

The ability to determine the terms and conditions under which a new starter will work will also allow employers to incorporate the flexibility to extend probation periods. This will enable the employer, where necessary, to terminate their contract on short notice. For example, a probationary employee may only be given the right to the statutory minimum notice period of one week, and the employer may decide not to apply their normal disciplinary and performance management procedures. When deciding the terms under which a new starter will be required to work, less favourable contractual rights will usually be granted than those that the individual will benefit from once they’ve successfully passed probation. For example, it would be reasonable to extend a 3 month probation period by a further 3 months. In these circumstances, this will very much depend on the nature of the role and the context in which the extension has been deemed necessary although, in most cases, it would be unusual for any extended timeframe to exceed the initial probationary period. This may be expressly provided for in an employee’s contract or, where contractual provision is made for an extension but the length isn’t prescribed, this will be entirely at the employer’s discretion. The initial probation period will then result in the employee either successfully passing their probation, failing and being dismissed, typically on short notice, or their probation being extended for a further period.Įqually, there are no set rules around how long any extended probation period should be.
#How to extend snagit trial period series
There’s no law prescribing the minimum or maximum length of a probation period although, for most permanent positions, this will be for between 3-6 months, allowing sufficient time for a series of performance reviews at set intervals throughout. This means that it’s not unreasonable to require new starters to undergo a set trial period before making any decision to make them a permanent or fixed term member of staff - with the enhanced contractual rights that are typically associated with long-term employment.

The reality is that it’s only ever really possible to assess how capable someone is, and how well they’ll integrate into the business and with colleagues, once they’ve actually started work. How well a person performs in interview or under assessment, and how well they appear to come across personality-wise, doesn’t always translate into practice.

We also briefly look at how any probation extension, including any subsequent decision to dismiss, should be dealt with.Ī probation period is a trial period designed to provide the employer with better insight into whether or not a successful applicant is suitable, both for the job role and the business.Įven though an employer may have already invested a great deal of time and money in assessing the suitability of a candidate - based on their application, interview(s), and even written or practical assessments - this doesn’t necessarily mean that the individual in question will perform to the required standards, or conform to the standards of conduct, expected of them. The following guide for employers examines the purpose behind these trial periods and the process involved, with a particular focus on how line managers can lawfully extend probation periods and the reasons they might have for doing this. Extending the probation period allows more time for the employee to meet their targets and performance standards. In practice, however, the initial probation period may not prove to be long enough for the manager to formally sign off the new employee as passing their probation, perhaps due to performance issues. Probation periods allow employers the opportunity to gauge whether or not they have the right person for a role.
