When did it become normal to have a probation period at work?

[HauntedBungalow]

I didn't come across it until some time in the 2000s. Seems a bit overkill given you can fire at will during the first two years anyway.

Pretty normal

I had one when I started work in 1974 (major insurance company). Can't remember if it was 3 months or 6 months but I needed a "confirmation letter" before the job became pensionable.

Yes, during my first probation period, I could quit without having to give notice.

If the agencies see a market for this sort of contract it will.

In my experience of public sector, exited either comes with a pay off, sometimes huge, an appeal and or tribunal, very expensive, a resignation, early retirement or restructure with redundancy.

In over 40 years I have seen a handful of people be dismissed, at least one who then appealed and got their job back and witnessed a whole department being deleted and redeployed to get rid of a director.

I started work in the 1970's and all of my jobs have had a probation period which included training and supervision. Nowadays I suppose in theory everyone works a 2 year probation period,

I work for a decently sized company. If someone has passed probation but then goes rogue between then and the two years the process we have to follow is the same as if they’d been there over two years ie informal improvement plan, formal improvement plan meeting after meeting so lots of time wasted. I can only get rid of them (still a decent amount of paperwork) in the six months. I expect other companies are like this.

I’ve worked in the public sector and probation is the easiest time to dismiss people. The processes are designed for that very purpose. I have certainly dismissed people for failing probation.

I had one in 1988.

It does make some sense for employers. Whilst technically, an employer can get rid for any reason during the first 2 years, having a process around probation and "evidence" that a new starter was let go for underperformance, protects employers from claims for discrimination against protected characteristics.

At least since the 80s

I think the point is to have a structured period of time for the company to decide if you are worth keeping on before they invest much time in you - it reduces the chances that disinterested immediate bosses will keep on someone who will be a drag. Often they literally have training they need to pass.

What bothers me is the length of some probations...

For example, 6 months is ridiculous.

There should be a law that says probations cannot be longer than 3 months.

That's plenty of time for employer and employees to decide if the person and the job are a good fit.

I also want to see all employment rights and sick pay apply from day one of employment.

I am a small business, employing 10 people, I started my business 3 years ago. I am a lifelong Labour/workers rights supporter, but my attitude has somewhat hardened recently!!!

I have lost ridiculous amounts of money and sanity by the hoops I have had to jump through to get rid of people who are, to put it politely, just no good.

Employees have small employers over a barrel 😭

I use a HR support service, who are good but extremely careful, and although all the people I am trying to get rid of are all in a 6 month probation period, i am still jumping through hoops to demonstrate that I'm not failing them due to a protected characteristic....... or because they have called in sick twice in their first 2 weeks they don't have a disability that I am discriminating against.

Any more changes to legislation, I am out, and 10 people will be out of a job!!!

A lot of companies were being scammed by some employees re discrimination and unfair dismissal and after a easy payout in lieu of legal proceedings. Probation gives them a opportunity to get rid of these people easily when they turn out to be poor or difficult.

It also happens at recruitment stage, sueing companies because they had not been chosen on the grounds of discrimination. I did a lot of graduate recruitment interviews/selection and we had to be very careful recording/scoring during the process for fear of legal (and expensive) action.

If you’re a good employee then you won’t be concerned about a 6 month probation.

If there are rights from day one, it means employers are less likely, MUCH less likely to take a chance on an employee. Eg we took someone on a year ago for a job that she wasn’t particularly qualified for BUT we liked her and felt that she had that “something” and we figured we could train her. She’s turned out to be so much better than we even hoped and she’s managed to secure a 25% pay rise in one year.
But we took her on saying “well if it doesn’t work out, we don’t have to keep her”

We also took a chance on a youngish man who again, wasn’t on paper quite right but he seemed keen. Well, it seems it was mainly for show, he would be consistently late, often hungover, did the absolute bare minimum and we calmly let him go after a few weeks.

'@Ozgirl75
If you’re a good employee then you won’t be concerned about a 6 month probation.'

And if you are a good employer you are capable of assessing good employees within 3 months and you can grasp that new staff should not have to wait half a year to qualify for benefits such as health insurance, sick pay and so on that other employees enjoy.

Also people having employment rights from day one does not mean they can't be dismissed for poor performance.

It just prevent bad employers from dismissing people for random reasons, such as a manager taking a personal dislike to them or wanting to employ a mate instead...

"...you can fire at will during the first two years anyway."

Not if you're in the public sector OP! Probation periods are a necessity there as it becomes all but impossible to get rid of someone after.

@Ozgirl75 agree. We employed quote a few people and will also take this stance if the law changes,

The interview process will be come much more detailed and we will also not be taking 'chances' on people who perhaps didn't have the necessary skillls and experience but appear to be good people.

3 months is not plenty of time.

Sometimes people are very good at masking and it's pretty easy for 3 months for someone to turn up on time and do/ say all the right things, then as soon as they pass probation it becomes apparent that they were a bad hire.

6 months is much safer and obviously employees still have rights during that time, just not all of the same benefits.

I think 6 months is reasonable (and I have been subject to several 6 month probation periods myself which I didn't have any problem with).

I had a 3-month probation period for my first job in 1997 and thank god I did! Probation periods are a godsend if you/your company realise that the pair of you are a bad fit. I HATED that job, fucking hated it and the fact that I was still in my probation period was a huge relief. It's like try before you buy. You can test out the job, the company, your colleagues and see if it's a good fit. And if it isn't, you can walk away quickly and start your job search again.

3 months might be enough for some jobs, but our employees need to learn some quite technical aspects, and 3 months is simply not long enough (although we’ve often got a good idea by then!)
You still get SSP anyway, and most people do what they can not to go off sick in the first few months anyway.

In private business there needs to be some leeway - after all, people can just not work for us, no one is making them! If they really object to a 6 month probation period they can just refuse the job.

Just because you had a different experience doesn't mean it's not true.

My DH is a senior manager in a public sector organisation and has been trying to dismiss someone who has not been performing for several years now (falling asleep in meetings, being extremely rude/ argumentative to everyone, not completing required work etc - basically just awful).

There are so many hoops to jump through that it is nigh on impossible to get rid of him.

Some places are probably better than others, but in some public sector organisations, it's really not easy once someone is established.

6 month probation is important and reduces wastage of public sector money on people who aren't up to the job.