Yet another systems breakdown in NZ

The new Novopay system for teachers, which took years of palnning, has been rechristened Nopay by Winston Peters, having persistently failed to pay thousands of teachers for weeks on end, causing immense hardship and taking up to half of some principals' time. The Education Department faces a massive bill, both for penalties incurred when teachers' mortgage and other payments have failed, and -if there is any justice – in interest for the withholding of all monies owed. Principals are also billing for the extra time they've had to spend on admin cock-ups rather than on children's education. This may not be a hub of excellence.

Jane Clifton, the Listener

One woman has not been paid for 3 ½ months, the entire length she has been employed at her school

NZ: the Novopay debacle

Christmas pay assurance given

Radio NZ,

14 November, 2012

Associate Minister of Education Craig Foss says he has been assured teachers will get their Christmas pay, despite ongoing problems with a new pay system.

Mr Foss told Morning Report the Ministry of Education has assured him that all personnel will be paid as they should be at the end of the year.

He said teachers have the right to be paid properly and he understands many have no faith in the new system.

Mr Foss said the company is paying the price for its mistakes. He said that while the financial penalty that Talent2 will pay is commercially confidential, it is paying for the errors.

Pay to 92,000 employees was deposited overnight, but schools are expecting more problems.

The Novopay system has been beset by problems since it was introduced at the end of August. There were 8000 errors in the first two pay periods.

The Ministry of Education says it is working hard to improve it, but principals say school pay reports indicate there will be more mistakes in the pay that went into bank accounts overnight.

Auckland Primary Principals Association president Jill Corkin says they are also worried there will be problems with holiday pay at the end of the year.

Principals Federation vice-president Phil Harding said the Ministry of Education and Novopay don't seem to understand the scale of the problems being caused by the new system.

He said schools will feel confident about the new system only when they see the information they enter into it, resulting in correct reports and correct pay.

Mr Harding said schools should receive some financial compensation.