The Government has won support from at least one quarter as its controversial expansion of workplace probation laws draws protests.

Federated Farmers is backing the extension of the 90-day provision to all employers, the announcement of which sparked heated protests at the National Party conference in Auckland on Sunday.

The scheme, which allows employers to hire staff on a 90-day trial basis, only applied to businesses of less than 20 people when it was introduced.

That’s now been widened to include all companies, and Feds employment spokesman David Rose says that’s great news for the agricultural sector.

“It could be that you get someone working in the team, and for whatever reason they might not fit in – and you get the others in the team having to carry them.

“Having something simple like this just allows people to move on, and it’s a two way street – it lets the employee move on. I don’t understand all thehoo-ha over this frankly.” 

Mr Rose says while most farm employees fell under the old rules, the expansion will be of most benefit in downstream processing.