Payroll Update 3 March 2022

 

Kia ora koutou

We are making changes to the fortnightly pay cycle, beginning in pay period 03 (20 April 2022). As it may require changes to office procedures for some schools, we are providing details well in advance. Please take some time to read the key information below.

Why is the pay cycle changing?

Our bank is moving to bank file technology that no longer supports 'stop-pays' and manual payments. These were both very manual processes. As a result, we've worked with the Ministry of Education to streamline the pay cycle, in line with payroll best practice. This new streamlined approach will lessen the need for adjustments and be more accurate, meaning fewer errors and overpayments. Visibility will also improve, and for the first time the SUE Reports will show all payroll payments for the pay period.

Some deadlines will move and there will be hard cut-offs for those online pay transactions that are immediately processed. We know that sometimes, despite best efforts, there will be instances where urgent payments need to be made to employees’ pay after cut-off. That is why we have added an Out of Cycle (OOC) pay option.

These changes are effective from the start of pay period 03 (20 April 2022 – 4 May 2022), the pay period during the school holiday break.

The key changes

1. With the manual pay facility being no longer available, urgent payments will be made through the new OOC payments process. Unlike stop pay adjustments and manual pays, the OOC payments will be included and clearly identified in your Staff Usage and Expenditure Report (SUE). This means that you can be confident that both the SUE and the School Annual Accrual Report (SAAR) will list all payroll payments made to employees.
   
   
2. During each pay period there will be two versions of the SUE report, instead of the current three.
   
   
3. The first SUE report will move from Thursday (day 9) to Friday (day 10). Adjustments to this SUE, via an EP31 (formerly a NOVO31), will be limited to correction of errors. The final SUE will continue to be issued on Tuesday (day 14).
   
   
4. New cut-off time for pay transactions that are processed immediately:
   After 5.30pm on day nine of the pay cycle (Thursday), EdPay pay transactions that are straight through processed (those that are processed immediately and not via a ticket), will be processed but not paid in the current pay period. They will be paid in the next pay period. Non-pay-impacting submissions, such as bank account and email address changes, will not be subject to this cut-off.
   
   
5. Termination pay will be a separate payment, on day one (Wednesday) of the next pay period.

Important definition - EdPay straight through processing (STP)

EdPay submissions that are processed immediately and can be seen in the Activity History with the status ‘successful’ are ‘straight through processed’ or STP. There is no ticket generated for these transactions.

Soon we’ll provide a list of STP features, so you’ll know which features will be affected by the day nine STP cut-off.

The streamlined and current pay cycles compared

Key pay cycle events from PP03 (20 April 2022)

Look out for more details

We’ll be continuing to communicate with you about these changes, so look out for emails from us, leading up to 20 April.

We’ll also be updating the pay cycle calendars and guidance on www.edpay.govt.nz

Please email any questions or comments you have about streamlining the pay cycle to feedback@edpay.nz

Ngā mihi

Education Payroll