Government policies need to facilitate the creation of employment and business opportunities for those seeking work or promotion and encourage companies to train those seeking work. Government also needs to encourage entrepreneurs to remain in Australia and those offshore to relocate here. The way to do that is to ensure that Australia is the most attractive location for them – from both a business and lifestyle perspective. As regards the employer-employee relationship, we need government to get out oof the way. Both are consenting adults quite capable of making decisions themselves.
CLA will repeal most employment laws – there will be no statutory entitlement to a minimum wage or long-service leave and no statutory unfair dismissal laws. Earned long-service entitlements to the date the legislation is repealed will remain, will be retained. Employers may offer their employees such benefits. That’s entirely up to them – up to the employer and employee to decide. These arrangements will be contractual, not legislated.
Employment arrangements should be left entirely to the employer and employee to negotiate. Government should not interfere.
CLA’s general preference is for employment arrangements to be fair – on both sides. For example, if an employee wants the right to leave on giving 4 weeks’ notice, the employer should have a similar right – to terminate the employee’s services on giving 4-weeks’ notice.
Some argue that in many cases the employer has spent considerable money and effort on training the employee, only to find that after doing so the employee leaves for a higher paying job. In that case, should the employer have a right to recover that cost? CLA’s view is this is up to the employer and employee to negotiate at the time.
While in fulltime employment the employer has effectively paid for the employee’s mortgage, food, vehicles, holidays, school fees, and so on. Nobody is forcing the employee to work for any employer. It is up to the individual to decide whether to work for that company on the employment contract offered.