Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu specialist and support staff

If you work at Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu but you're not a teacher, you’ll be employed in a specialist or support staff role.

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 (IEA), with similar terms and conditions to the collective agreement.

Who's covered by the collective agreement

You're 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 Te Riu Roa).

Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement 2017-2019

Who's covered by the individual emplooyment agreement (IEA)

You need to sign an IEA if:

  • your work is covered by the collective agreement, but
  • you're not a member of the NZEI Te Riu Roa.

The Ministry of Education develops and publishes the IEA. The terms and conditions of your work are similar to those in the collective agreement.

Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Individual Employment Agreement [PDF, 16 KB]

Your pay

For information about your pay refer to 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.

Clause 4.2 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement

Pay increases

Each pay level has steps within it and you can move up those steps based on your performance review each year, as set out in clause 4.4 of the collective agreement.

Clause 4.4 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff 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, as set out in clause 4.5.

Clause 4.5 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement

If you achieve a qualification that's equivalent to level 6 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) framework and is relevant to your work, you'll get a pay increase as set out in clause 4.7.

NZQA framework (external link)

Clause 4.7 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement

You'll be paid extra if you carry out duties at a higher level for a time, as set out in clause 6.2.

Clause 6.2 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement

Leave

Leave entitlements are set out in Part 5 of the collective agreement.

Part 5 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective 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 and you can use this to care for a sick family member (domestic leave). You can accumulate unused sick leave up to a maximum of 150 days. These entitlements are set out in clause 5.3 and clause 5.4 of the collective agreement.

Clause 5.3 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement 

Other leave

You're entitled to bereavement/tangihanga leave, as set out in clause 5.6 of the collective agreement.

Clause 5.6 - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement 

If you've worked at Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu since 22 December 1993, you may be entitled to retirement leave, as set out in Schedule A.

Schedule A - Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement

Parental leave

You're entitled to parental leave, as set out in the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987. It applies to a birth mother, their partner/spouse and people who adopt a child aged under 6.

Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 - NZ Legislation website (external link)

Parental leave covers 4 types of leave.

  • Maternity leave – mothers can get up to 18 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've 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're 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, for example if an adoption is arranged in a short time. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) website provides information on how to apply for parental leave.

Parental leave - MBIE website (external link)

Parental leave payment

If you qualify for the parental leave payment, it's paid through Inland Revenue, so you need to apply for this payment and your school must confirm that you're entitled to parental leave. The MBIE website has information to help you work out your parental leave payments.

If you work part time, the MBIE website has information to help you work out your parental leave payment.

Parental leave - MBIE website (external link)

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