Probationary period

A period at the start of an employment relationship during which the employee is assessed by their employer and following which time they are notified as to whether their appointment will be made permanent.

The scope and terms of any probation period are governed by an individual’s contract of employment, but it will typically last three or six months and may involve either formal or informal assessments. Employees may not be entitled to all of the contractual benefits during the probationary period. Probationary periods do not affect an employee's statutory rights.

For more information, see Practice note, Recruitment: Probationary periods.