Rather than increase labour mobility, as the government intends, the 90 day fire at-will-law will make people more reluctant to change jobs. That is the view of the TEU national secretary Sharn Riggs, in her submission to the Industrial Relations Select Committee this week.

Ms Riggs believes that the 90 day fire-at-will provision in the government’s proposed new employment laws will scare some of the world’s best academics off taking the risk of working in New Zealand.

“Tertiary education employees will be at their most vulnerable when changing jobs, and this will make them more reluctant to move here. Many New Zealand academics may decide it is safer to take an overseas job offer as their next career step, leaving New Zealand for better job security overseas.”

Ms Riggs is also worried that many immigrants will be reluctant to undertake the considerable risk and upheaval to come to New Zealand if they are aware their new employment may be subject to a 90-day no-rights trial.

“New Zealand recruits a significant proportion of academics from overseas – we actively seek to learn from their knowledge and experience.  However tertiary institutions will find that their opportunity to recruit excellent overseas candidates diminishes, because academics will be unwilling to risk moving here with such uncertainty around their continued employment.”