Probation extended. Am I screwed?

[Magicmario]

My probation has been extended by 3 months at work. I’m shitting myself. Has anyone had this and been kept on? I have a meeting next week to expand on reasons. I have have had a great last 4 weeks at the job so expected to pass but the 4 weeks before that were admittedly shaky as I didn’t feel I had the correct training. I am gutted and embarrassed. My husband has a decent job but we will struggle massively if I am sacked. I’m wondering if I should just resign as being fired would look awful.

Depends, did they highlight lack of training in the reasons? ...

Mine was extended due to sickness and I passed fine

No, they did not acknowledge my lack of training in the email. They told me verbally about 5 weeks in that they had thrown me in at the deep end without enough training and support though.

You're overthinking. I work in a large company and I would say 80% of those on probation get it extended and 99.9% of those then go on to be signed off fully and and work for the company for many years. Those 0.01% are basically either very strange and dont suit the job even with extra support/been constantly off sick for no good reason/mutually choose to leave.

I'm certainly no expert in my own field let alone others but I would imagine you have a very strong case if you can show your drastic improvement over the past four weeks? The lack of training wasn't your fault so really shouldn't count against you and if you have something physical to show (data or something?) that you are now doing really well and now have had the relevant training to enable you to continue doing so then I don't see how they can argue that you haven't fulfilled the requirements?

If things have been much more successful over the last 4 weeks they probably just want to see that you can sustain that level of performance.

I have extended probation periods for employees before and it all work out fine. Though one of them I did use the extension period to find him a role in another part of the business, where his performance has been much better!

I feel so upset about it. I gave up a secure well paid job to go there. I don’t think the director has taken to me but have a nice relationship with my line manager. Googled being put on extended probation and a lot of cases seem to be about getting rid of people easily. However, surely they could have sacked me today if they really wanted to?

I had my probation extended in a job it was because I literally had no training and had been doing other tasks (and doing them well) due to other departments crazy workloads
Got my training and was fine.

If you were screwed, you wouldn't still have the job. Extending the probation means they think you're worth the chance. If things have improved in the last few weeks, you'll be fine. I would make sure to speak to your line manager and ask whether there is anything in particular that you need to work on to ensure that your performance is satisfactory.

Don’t resign now, that would be completely ridiculous. Unfortunately (there are exceptions though) probation or not employers can dismiss staff within their first two years without a reason.

I have this happen.

After talking with HR it was classed as an inexperienced manager poorly training and workplace bullying.

Off my own bat I wrote SOP’s for the job and got her to check and sign them off. Wouldn’t work for everyone but it showed that I did know the job, she knew I knew the job, we agreed on how it should be done and I’d shown initiative in doing them

Things to check. Are they following their probation policy? Have they informed you in writing of the areas which need improvement?

I had my probation extended in the civil service by 3 months due to too many periods of sick leave. I stayed on and was quickly promoted.

Don't resign yet, ask how you can improve and work closely with managers. Ask for regular one to ones to check progress until Probation is up. Good luck!

Mine was extended as my work used Bradford scoring for absence and I was 1 number above the sign off!

Start looking around.

I had my probation in my current job extended by three months because of weakness in one area.

I've now been there eight years.

At one job colleagues probations were extended because the company didn't know whether they could afford to keep them or not. The company were expanding but didn't know if they would get enough clients to cover. Everyone was kept on after another that.

I have extended many probation in my time as a people manager. The reason usually comes down, it's not being great, but we want to keep the person because they have shown they can be good.

Normally it's a few shakey early weeks, but the recent weeks have been good.

In most places I work, an absence would mean an automatic extension.

But of you have improved in the last few weeks I would want to keep you. 3 month probabtions are so short and I am not a fan.

What sort of job is it?

As an employer/manager I wouldn't recommend anyone was put out of a job unless I was certain it was beyond them and would be even with training etc - I would also make sure that I had done my part in training, support etc before taking any step to put someone out of work. I just couldn't morally do it, but there is also the extra time/financial cost in recruiting someone else.
Extending probation isn't great but it means they are giving you a chance to turn it round. If they didn't want to keep you, they'd have terminated you now rather than extended your probation.
Also, probabtion periods are not really such as issue in terms of security as until you've done two years service employers can terminate employment much more easily. That is always a risk to consider when moving jobs - it's not really secure for two years (sorry) but they are giving you a chance. Good luck - you say you're doing well now so I'm sure it'll work out fine. Fingers crossed for you.

Depends if they have a habit for it. One job I had probation was extended 4 times, annually. Each time with the promise of being made permanent the next year. Turns out they were skint, but I was good, so they kept me on, secretly hoping to find someone as good as me, but cheaper. I left in the end for a permanent contract on more money elsewhere.

I'm not the only one they have done this to, either.

I only know of one person who's probation got extended and who was then fired/asked to leave. But they didn't even try to learn the job, made the same mistakes repeatedly, they even admitted they didn't care. So unless you're like that you should be fine.

Dhs colleagues probation was extended then he was fired. He became increasingly argumentative (which isn’t good on probation) and wasn’t doing several parts of his job therefore it was probably beyond his capacity.... or he was lazy.

Good luck with your job. I hope it works out. They want to give you a chance and you’ve shown improvement, which is good.

Its quite normal to extend probation if you have had shaky weeks near then end but show promise. I work in HR and we recently extended probation for two staff - more so as the company they worked for transferred to us half way through their original probation so we didn't feel they had been given enough guidance and a chance to improve. 1 passed and 1 decided to look for another job and left.

Listen to what they have to say and work hard on improving on the areas they feel are not working.

Given that employers can get rid of staff with under 2 years service for no reason, surely passing or not passing probation is irrelevant?

It's usually because after then a longer notice period kicks in, but on probation you can be sacked with a week's notice.

Don't forget they are also on probation with you. They've had a better four weeks, but need to pull their socks up after forgetting to train you at the beginning.