What Is A Key Information Document?
A Key Information Document (KID) is a legal requirement in the UK that must be provided to supply teachers if they are planning to work in schools via a teacher supply agency. If you’re a supply teacher it contains the essential information about your employment and should be carefully studied before you agree to terms with a supply agency. The document is intended to increase transparency, particularly concerning pay, and to help supply teachers make informed decisions. For example if you have signed up to more than one agency their Key Information Documents could be compared in order to work out which offer the most valuable terms.
What Must A KID Contain?
The KID must include key information such as the name of the employment business, the type of contract and who will be responsible for paying you.
(You may think this is obvious but a number of supply agencies use umbrella companies to manage PAYE functions and therefore you may actually be employed by the umbrella. Be aware that in such circumstances their fees are likely to erode into your take home pay.)
The other key pieces of information that a KID should contain are;
Statutory deductions including tax and national insurance contributions
Administration fees
Holiday entitlement
Sick pay
Additional benefits.
Expect To See An Example Pay Statement
Your KID is required to include a representative example of a pay statement. The example uses real numbers to demonstrate how deductions will affect your take-home pay, even if the figures are not the exact final amounts you will receive. This will provide financial transparency allowing you to get a visual on deductions such as tax, national insurance and administration charges including umbrella fees. What it will not include is the commission made by the agency. This does not have to be legally disclosed as agencies state such information is commercially sensitive. But it should give you a clear comparison of your gross versus net pay.
When To Expect Your KID
This may vary but you should receive a KID from the agency as one of the first documents you get after registering. It is very important to understand that you should not under any circumstances commence work without having received the document. This is because you should only agree terms with the agency once you have had time to study the document.
When A KID Is Updated
A new KID is not required for every new assignment you take on so don’t expect to see one every time you take on work in a different school. Instead, it should be updated and re-issued as soon as there is a significant change to the information within it. When this happens a minimum of 5 business days should be given before any such changes are implemented.
Who Is Responsible For The KID?
It is the responsibility of your supply teaching agency to issue the KID to you, even if an intermediary, such as an umbrella company, is involved in your payment process. The agency is also required to provide a copy of the KID to any third-party company involved in your pay.
If you are ever concerned about the information detailed in a Key Information Document or if you have not received one then we would advise that you contact an education union for support.
