Students may be discouraged from studying Nursing following changes to pay equity legislation, lecturer says

Massey Nursing students say they feel discouraged about entering Aotearoa’s health workforce following Government changes to pay equity laws that have wiped out a claim for thousands of nurses.  

The changes, introduced by workplace relations minister Brooke van Velden, have scrapped 33 existing pay equity claims, which will now need to be restarted under tougher criteria.  

Head of Massey’s Nursing School, Nicolette Sheridan, said the amendment to the Equal Pay Act could discourage students from studying Nursing.  

“Some students may decide now is not the time to become a nurse.”  

 “Students who consider nursing as a career commonly want to help others, but salary will play some part in their decision.” 

She said the change in legislation will disproportionately impact women and undermine the nursing profession.  

“Halting existing pay equity claims and making it harder to lodge new ones undermines nurses and is unjust.”  

Two years ago, nurses employed by Health New Zealand (HNZ) successfully claimed pay equity and received a salary boost. However, this settlement only applied to nurses employed by HNZ, leaving out thousands working in primary care, hospice, aged care, and Plunket services. 

Around a year ago, those nurses filed their own equity claim. Now, that claim has been derailed. 

Of New Zealand’s 63,000 nurses in 2024, only around 29,000 were employed by Health NZ. That left more than 33,000 nurses — over half the workforce — still earning up to 20% less. 

As nurses can earn more in hospitals, Sheridan said there was a risk that new graduate nurses may not consider working in primary and community care — including primary mental health where staffing is short.  

In March, the Minister of Health announced a funding boost for the primary and community sector to support the placement of 400 new graduates.  

However, Sheridan said this funding boost did not address the pay equity gap.  

Sheridan said that while this is a setback, it isn’t the first. She encouraged students to embrace Nursing as a career and make difference in people’s lives.  

Nursing students spoken to by Massive under the condition of anonymity due to fear of future job opportunities, echoed Sheridan’s concerns.  

One Nursing student said, “I decided to become a nurse to help those who needed help the most. But it doesn’t seem like anyone is trying to help us.”

Another student believed the move was “outrageous”.  

They continued, “Our government is failing us, and it feels like Health New Zealand is turning a blind eye because they’ve already had their claim accepted.” 

Under the amended legislation, female claimants can only compare their work to similar male-dominated industries. The workforce making a claim also must be 70% female, and the claim must have merit and not just be arguable.  

A petition calling the Government to reverse the changes and delivery full pay equity had over 73,000 signatures, launched by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation.