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All-in-one HR platform · v2.0
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All-in-one HR platform · v2.0
14-day free trial · No credit cardhello@HrMagix.com
The most common probation problem is not a wrong decision. It is no decision: the probation end date passes, nobody reviews anything, and the employee is in an unclear position that the appointment letter and standing orders may resolve in a way the employer did not intend.
This guide covers the probation review process itself. The probation and confirmation topic page explains what probation is; here the job is running the review on time and recording the outcome.
01
Read the appointment letter and policy for this employee. Note the probation length, whether it can be extended and by how much, the notice period during probation, and what the documents say happens if probation ends without a written decision.
Where the establishment is covered by standing orders, certified or model, those may also govern probation and confirmation. The position varies by state and by the size and type of establishment, so check what applies rather than assuming.
Watch for itIf your letter is silent on what happens when probation lapses without a decision, treat the end date as a hard deadline. Do not rely on silence being read in your favour.
02
Set a reminder several weeks before the end date. The manager needs time to gather evidence, the meeting has to be held, and the letter has to be issued before the date, not after it.
Have your HR system or calendar raise probation end dates for the coming month as a routine report, so no case depends on someone remembering.
03
Use the standards set at joining: the role's KRAs, the 30-60-90 day plan if there was one, and any conduct expectations. Assessing against criteria the employee never saw is unfair and hard to defend.
04
Meet the employee, go through the evidence, and hear their view. Then decide. There are three outcomes, and each needs a different follow-up.
Watch for itAn extension without specific goals is a postponement. If you cannot say what would need to change for confirmation, you are probably ready to decide now.
05
Issue the letter before the end date. Update the employee record with the confirmation or extension date, because leave entitlements, notice periods and some benefits often change on confirmation and payroll needs to know.
File the review notes with the letter. If the decision is ever questioned, the notes made at the time are the record.
Every guide ends here rather than in a summary. If a line below is not true yet, that is the next thing to do.
A scheduled review before probation ends, where the manager assesses the employee against standards set at joining, meets them, and decides to confirm, extend or not confirm, followed by a letter.
It depends on the appointment letter, policy and any standing orders that apply. Some treat the employee as confirmed, others as continuing on probation. Avoid the question by deciding before the end date.
Only if the employee's terms allow it. Extend for a defined period with specific goals and a review date, and put it in writing before the original end date.
The manager and the employee at minimum. HR often joins when the outcome is an extension or non-confirmation.
The checklist above is generic by necessity. Bring your own structures, states and rota and we will tell you which lines are already true and which are not.
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