Staff Benefits

Work-life balance and flexible working

We are committed to providing our employees with an excellent work environment by implementing flexible employment practices and conditions that foster a harmonious balance between work, personal life, and family.

Professional staff follow a 37.5-hour work week with 7.5-hour workdays, ensuring a reasonable and manageable workload. Moreover, many of our positions allow for flexible start and finish times through our flexible hours’ policy, enabling you to align your schedule with what suits you best.

Depending on the specific demands of your role, we also provide the opportunity to work from home for a portion of the week. This arrangement takes into account the evolving nature of work and acknowledges the potential benefits of remote work.

By prioritizing flexibility, we strive to create an environment that supports our employees’ well-being and empowers them to achieve healthy work-life integration.

Take time out when you need it

Five weeks annual leave
We understand the importance of balancing work, life and family and as such, provide five weeks of annual leave for all staff.

Leave Plus
In response to requests for more flexible working benefits, the University introduced a pilot scheme providing staff with the option of either buying or cashing up one week of annual leave. This means that if you have a contractual entitlement to five weeks’ annual leave and you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be able to choose whether to take four, five or six weeks of annual leave each year, depending on whether you cash up leave, do nothing or buy leave.

Parental leave
The University is committed to supporting parents and parents of new babies. In addition to the government’s payment, the University offers eligible staff the option to take nine weeks of their parental leave on their full salary.

Research and study leave
Eligible academic staff, can apply for research and study leave. It offers a break from teaching and administrative duties to pursue University-approved research and study programmes that support academic staff to develop their careers further, enhance their research and teaching performance and contribute to the academic reputation of their academic unit and the University.

Long service leave

Professional staff are entitled to special holiday leave of four weeks on completion of 20 years of continuous service within the University.

Benefits

Superannuation

Unisaver scheme: Permanent and fixed-term staff with contracts for over two years qualify to sign up for our University superannuation scheme – Unisaver. If you do decide to contribute to Unisaver, the University will contribute up to 6.75% of your salary to the scheme. Depending on which fund you sign up for, you can draw this money down for a first home purchase, retirement or when you leave the University.

Develop your talent

Tupu and ADPR: We believe in nurturing and growing talent. Our professional staff Performance and Development framework is called Tupu (to grow, develop or prosper) and reflects our intent to support the growth and development of University staff.

ADPR is the Academic Development and Performance Review framework.

Career Development courses: To support you in your career, we offer a wide range of different courses for professional and academic staff.

Studying at the University of Auckland: If you are deciding on undertaking some study, you may be eligible for study leave and, depending on the nature of your study, be eligible for a fee remission.

Support for parents

Early childcare centres: Take advantage of our discounted five childcare/early childcare education centres and two kohanga reo that provide a safe and nurturing environment for children.

We have a range of “Combining a career and parenting” seminars to inform and support staff to successfully combine parenting and a career.

The University provides designated rest spaces for staff returning to work after parental leave.

Health and wellbeing

The University partners with Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a counselling service, to provide complimentary counselling sessions to support staff through a range of work or personal aspects.

Health: Free flu jabs are provided to staff, along with discounted health insurance and eye testing.

Fitness classes and groups: Partially subsidised membership for the recreation centre, which hosts a range of programmes and classes. There are free activities to help staff keep active such as walking and running groups. They also offer the award-winning BeneFit corporate wellness programme.