[Tui2too]

Trying to join this forum has been an exercise in patience! But I'm so glad to be making my first post finally! I have read extensively here, what a fantastic resource this forum is!

Ok to introduce ourselves: we are a Canadian family of five hoping to return to nz. We lived there briefly with a wp 7 yrs ago, the job was a disaster and everything that could go wrong did. We still miss nz (especially me) and think that now maybe going back we will be wiser to advoid some of the pitfalls we fell into before. But ..I find it hard to tell if its my rosy glasses on or not so I am hoping for some honest feedback from you folks :-)

We are considering a position that would mean a huge pay cut (as I understand most people do) but also little to no benefits (no pension etc) and no relocation...this has OH particulary worried as he is the sole $ provider (I provide the dreams and plans! ha ha). We would hopefully be bringing in about 300K nz (minus all our relocation and visas etc) from the sale of our house here (if/when it sells).

My main question is (and maybe I should be putting this on the "working in nz" part of the forum?) Is it reasonable to expect benefits (pension/health/dental) from a job in nz local or federal government? What about relocation? OH is a senior policy analyst here in Canada and willing to make sacrifices to live in nz but he's getting cold feet at the prospect of it costing us so much with no pension etc to fall back on later. We're just trying to be as prudent as possible (well, he is) because my heart and soul is already there.

[Helsandfamily]

Can't help, but welcome to the forum !
Hels

[migratory birds]

The health coverage will come thru the gov't health system. Dental does not. Maybe employers sometimes provide more.

Was visiting with a friend of mine near Wellington recently - asked about how the country cares for its elders. I'm thinking she said the gov't pension is about 60% of what a person earned prior to retiring (??). Anyway I think there's a federal pension provision.

Your husband may just want to hold out for a better offer. This friend, also a policy analyst, I believe, heads up a department within a government/federal agency has five positions open. She is hiring managers at (I believe she said) $125K annually...so good paying positions are available if he can find one that suits his needs/experience.

There have been many on this list (teachers, librarians, etc) who have reported their employers picking up relocation fees so hold on to that - know that it's possible!

It sounds like a significant enough paycut to let this offer go and keep striving for something that meets your needs straight out rather than taking the first offer.

[kanatakiwi]

Welcome to the forum.

I am a Canadian married to a kiwi and we moved to Auckland after my husband got a yearning to come home after 14 years in Canada. He works in the private sector, (law firm) and yes there is medical coverage but it is a group plan that you pay for , but provides get cheaper premiums through work. Not cheap, but probably comparable to what we would pay for BC medical in Canada, if it had not been free through working for BC government. The rates are:

They have just introduced something called Kiwisaver which is very pale imitation of an RRSP but its a start.

Government might provide pensions, (they always seem to have more generous benefits than the private sectors) but I havent heard of that, maybe someone who is working for govt can tell us, and I do have a friend who will know the answer in great detail so I will check for you. Superannuation for the old agers is probably equal to CPP and OAP in Canada. again not a lot but a basic living. The rates are:

Couple (both partners qualify) $426.24 weekly
Couple (one partner qualifies) $406.44 weekly
You qualify when you are 65.

Dental is very expensive in my opinion. Medical coverage is available through private schemes like southern Cross etc, as mentioned above. However I joined a local community health clinci and now get doctors visits for $10 and referrals to specialists if you are willing to wait, (wait time about the same as Canada) are very good. Medications only cost me $3 per prescription. Generall I think the medical system is good and if you pay the extra to get the private medical insurance, you will get use of private hospitals etc much more quickly, but I havent seen the need for that , touch wood.

You should be able to get a good paying job in government here. $300 k will not buy you a house here but will give you enough for a good mortgage and keep some aside for emergency funds.

Read the forum threads here on housing, it is uninsulated, often no double glazing, no central heating, so cold. You have to choose carefully to get a house that will not be cold and damp.

That said its a brilliant sunny morning here and I am looking out on the Waitemata harbour and its going to be a beautiful day. There is a mandatory four week annual vacation here, a good work culture, its a good place for raising kids, and there are opportunities for good healthy lifestyle.

I will get more info for you on pension plans for government workers.
Gloria

[kanatakiwi]

Further to this, I have found some info on a website which might be of interest
http://www.jobs.govt.nz/workingwithus/workingenvironment.aspx#pay

Looks like there is a voluntary retirement savings scheme, with matching govt contributions. Again it sounds to me a matched retirment savings plan rather than a fully funded indexed pension plan. But I'm not too good at this stuff so check it out yourself.
Gloria

More info on the plan at http://www.superscheme.govt.nz/AboutSSRSS/default.htm

[jo b]

Hi Tui2too,

Well all contractsare negotiable. i would suggest that your husband asks if they can offer health ins cover as part of his package. Considering it would be in NZ terms a kings ransom of a salary goes to show how much clout he has and probably doesn't realise it yet. Also when we emigrated 2 years ago my husband asked his company if they would either fund or paret fund his relocation expenses, their response was 'well we didn't do it for the other Brit guy'. My husband responded 'Did he ask for it?', 'Er no' came the reply. so they gave him $3k towards relocation fees.

If you don't ask you don't get.

Oh and best of luck

Jo

[Tui2too]

Thanks, everyone (this is Tui2too's husband)...and for those who haven't yet got to their keyboard: please feel free to add your say, as everything helps us to Reach A Decision.

From Tui2too's research, I seem to have two main choices in seeking employment in New Zealand that will give me the security I need as our sole breadwinner: both now, 10-15 years down the road, and well after retirement.

(a) Try for a high paying job as a policy analyst (or 'policy wonk', as we say here) in either Auckland or Wellington that comes with a pension, benefits and a reasonable relocation allowance - and endure much of the same thing we're trying to get away from ie. long communte, outrageously high housing prices, etc.

(b) ...or get a lower paying job in a smaller place (preferable!) but with a job that has at least ~some~ of the above benefits with none...well, fewer or even none of the drawbacks.

We're currently about 35 minutes from downtown Ottawa outside of rush hour, but 75 minutes away during gridlock time, and I calculate I'm spending 60 8-hour days each year just getting to work. Yikes! And the kids are approaching teenagehood, meaning ever more driving.

I/we'd love to hear from more folks who have either government work/employment experience, sage advice or stories to tell...or more advice like that above to say "Hey, it's workable, really". If you'd prefer to e-mail direct, I'm at => glennx@hotmail.com

Thanks!

[jo b]

Glen I have pm'd you you mayneed to put another few posts on to recvieve it though.

Oh can't pm you yet until you put a few more posts on.
Jo

[Tui2too]

Tui2too here (glenn's wife) great to hear from everyone. Nice to see a few other canucks about too! We spent the day buying kids winter boots (yuk) and wishing the sun shining on us was a nz sun. This living in limbo is stressful!

[Tui2too]

There was talk on the radio about how great the cdn economy is and how the states will probably go into a recession but we shouldn't feel it for once....maybe if this is such a great place to live we could convince some kiwis to immigrate here and we'll take their place there! Just kidding, would it were that simple ;-)

[Tui2too]

Thanks for the heads up Jo b

am posting away! :-)

[kanatakiwi]

Thanks for the heads up Jo b

am posting away! :-)

You could put a post in introductions telling us a bit about yourselves, where you are in Canada etc. :D that would likely result in a few more posts to your name. I forget how many you need before you can get and receive PMs.
G

[Tui2too]

Thanks kanatakiwi...
were you originally from kanata? We live not far from there, within ottawa city limits but in the country/woods. We have three kids (16, 12, 7) the eldest says he's 'not coming' and the two younger ones love the ocean/outdoors so they will be there with big smiles. My daugther (12) still has fond memories of walking to gymnastics in D'virke when we lived there 7 yrs ago! Our 7 yr old was made in nz, but missed out on being born there as we returned with it being a high risk pregnancy et al

I think I've made my required 5 posts for PMs!

We were just going over what oh makes here after tax/benefits (about half of his gross!) and what he'd make in nz after tax without any contributions to benefits it is downright scary. Thinking maybe we should wait and hold out for something better paid (but that will be giving up our first choice of where to live) He is researching kiwisaver as it seems that soon there will be mandatory contributions by employers too..not sure of details but I'll leave that up to him to figure out! -GRIN- in the meantime we keep working towards getting our house ready to put on the market. one step at a time-breathe- phew!

[kanatakiwi]

Kanata is the Maori word for Canada!. so no didnt live there, always lived in BC except for a stint in Ottawa.
Couple of items to add to the financial discussion. I'm sure you know this but you can keep your Canadian workplace pension and collect it at 55, 60 or 65. That's what I am doing and of course it translates quite nicely with the dollar exchange. You can also get CCP at 60 if you have worked for the required number of years ( think its 20). My husband chose to take his BC govt pension out as a lump sum because he had only worked there 7 years, and that was a nice nest egg also.
Tax is less here I think, although I dont know what it is at the higher end, but it seemed to me in Canada it was shockingly high for the upper pay brackets.
I am a little confused as to why your pay offer is not higher. Seems to me you should hold out for a better paying job offer. Most of the policy jobs will be in Wellington, but some in auckland, and other centres in the country so you should be able to find something where you want to live. I guess the other option is to take this offer and look for something else as soon as you are "in country". and don't owrry about the kids, they adjust, make friends very quickly.
G

[Tui2too]

Tax etc is high here, OH said his salary gross here is about 98K and we net only 57K (but some of that loss is premiums for pension, medical, union dues, unemployent, etc.) I was worried about grossing only 60 there and then paying taxes, kiwisaver, and whatever else gets skimmed off the top and wondering whats left but it seems it is considered a good wage in NZ.

He is considering this current job opportunity (not policy related at all) that he is interviewing for because it would be a career change. He's tired of pushing paper around for the fed gov't and getting nowhere with aboriginal issues, especially with Harper at the helm. Also the location in NZ is extremely attractive to us as a pre-retirement move, and is something we couldn't afford in any of the 'warmer' areas of Canada.

I just looked up the nz 'immediate skills shortage list' and found senior policy analyst listed there! One of the required qualifications listed was a Master's degree, which he doesn't have as the paper itself, although he's completed all the course work at the master's level. All this to leads me think that getting into NZ as a policy analyst (what he does here) would maybe be more difficult there.

Thanks for the CCP info, that is good news. He looked into getting his fed gov pension out now as a lump sum, and it wasn't possible.

Thanks!

[kanatakiwi]

He's tired of pushing paper around for the fed gov't and getting nowhere with aboriginal issues, especially with Harper at the helm.
Thanks!
His experience on aboriginal issues would give him entree into many occupations in NZ that require a sensitivity on indigenous issues and experience working with indigenous people. Lots of differences and many similarities between Maori issues and First Nations issues.

[Björnsdotter]

It is as kanatakiwi says:
Couple (both partners qualify) $426.24 weekly
Couple (one partner qualifies) $406.44 weekly
You qualify when you are 65.
******

employed by government: no extra retirement money
You need to save for your retirement.
you can only survive on 400 dollars a week IF you own your home and have money in the bank.
(grocery cost only for a week is 150-200 dollars and then add insurence, phone, car, electricity, rates, health)

retirement money is 21k a year.
I earn 35k a year and hardly make it.
(but then I have a small mortgage and cost to get to work)
(I had double income and 30% more buy power when in europe)