Hi

So, today is the final day of my probation period which lasted six months. I’ve got a fairly junior manager who has told me that my probation will be extended by 3 months. My previous review in February stated that my employment should be confirmed asap however HR said that the probation should run to the end.

I’ve met my objectives that were set and felt fairly secure.

The reason for the extension is that I haven’t done an NPI project. This requirement is new and was given to me today. There wasn’t an available project during my first six months. So, they want me to complete an NPI project by the end of the extension.

My contract doesn’t have a probation extension clause, nor does the company employment hand book.

Where do I stand?

Are there any benefits that don’t kick in until you’ve completed your probation period?

If so, make a fuss

If not then it doesn’t make your employment any more secure. They can get rid of you on a whim for the first two years.

Where do I stand?

In the first 6 months? Not very well in theory. In practice it needs a proper discussion but you’ve not got much legal clout so early in your employment, you may find a reasonable outcome isn’t so difficult regardless of “where you stand” . In practical terms what is the effect? Is it worth the agro of fighting it?

Not a lot you can do really apart from suck it up

I would want a minuted meeting as to the reason for the probation extension and what objectives you need to meet to get the post full time

Might be worth a word with HR but go very gently when you do.

Ianal either but what difference will the extended probation actually make given employers can bin your off quite easily in the first year?

Where do I stand?

On probation, for 3 months, whilst working on an NPI project.

Unless you don’t really like where you’re working and fancy a change.

It’s naughty slipping in another target at the end. Maybe ask why this wasn’t included in with you were initially required to do.

Employers can be idiots sometimes. Currently put in an official complaint after a complete hash has been made of what should be a simple re-grade – and it’s not even worth much. 4 post holders, 7 jobs. They have decided all 4 of us are ring fenced to two same grade jobs, but the other 5 jobs (which we are doing now) are significantly different (they are not), so we are at risk of redundancy. I’ve complained as a similar set of colleagues didn’t have to go through this process at all.

Ianal either but what difference will the extended probation actually make given employers can bin your off quite easily in the first year?

Depending on your contract and Ts and Cs, ending probation can trigger contractual rights that are stronger than your statutory rights.

Depending on your contract and Ts and Cs, ending probation can trigger contractual rights that are stronger than your statutory rights.

Yep this was the case with mine. 12 month probation period, but boss signed me off early (<7 months) at which point i was then eligible for pay increments and had full contractual rights. Another manager who’s a bit poo at their job had their probation extended out to 18 months so didn’t get the increment and was at risk of getting the hoof as they didn’t get the contractual protection

It’s naughty slipping in another target at the end.

When my dad started a new job with a an education authority between interview and first day on the job there was a sort of mission creep.

The job he’d applied for covered the areas of ‘Art and Design’, but during the run up to being in post this started being referred to in correspondence as ‘Art, Design and Technology’ then next  ‘Art Design Technology and Domestic Science’, then next  ‘…… and Special Education’,  then next ‘…….. and excluded pupils’

His first day in post was at a large sector wide conference and he was invited to speak at it. In introducing him, his boss wheeled off all the fields he was in now charge of and added a new one by saying “… and he’s also responsible for all the pregnant teenagers in Greater Manchester”

I’m at a bit of a loss for words, considering I met my targets and covered the laboratory as a few staff have left recently. It is tempting to make a fuss, but I’d rather move on to a business aren’t so sneaky!

Finances mean that I need to stay until the end of my house rental contract, but it is difficult to see my long-term future there. The plus side is that a probation contract has a week’s notice, so i can leave fairly quickly. If anybody is looking for a materials engineer at short notice, MIP.

Once upon a time I was a junior manager. One of my team reached the end of their probation period, but my boss repeatedly told me to extend it. A short while later they offshored the team and made redundancies.

The person in question saw the way the wind was blowing and jumped ship to a very nice, very well paid, job in the US and is now very happy.

Is it quite a junior position? If so I’d probably give them the benefit of the doubt and that things didn’t align properly for you to be able to tick all the boxes during the initial probation period. They should be handling it better, explaining clearly the reasons and that it’s not a reflection of your performance to date (assuming it isn’t).

If a more senior position, especially if you have other options open I’d probably kick up a bit more of a fuss and make sure they knew how poorly I felt they were treating me and that I’d expect any changes after getting through the probation period (such as increased holiday allowance) to be backdated to the end of the original probation period

did we get any resolution to this?