Media release
7 February 2013
Update on Pay Period 23
The first major payroll for the new school year was paid earlier this week with the Ministry of Education increasing the
level of staffing to respond to payroll issues and welcoming logistical support over Waitangi Day from the major banks.
Payroll company Talent 2 made payments totalling $143,872,810.73 to 74,373 school staff, and major banks facilitated 60
direct manual payments during Waitangi Day to help remedy some discrepancies.
Yesterday, the Ministry call centre received 228 calls and has received a further 102 calls today and 197 emails nearly
all from individual school staff, with some also from principals and payroll administrators on behalf of their staff.
Today the Ministry has processed a further 26 direct payments, and will continue to make direct payments to school staff
as we are made aware of non-payments or significant underpayments.
Talent 2 reported its call centre had received 88 calls up to midday on Waitangi Day and has received a further 434
calls by midday today.
The number of errors from this payroll is still likely to run to the many hundreds, particularly as the first one of the
year is always a challenging payroll, with large numbers of staff changing schools and new staff coming onto the
payroll.
The Ministry is compiling a full report for Minister Joyce in the coming days on the queries and complaints received in
relation to this pay period.
ENDS