3-14 Support staff expenses (Retiring, long service and sick leave)
Since 1990 boards of trustees have been provided with funding for the employment of support staff through their operational funding. Support staff for the purposes of this reimbursement process means caretakers, cleaners, and, in secondary and area schools only, executive clerical staff. Primary administration staff are specifically excluded.
As part of their overall management, boards will be accrual-accounting for any leave entitlement liabilities incurred by the board from the employment conditions of its support staff.
There are instances, however, where support staff were employed by the board or its predecessor prior to 1 January 1990 and the employment agreements of these staff members include payments for long service, retirement and sick leave.
The Ministry recognises and funds entitlements for support staff in continuous employment in the education sector accrued for their period of service prior to 1 January 1990.
Employed after 1990
Boards must pay the full costs of any retirement leave, long service leave and sick leave accrued since 1 January 1990 for all board-employed non-teaching staff.
First employed before 1990
Support staff employed prior to 1990, who have remained in continuous employment at the same school since then, may have retirement, long service, and sick leave entitlements for their continuous service in the education sector prior to 1990.
The Ministry will meet the full costs of any entitlement from the employee's employment at the school for that portion of service prior to 1990. Boards are required to fund all entitlements arising from support staff employees' employment since 1 January 1990.
Where a support staff employee's sick leave entitlement includes an entitlement for the period of employment prior to 1 January 1990, the Ministry will meet the full costs of any relieving support staff brought in by the board to cover an absence. Costs will only be met for the leave entitlement for the period of employment prior to 1 January 1990. Once the entitlement generated by the employee's employment prior to 1 January 1990 is exhausted, no further reimbursements will be made.
Exception in case of redundancy
The Ministry will not accept any liability where a board of trustees makes a support staff member redundant. A redundancy is a discrete action over which the board has full control. The onus for all expenses rests with the board.
Establishing entitlement
Boards are advised to contact their Payroll Service Centre to establish any entitlement that may be due to an employee before committing themselves to any payment.
Requests to the Ministry
Requests to the Ministry for its share of payments should include:
- Type of leave; sick, retirement or long service
- Name of employee
- MOE Employment Number (if applicable)
- Position held
- Employment percentage
- Date of starting work at the school
- Current gross fortnightly salary
- For retirement leave, gross payment made
- For sick leave, advice on the sick leave accrued at 31 December 1989.
- A summary of leave and relief, copies of the timesheets for the staff member and pay sheets for their reliever.