Find out if you're covered by the School Caretakers', Cleaners', Canteen or Ground Staff Collective Agreement. Learn what pay, allowances, leave and other benefits you’re entitled to.
This page supports boards, caretakers, cleaners, canteen and ground staff to understand the rights and responsibilities that are associated with their roles, as stated in a staff member’s employment agreement.
If you work at a school as a:
Caretakers, cleaners, canteen and ground staff in state and state-integrated schools and kura are covered by the terms and conditions of:
The rights and responsibilities specified in an employment agreement must be adhered to.
You're covered by the collective agreement if:
You need to sign an individual employment agreement (IEA) if:
The Ministry of Education develops and approves the IEA. The terms and conditions of your work are similar to the collective agreement.
You may be able to negotiate with your school board to have some different terms and conditions from those in your employment agreement. For example, you may agree to be paid a set weekly figure with an amount included to cover various allowances that would be paid irregularly. This is usually done to simplify your package of pay and allowances.
Your employer can not use this process to negotiate terms that disadvantage you or provide you with lesser conditions than the collective agreement.
Before you negotiate different terms with your employer check clause 1.4.2 of the collective agreement.
It is important that any variation in the terms and conditions of your agreement is properly recorded and signed by you, your union representative and a board representative. If you only have a verbal agreement with your employer, put it in writing as soon as possible.
Make sure the variation agreement clearly states the individual components of your pay package.
The New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) provides guidelines and a template you can download and use to record variations to the terms of your agreement.
For information about your pay refer to clause 2.2 of the collective agreement.
The current minimum hourly rate is $23.70 an hour. Your school board may offer to pay you more than this.
For information about your pay refer to clause 3.2 of the collective agreement. Grade 1 and grade 2 caretakers will be paid a minimum hourly rate of $23.70.
The definition of whether you are a grade 1 or grade 2 caretaker as set out in clause 3.1.
You're a grade 1 caretaker if you:
You're a grade 2 caretaker if you do all the tasks of a grade 1 worker but also are able to do maintenance that would normally be done by a registered or qualified tradesperson.
You're an assistant caretaker if you help a grade 1 or 2 caretaker with their duties.
You may be paid more if you are in charge of other caretakers as set out in clause 5.1B of the collective agreement.
For information about your pay, refer to clause 4.2 of the collective agreement:
The current minimum hourly rate is $23.70. Your school board may offer to pay you more than this.
You are a senior groundskeeper if you are:
You are a groundskeeper if you work on your own taking care of the school grounds.
You are an assistant groundskeeper if you work under a senior groundskeeper.
You are a grounds labourer if the work you do does not require much knowledge or experience and you are not assigned responsibility for tasks.
Allowances are covered in part 5 of the collective agreement.
These allowances may include:
You can also get an allowance if you do a job that is paid at a higher rate. For example, if you are an assistant caretaker and you do the caretaker’s job while they are away.
You can also get a fire lighting allowance of $1.36 a day as set out in clause 2.3.
You can get an allowance of $3.09 a day if you have to operate a boiler and $4.50 a day if you have to care for a swimming pool, as set out in clauses 3.3 and clause 5.3 of the collective agreement.
Also see appendix A for information about handling pool chemicals.
Leave entitlements are set out in part 6 of the collective agreement.
You get 4 weeks’ annual leave each year and you must take this when the school is closed (that is, not in term time). This is on top of the normal public holidays, which are paid days off. You also get Easter Tuesday as a paid day off in your first 10 years of service.
You must take all your annual leave in the year it's due – you can’t carry it forward.
For more information refer to clause 6.4 of the collective agreement.
A sick leave allocation of 10 days each year is set out in clause 6.1 of the collective agreement.
You can also use this to care for a sick family member as set out in clause 6.1.
Disregarded sick leave was agreed as part of the latest settlement of the School Caretakers', Cleaners', Canteen and Ground Staff Collective Agreement.
This means that staff who fall under the coverage of these agreements and who contract a notifiable infectious disease (as listed in part 1 of schedule 1 of the Health Act 1956) may be eligible for disregarded sick leave if they are required to isolate. COVID-19 is a notifiable infectious disease.
Disregarded sick leave does not apply to leave taken before 14 November 2022 if the staff member is on the collective agreement, or to leave taken prior to the date of signing the Ministry-developed IEA if the staff member is not a union member.
You are entitled to bereavement/tangihanga leave as set out in clause 6.2 of the collective agreement.
Retirement leave is set out in clause 2.6 and clause 3.8 of the collective agreement.
Family violence leave is set out in clause 6.8 of the collective agreement.
Parental leave is granted by the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987.
It applies to a birth mother, their partner/spouse and people who adopt a child aged under 6.
Parental leave covers 4 types of leave.
You need to apply to your employer before taking parental leave. The usual notice required is 3 months but this can be reduced in some circumstances, such as if an adoption is arranged in a short time.
The Employment New Zealand website explains how to apply for parental leave.
If you qualify for the parental leave payment, it is paid through Inland Revenue. You need to apply for this payment and your school must confirm that you are entitled to parental leave.
If you work part time, information on the Employment New Zealand website can also help you work out your parental leave payment.
Both you and your employer must follow the correct processes and procedures to manage your resignation, dismissal or retirement.
Last reviewed: 25 June 2024 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback
