First pay of the year

The short version:

The new pay year for teachers starts from January 28, but you must be paid for any days you work prior to that date.

That is, if you are:

1)   a new or beginning teacher, a teacher who is returning after an absence, or you didn’t work a full year last year; and

2)   you have been required at school prior to January 28

…then you must be paid for any days that you were required at school before the January 28, and the school must notify payroll of this.

New and beginning teachers, click here for salary assessment tools.

For end-of-year and start-of-year school dates, click here.

The long version:

The official school year for pay purposes is 28 January to 27 January. Term dates that determine when the school actually opens and closes for the instruction of students differ from year to year. Boundaries to school’s decision-making in this respect are set out in secondary legislation.

You earn your holiday pay for the school year during the four terms. You generally won’t get paid more than 100 percent of salary.

If you are a first-year teacher starting a job before January 28, you must be paid for the days you are required in the school before that date, as you are effectively being employed for part of the previous school year. In those circumstances, your salary can start at an earlier time (when other teachers are still being paid holiday pay).

If you started early and have not been paid, then let your school know they need to tell payroll to pay you for the days before January 28. If the school does not do this, or there is a problem with payroll, then contact your local PPTA field officer.

If you are not a first year teacher and your school wants you to come in before January 28, the situation is different because you already earned your year’s pay in the previous terms. This can also cover a teacher moving from one permanent contract to another.

You can’t earn extra, but the school cannot require your return to school prior to January 28 (when the new school year starts for pay purposes) except in very specific circumstances.

Unless your school opens for instruction prior to 28 January (which is unusual but occasionally possible),  your school can only require you to return before January 28 if they officially call you back, citing one of the following STCA clauses:

a)    Clause 5.6.2 for professional development: If you have not already done 25 hours of PLD out of school time already in the previous four terms/holidays, you can be called in under this clause

b)    Clause 5.6.3 for administration, preparation, coordination, meetings, and so forth. If you have not already done 25 hours of PLD out of school time already in the previous four terms/holidays, you can be called in under this clause.

Where this applies (and your are called back before the school formally opens), your school must give you adequate notice, consider your personal circumstances and determine if the call back is relevant to you as an individual. Actual and reasonable expenses remain payable for any callback days that happen outside of the term dates set by the Minister for Education (see STCA, clauses 5.6.4 and 5.6.5).  

If your school does not   use the callback clauses when asking you back before January 28, or if you have done your 25 hours of PLD callbacks during the last four terms/holidays, your school does not have the authority to require you to attend school. Exceptions apply where the school is open for instruction prior to 28 Jan- which can happen in rare circumstances.    

If you are told you are to return during a school holiday, contact your local PPTA field officer to clarify whether or not your school has the authority under the STCA to issue that instruction or not.