No mass opt out for 90 day law

Kate Chapman at Stuff reports:

Public servants will not be forced to have a 90-day probation period but it will not be ruled out in their contracts.

Well done Kate for accurately reporting the policy, rather than the hysteria that 90 day probation periods will be compulsory.

All that has been stated is that no government agency will agree to a collective agreement that forbids probation periods. If they agreed to such a thing, it would effectively ban grievance free probation periods.

Instead each agency will decide whether or not to ask for a probation period, when hiring someone.

A spokesman for the State Services Commission said government departments were always required to enact government policy. However, it would be silly to assume the 90-day probation period would be applied to everyone in the state sector, he said.

“You go through these incredibly long and arduous recruitment processes to get the best people, you don’t then turn around to them and say: `Oh by the way, we’re putting you (on a probation period),’. It’s just common sense.”

Exactly.

Incidentially in the UK they have just extended the grievance free period for employees from 12 months to 24 months. Shows how moderate the NZ policy is.