Novopay backlog clearance unit set up

Stephen Joyce. Photo / Christine Cornege

A unit opens today focused on clearing the backlog of issues that have been caused by the Novopay payroll system.

Minister responsible for Novopay Steven Joyce announced an expanded Novopay Backlog Clearance Unit to speed up the clearance of issues created in the first six months of the payroll system would be set up.

The Backlog Clearance Unit will be made up of 100 staff from the Ministry of Education and Talent2 and will focus exclusively on clearing the backlog of work relating to previous Novopay pay periods.

That work includes salary assessments, calculation and recovery of overpayments, and the correction of errors from previous pay periods.

Mr Joyce said significant extra staff and resources over the last six weeks meant progress has been made with the processing of each pay period as it falls due. The next focus is to clear the backlog of outstanding issues from previous pay periods.

He said there were 40 people working on the backlog, and the new unit would employ 100 people.

The aim would be to clear the backlog within three months and the unit would remain in place for six months.

The new unit will be funded from the $5 million remediation fund Cabinet agreed to last month.