Pay Equity

Updated 19 November 2018

This page aims to provide the most up to date and relevant information for providers to understand the mental health and addiction support workers pay equity settlement.  For any queries, or to add your details to our email updates list, please contact Platform Trust on 04 385 0385 or by email at support@platform.org.nz.

If you are new to the mental health and addictions settlement, please go to our About pay equity page for more information about the history of this settlement.  For more information about the settlement and eligibility, please read the settlement agreement on the Ministry of Health’s website and our Settlement detail page.

This page gives a brief outline of important aspects of implementation of the settlement.

Key points

• The settlement funding is for a period of five years from 1 July 2017.
• The settlement is not yet in legislation, but it is intended that it will be early in 2019.
• Any employee who meets the definition of a support worker under the settlement will be eligible for the new rates, no matter what their qualification level.  The settlement does not only apply to support workers with a Level 4 Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (or equivalent qualification).
• Equivalency of qualifications can only be determined by the industry training organisation, Careerforce.
• All support workers who are eligible for the settlement (both union members and non-union members) are included in the settlement.

Funders' implementation

MOH and DHB contracts

On 20 June 2018 the Ministry of Health sent out a confirmation and agreement form for providers to sign in relation to acceptance of the settlement for Ministry of Health or DHB contracts.  This was due back to the Ministry by 6 July 2018.  Funding from the Ministry was received by providers on 27 July 2018 (or no later than 1 August 2018). 

Staff backpay needed to be paid within one month of providers receiving funding.  Providers were required to pay staff at the new rates from the first pay period following receipt of funding.

Providers also received advanced interim payments for the 2018/19 year first quarter (July-September) and then further payments for two months in October and November to continue to fund the costs of implementing pay equity until it was included in contracts.  Any DHBs who had contracts due to end on 30 June 2018 were advised to vary the contracts to end at the end of September continuing the 2017/18 contract rate.  They were then varied again.  The intention is that funding will be included in contracts from 1 December 2018.

Other funders

Other funders issued contract variations to cover pay equity and will incorporate funding into contracts from 2019 onward.  Please contact Platform on support@platform.org.nz or 04 385 0385 if you have questions or concerns about contracts with other funders.  You can also contact the funder directly with contact details provided on our Pay equity contacts page if you have any questions about their processes.

Key messages for employees

• Your employees should be made aware that if they use their first year fees free entitlement to cover training related to the pay equity settlement, it is unlikely that they will be able to use it again in the future if they intend to study further.