown period will be deducted from their sick leave entitlement. Annual holidays will have to be taken at a later date.

  • Annual holidays are counted in weeks.
  • Sick leave is not deducted for the period leading into closedown when the school is not open for instruction. See STCA 6.2.3 (c) (i).
  • Medical certificates may still be required for sick leave of more than 5 consecutive calendar days. See STCA 6.2.5 (b).

Example

The school closes for instruction (Term 4 ends) on 8 December. Closedown starts on 18 December.

Teacher A reports sick from 11 December through to and including the 28 December. The teacher provides a medical certificate.

11 to 17 December are days when school is not open for instruction. These days are not recorded against sick leave entitlements.

18 to 28 December are 11 days within the closedown period. 2 of these are public holidays. 7 are weekdays.

Sick leave taken during closedown which started before closedown must be recorded against the teacher’s entitlement. STCA 6.1.3.(d)

The employer should record on the EP12 the period of absence as 11 to 28 December and record 7 days of sick leave. These are the 5 days from 18 to 22 December inclusive along with 27 and 28 December (2 days).

What if a teacher is sick during the closedown period?

It is unlikely they would notify the school or request sick leave. This would deplete their sick leave entitlement and goes against the advice provided by PPTA.

Such requests should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, if necessary, seeking advice from NZSTA.

What happens to annual holidays that need to be taken at a later date?

In the meantime, the school should keep a record of annual holidays to be taken at a later date. The employer and teacher then negotiate when these should be taken. The most likely time is in term breaks and within the calendar year.

If agreement cannot be reached, the employer can direct the teacher when to take the leave. If the latter, the employer must give the teacher at least 14 days’ notice. see STCA 6.1.3 (c).

More information

Changes to the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement 2022-25

If you have more questions, email ohumahi.support@education.govt.nz.

Pay, leave and personal development

Information about pay, allowances, superannuation, non-teaching time, leave, professional development, surplus staffing and leaving your job.

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