THE Employment Relations Act 2007 does not cover probationary work, part time work or temporary work.
Minister of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Jone Usamate clarified this while speaking during his Northern public consultation recently.
In a Government statement issued this evening, Mr Usamate said employers must understand that the law does not only cover two types of employment; the definition of a worker under the law includes apprentices, learners, domestic workers, part-time workers and casual worker.
“Furthermore, although the law is silent on probationary periods, the terms and conditions for workers are clearly stipulated in the Act.
“Probationary period is at the discretion of the employer to assess the performance of a worker under a contract of service,” he said.
“The first three months of employment is a qualifier for a worker to receive other employment entitlements such as 10 days sick leave, three days bereavement leave; the new provisions like the five days paternity leave and five days family care leave will be effective from January 1, 2019.
“Workers and employers must clearly understand this and seek clarifications from the Ministry if they are unsure of any issues related to their terms and conditions of employment.”
