Climate scientist Jim Salinger will decide in the next month whether or not to appeal an Employment Relations Authority ruling that the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) was right to fire him for talking to the media without permission.
Dr Salinger had a high public profile with Niwa before he was dismissed in April for serious misconduct over breaches of media policy. They included unauthorised interviews over three months with Radio New Zealand and TVNZ, as well as calling TV One weatherman Jim Hickey with a tip about Greymouth rivers being in flood.
Dr Salinger was seeking compensation for lost income up to 2012, with $104,000 in lost superannuation and $50,000 for humiliation and loss of dignity.
However, in his determination, authority member Leon Robinson said the dismissal was warranted because Dr Salinger had been given clear instructions at numerous meetings that others were to be used as spokespeople and he was to step back from that role.
"The authority also accepts the instruction given to Dr Salinger, and repeated, was legitimate, lawful and reasonable. It is an employer's right to determine how its interaction with the media is handled."
Mr Robinson said Dr Salinger's service over 27 years had been "largely distinguished", but there was no merit in his claim.
Dr Salinger said today he was not aware Niwa did not want him to speak on the organisation's behalf.
"As long as I followed the procedure and it (the comment) was on my own science, then that seemed to be fine," he told Radio New Zealand.
Dr Salinger said he needed to "consider options" but it was too early to know whether he would appeal the findings.
He has 28 days to make that decision.
"I don't think this is going away."
Dr Salinger said the timing of such a ruling was disappointing.
"It is a pity that some procedural thing tarnishes what is, I view, a very good working relationship with my science colleagues in Niwa.
"I think that it's important in the science world that we all work together because science is a collaborative venture."
The findings also raised questions about the future ease of access media would have to information from Niwa.
One interpretation of the determination was that a simple query would require two approvals "from fairly high up" before an answer could be given, Dr Salinger said.
"I'd be very concerned, if that's the case."
NZPA