Employer contributions
Compulsory contributions
From your first whole pay period after 1 April 2008 your employer will be required to make compulsory contributions to your KiwiSaver scheme if:
you're 18 or over, and
contributions are being deducted from your salary and wages (with some exceptions).
Example 1:
If you're paid weekly on a Wednesday for the previous week, you won't receive an employer contribution for the period from 26 March 2008 to 1 April 2008 (paid on Wednesday 2 April 2008). You will receive your first employer contribution on 9 April 2008 for the period from 2 April 2008 to 8 April 2008.
Example 2:
If you're paid fortnightly on a Tuesday for the previous fortnight, you won't receive an employer contribution for the period from 25 March 2008 to 7 April 2008 (paid on Tuesday 8 April 2008). You will receive your first employer contribution on 22 April 2008 for the period from 8 April 2008 to 21 April 2008.
Your employer will start by paying an extra 1% of what you earn to your KiwiSaver scheme, rising by 1% each year up to a maximum of 4% by 2011. Here's a quick breakdown of the compulsory employer contributions:
Date from % of your gross salary or wage
1 April 2008 1%
1 April 2009 2%
1 April 2010 3%
1 April 2011 4%
There are some exceptions, for example, if you already receive an employer contribution to another superannuation scheme
The Government will give your employer up to $20 a week to help them meet the cost of making contributions, so in the first year it won't cost your employer anything if you earn less than $104,000 a year.
Initially, your employer's compulsory contributions must be on top of your regular pay. This means that if you have agreed to a total remuneration package, the compulsory employer contributions must be paid on top of that package. Your take-home pay should not be reduced because your employer is making a compulsory contribution.
Over time, employer contributions may effectively form part of the wage negotiation process, which will be for you and your employer to agree mutually. The Employment Relations Act 2000 requires all employers to act in good faith in their negotiation process and employment agreements.
ACC and paid parental leave
If you're a KiwiSaver member receiving ACC or paid parental leave, you won't receive employer contributions from ACC or us.
Sharing contributions
If your employer agrees, their contribution can count towards your minimum contribution of 4%. This means that:
until 31 March 2010 you could contribute 2%, matched by your employer contributing 2%
from April 2010 you would both need to contribute 3%, and
from April 2011 onwards you would both need to contribute 4%, as set out below:
Year Minimum employee contribution Minimum employer contribution Total contribution
1 April 2008 to 31 March 2010
2%
2%
4%
1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011
3%
3%
6%
1 April 2011 onwards
4%
4%
8%
You will need to discuss and agree to this option with your employer before you can start paying less than the minimum.