He'd guarded the border since 1977 - then one return-to-work plan changed everything
After 45 years guarding New Zealand's borders, a senior quarantine officer lost his job - and most of his case.
The Employment Relations Authority ruled on October 6 that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was justified in terminating the long-serving officer on medical grounds after a prolonged absence spanning multiple health conditions. But the outcome was not a clean sweep for the ministry. The Authority found MPI had unjustifiably disadvantaged the worker - meaning it treated him unfairly without good reason - during a specific window in late 2023 when he was medically cleared to work but left off the roster without explanation.
The worker had been with border biosecurity services since 1977, starting as a port agricultural officer with the Ministry of Fisheries and eventually becoming a senior quarantine officer with MPI. The role was physically demanding - frontline work across passenger, cargo and mail border locations, rotational shifts including nights, and 11.5-hour days.
Trouble started in late 2022 when the worker went on sick leave. He did not return when his medical certificate expired in January 2023 and did not communicate with his employer about the absence. Over the next 12 months, MPI described his attendance as "patchy" and his communication as "inconsistent."
By September 2023, MPI had moved to a formal process. The worker's GP was...
A Wixom, Michigan, business accused of making false statements to obtain a loan has agreed to pay a settlement of just over $1.5 million after it was sued by the federal government, according to th...