Question about probation period.

buckeejit · 3 Apr 2013 at 23:40

So... I got a job (marketing) around 6 weeks ago and I heard from a mate today that people were getting into trouble for not meeting their targers (I was off today). There was a threat made... basically saying that if targets aren't upped in a week, people will be sacked.

Anyway, I keep getting told that I'm on probation and can't be let go at any point but the only thing is that I have never been given written confirmation of this supposed probation period.

So, my question is... is this probation period valid?

[FnG]magnolia · 3 Apr 2013 at 23:41

What does your contract say?

dirtychinchilla · 3 Apr 2013 at 23:43

Yeah, mine was mentioned in my contract, although it doesn't specify the conditions of the period. Quite frankly, why the hell would you want to stay in a job if you failed your probationary period and they attempted to sack you anyway

King Damager · 3 Apr 2013 at 23:43

What Mag said.

Read your contract, all of them will tell you how much notice they need to give, and if there's a probation period it'll be in the contract.

kd

buckeejit · 3 Apr 2013 at 23:43

[FnG]magnolia;24056979 said:
What does your contract say?

Nothing really tbh, it's not like any contract I've seen before. It just gives information on absence periods and how to report absences etc.

TJM · 4 Apr 2013 at 00:06

Does the contract mention other policies? You should get a copy of them if so.

coolsurfer · 4 Apr 2013 at 02:43

You can be fired for any reason at all within your first 2 years of,employment. Only after that can you claim unfair dismissal.

Rroff · 4 Apr 2013 at 02:52

coolsurfer said:
You can be fired for any reason at all within your first 2 years of,employment. Only after that can you claim unfair dismissal.

Thats not the entire story - you do normally need 2+ years to get anywhere with claims for various types of unwarranted dismissal but you get a lot more rights after 1 year - its only during the first year that they can get rid of you a lot easier. Within a probation period or similiar they can pretty much get rid of you at any time for any reason more or less.

We've had to go down this road a few times recently as it seems more and more common with school leavers these days to think that its the accepted thing to do to turn up for work and do as little as possible and get paid (I blame movies/tv) its only when they realise your serious about firing them that they tend to pull their socks up. (We don't go around threatening to fire people just because their performance is a little down, etc.).