Hon Steven Joyce
Minister Responsible for Novopay

25 July 2014 Media Statement

Pay Period performance steady

Latest figures show the school payroll system maintained a steady performance for each of the last four pay periods.

Minister Responsible for Novopay Steven Joyce today released the reports on complaints and notifications received in regards to Pay Periods 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the schools’ payroll.

Pay Period 5 was paid on the morning of 28 May, and paid 89,299 people a total of $176.78 million. The report for that pay period shows complaints and notifications were received regarding 0.081 per cent of staff across the country. 18 staff were notified as not paid, 27 were overpaid, and 27 underpaid. Affected staff were from 59 schools or 2.44 per cent of schools in the payroll system.

Pay Period 6, was paid on the morning of 11 June, and paid 90,172 people a total of $178.43 million. The report for that pay period shows complaints and notifications were received regarding 0.095 per cent of staff across the country. 11 staff were notified as not paid, 35 were overpaid, and 40 underpaid. Affected staff were from 65 schools or 2.69 per cent of schools in the payroll system.

Pay Period 7 was paid on the morning of 25 June, and paid 90,355 people a total of $179.02 million. The report for that pay period shows complaints and notifications were received regarding 0.103 per cent of staff across the country. Sixteen staff were notified as not paid, 41 were overpaid, and 36 underpaid. Affected staff were from 79 schools or 3.26 per cent of schools in the payroll system.

Pay Period 8, was paid on the morning of 9 July, and paid 90,953 people a total of $178.92 million. The report for that pay period shows complaints and notifications were received regarding 0.044 per cent of staff across the country. 14 staff were notified as not paid, 11 were overpaid, and 15 underpaid. Affected staff were from 32 schools or 1.32 per cent of schools in the payroll system.

“All four pay periods were well within the 0.5 per cent acceptable steady state error rate as defined by the Novopay technical review, which is pleasing,” Mr Joyce says.

Mr Joyce says work continues to further improve the delivery of the school payroll system, including revising the service centre model and resolving outstanding overpayments and leave balances.

As at 18 July, there were 21,371 overpayments worth $22.5 million dating back to when Novopay first started. More than half of that debt ($13.7 million) has so far been repaid, and the current repayment rate is around $1 million a month. $194,700 of the debt has been written off (due to each debt being below $100). No-one is being referred to debt collection agencies.

^ This was higher due to the one-off voluntary bonding error
* Start of school year pay 2014
** Start of school year pay 2013
# This was higher due to one-off Principal Career Structure payment error
+ This was higher due to one-off Principal Leadership payment error

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