The Secretary for Education defends Novopay

Email
Print

The Secretary for Education defends Novopay

3News NZ

Secretary for Education Lesley Longstone

Secretary for Education Lesley Longstone

Over the last two weeks Campbell Live has delved into the fiasco that is Novopay, the Ministry of Education’s new payroll system.

More than 100,000 people in the country are on the payroll, and some people remain unpaid after two months.

The Secretary for Education Lesley Longstone speaks to John Campbell to respond to complaints about the system.

Ms Longstone says she has "huge sympathy" for people who have had trouble with the system.

She says the Ministry is working to get the issues sorted.

Watch the video.

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

28/11/2012 11:32:04 p.m.

cyb_ed wrote:

Wait times .... remember that a help desk number is useless to teachers during school hours .... I can't contact them until it is a break. Then there will be a bulk of people all trying to get in touch during lunchtimes and break time. So put all the helpdesk people on during break times... they will be no use during school hours.

28/11/2012 11:24:53 p.m.

cyb_ed wrote:

Talked to a teacher on Friday - no pay since Noapay started. Another staff member at school received an extra $2000. She is part time and on a benefit, and what she earns is supplimentry. So she will have to pay the $2000 back .... BUT as it shows that she has already recieved this income her benefit is cut. I feel so sorry for her. She is already struggling to feed her kids.

1/11/2012 2:22:28 p.m.

Julie wrote:

End of Year Staffing (EOY) and Start of Year Staffing (SOY) - today we all received an email advising us of a "Training Road Show" that is going around the country to give us face to face training on these important features within NOVOPAY. What they haven't told us is that the EOY process (ie: filling in the forms online) needs to be done by the 19th November!!!!!. Guess when the Roadshow is in Wellington - TOMORROW, when were we advised - This morning!!! Where are the holding them: 1 in Porirua and 1 in the Hutt - What about Wellington City Schools - NOT GOOD ENOUGH NOVOPAY. How many school payroll administrators are going to be able to attend on such short notice - I can't! WHAT A FIASCO!

1/11/2012 10:46:28 a.m.

Brian wrote:

I agree with "LEFT TEACHING FOR A JOB THAT PAYS ON TIME :)" how about at least an 0800 number?? I am still waiting for this weeks pay, not in the bank yet, this after overpay, underpay issues already, the system and the NO TALENT team responsible for it should be held to account, along with the ministry for compensation to all teachers like us for our time wasted in sorting it, waiting, stress levels (financial and emotional), etc. No where else in the world would people put up with this rubbish service. I am now wondering what to live on for the foreseeable future, nothing left in the cupboards / fridge, so I guess it might be 'fresh air' from now until I get paid. What a wonderful place we live in 'NOT'. thanks Novopay :(

1/11/2012 9:51:01 a.m.

Bruce wrote:

$30 million implementation?? What a joke!!! OH, that probably sums it up well - A JOKE!! Fixed by year's end? I doubt it!! Frustration upon frustration from an Executive Officer.

30/10/2012 9:06:35 p.m.

Chris wrote:

Who drove the implementation of this "new" system. Where did they come from and where are they now??

30/10/2012 8:08:51 p.m.

Left teaching for a job that pays on time :) wrote:

Left teaching for a job that pays on time :) How is it that other large Govt Departments have great pay systems, I just left teaching to work in another Govt Dept and the new pay system is awesome! You even get to email and talk to people yourself, whereas Novopay has to be approached through a school pay representative. If Novopay allowed teachers to deal with their own pay.....it might get sorted faster. I have never understood why you can't talk directly about your own pay. What do they think will happen if they have conversations with their actual clients, the ones they are paying. Such a shame you have to give information through a 3rd party....its all the relaying of information where things are lost in translation I think, and where the delays occur. And yes....even though I have left teaching (over a month ago)....I am still waiting for payment from Novopay. I will be glad when I don't have to deal with them anymore, I am so sorry for all of the Teachers and Support Staff that will have to endure this long term. No one has mentioned the inadequate pay slips either....the old ones were a lot easier to read. Seems the old system never skipped a beat (not sure why it was apparently at its end) Maybe the ministry should have looked at who other big government departments were using and ask if they were happy with the service they were getting. I just love my new system!! I wish I had gotten out of teaching before Novopay started though, as then I would have escaped the nightmare that is NOPAY, NOMOREPAY, OHNOPAY. Give the teachers an 0800 number they can call directly - let them have the appropriate conversations so that they can have some reassurance that their issue is being dealt with, and the pay people can ask questions then and there instead of having to relay things through the pay officer. I am sure the pay officer would also appreciate that.....at least until the system is functioning properly. That would ease some frustration all round.

29/10/2012 8:43:24 p.m.

Sam wrote:

Imagine if this was WINZ using nova pay. "I need a food grant." "Why." "my benefit hasn't been paid yet." "Well you need to go to budgeting before we will even consider it," "but you guys have stuffed up." "but legislation states that if you have more than 3 special needs grants in a 12 month period then you need to provide a budget." "have I ever needed grant before till nova pay came in." "no you haven't but rules are rules, if you can't budget on no income then its not my problem."

29/10/2012 8:23:12 p.m.

Threshold wrote:

@JOHN, at the school I'm working at, there are 158 errors (and counting!) unresolved since it went live. What a useless system. The website is useless and not functional.

29/10/2012 8:15:52 p.m.

Threshold wrote:

I am an administrator and found that this is all embarrassing, ridiculous and waste of time. I couldn't do my job anymore as we have to stretch out our resources to resolve all these payroll issues caused by Novopay. Many.. as in MANY of our staff were overpaid, underpaid and worst of all, not paid at all since Novopay went live! Many of our staff have not been paid holiday pay at all. Also, reports are so inaccurate and bloody useless! I give you an example, the report show this employee will be paid by this amount coming pay day. Employee calls in and advised no payment was received in their bank account. Novopay is then contacted and confirmed that payment did go through.. soo where did the money go then? The employee has the bank statement to prove that no money was received! This is utterly a waste of time and waste of people's money!