Probation, termination and timings

Probation, termination and timings

Author
Discussion

CasinoJack

Original Poster:

2 posts

6 months

Thursday 30th May
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The initial message was deleted from this topic on 30 May 2024 at 16:39

GiantEnemyCrab

7,724 posts

210 months

Thursday 30th May
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Probation is a two way street.

Curious to the answer as maybe relevant to me also.

ARHarh

4,280 posts

114 months

Thursday 30th May
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Surely you need to discuss this with the employee and find out if they are are happy to work there or not. If not you need to stop wasting your time worrying about this and let them go. No point wasting time training someone in your company ways for them to leave next week. Honest and open is probably the best approach.

Pit Pony

9,242 posts

128 months

Thursday 30th May
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Six months notice ? Wow. Who signs up.to that ?

Sorry nothing to add.
Except....

Why so long? I know it works both ways.

My probation is one year. I assume to reflect employment law in that they can sack you anyway.


Wills2

24,380 posts

182 months

Thursday 30th May
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If someone said they didn't know whether the job was for them then I wouldn't employ them, a 6 month notice period is long but protects both parties especially when it comes to redundancy from the employees side.

Given the length of notice stipulated I'll guess this isn't an insignificant role therefore you want people that are sure they want the job, if you're asking minimum wage staff to sigh up for it well good luck!


CasinoJack

Original Poster:

2 posts

6 months

Thursday 30th May
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Its a senior exec/leadership role. They were "head hunted" for it and all the senior gradings have a minimum 6 month notice period within the business (the organisation they left was a 12 month notice period but they flexed on this).

I completely understand the open conversation aspect, training, investment, etc. and that is happening, however, this is more centred on the contractual matter of if the contract trumps the probation sign-off letter (or whether the aspect of it being unsigned by the employee matters in this), or not, in terms of notice periods.

x5tuu

12,140 posts

194 months

Thursday 30th May
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Its an interesting dilemma.

I would argue that the contract would indeed take precedence over an unsigned letter of probation completion, especially if there is no allowance whatsoever within the contract to accelerate the probation period.

parabolica

6,807 posts

191 months

Thursday 30th May
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IANAL but given the employer can release someone relatively trouble free within the first 2 years, I suspect the courts would deem it reasonable that the employee can refuse to agree to passing probation early, given probation is a 2-way exercise and they wish to retain the benefit for a shorter notice period until the 3 months mark.

Hopefully one of the real employment lawyers will be along shortly to advise.

guitarcarfanatic

1,789 posts

142 months

Thursday 30th May
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Pit Pony said:
Six months notice ? Wow. Who signs up.to that ?

Sorry nothing to add.
Except....

Why so long? I know it works both ways.

My probation is one year. I assume to reflect employment law in that they can sack you anyway.
Pretty common once you reach a certain level - although didn't stop me getting head hunted for another director role. They were happy to wait the 6 months to "get their man" so to speak. I didn't accept in the end.

Wills2

24,380 posts

182 months

Thursday 30th May
quotequote all
CasinoJack said:
Its a senior exec/leadership role. They were "head hunted" for it and all the senior gradings have a minimum 6 month notice period within the business (the organisation they left was a 12 month notice period but they flexed on this).

I completely understand the open conversation aspect, training, investment, etc. and that is happening, however, this is more centred on the contractual matter of if the contract trumps the probation sign-off letter (or whether the aspect of it being unsigned by the employee matters in this), or not, in terms of notice periods.
If you're the person hiring this senior exec can I ask you why you've signed up to a random car forum to ask for advice? Shouldn't you have a team around you (HR/legal) or know yourself what you want to do?

If you really want them wave the conditions, if you can't, tell them it is what it is...