Am I going to fail probation

[Greenraintoday]

I'm getting worried, half way through probation, have had 3 unavoidable bouts of sickness ( all different cases and not disability related) been late in to work 4 times and have been reminded to answer emails that I forgot several times

In my defense I have had alot going.on in personal life and this has impacted me

AIBU to think I should be given another chance ?

With all due respect, most people are juggling what you are. I have four kids, I’m not late. They bring colds and bugs home, I catch them, I just have to keep going or I’m not paid! I don’t put that on my employer.
I think if you value this job, you really need to pull your socks up and not rely on your ‘rights’

What are the childcare issues that are making you late op? Are they likely to continue?

Sickness and lateness are bad enough but even without them, you aren't doing the job properly. That would be enough to fail probation and be let go

Ignoring a cold being a lame excuse (flu yes cold not in probation)

The dealbreaker (as per my previous post) is the fact you need to be repeatedly reminded to do your actual job.

You arent reliable and when you do turn up you arent good....

My question again: If you ran a business Would you want an employee as unreliable and unproductive as you?

You can’t be off for colds in probation. Go in, push through and let them send you home if you’re really that unwell.

Yeah sorry op but the fact that you have jumped straight to 'workers rights' isn't a good indication that you are reliable and worthwhile employee. Many of us are single parents with childcare issues and get shit done. Colds are not a good reason to be off work. If some unavoidable childcare thing happens, make up the time a d acknowledge it. Email thing, completely inexcusable.

Has your line manager spoken to you about these issues? Some line managers will be more understanding with good communication if they can see you putting the effort in ie making up time by staying a bit later when your late and not being first out the door.
Is there a work from home option because it is possible to work with with a cold rather than not doing anything - even just lighter duties.
It's really about your attitude and what your doing to manage these situations.

Things going on in your personal life and several separate bouts of sickness are not related and the first should not be used as a reason for the second.

If you are too ill to go to work that's one thing, but if you try to use 'I have a lot going on in my life at the moment' as part of a conversation about being off sick a lot then that will not go well for you. It will look like you call in sick every time you have a personal issue that needs sorting out, simply because you choose to prioritise your personal life over your responsibility to your employer during working hours.

If all this has happened only halfway through your probation, (three or six months?) then unless you are absolutely shit-hot and indispensible the rest of the time, you will probably fail and no, you shouldn't be given another chance.

I have a couple of staff members I dearly wish I'd sacked during probation, but I was too naive and too forgiving to do it, choosing to give them the benefit of the doubt so many times. It's clear now that the apparent one-off 'issues' they constantly seemed to have are just part and parcel of who they are and indicative of a lack of their resilience or conscientiousness in general. Now I appear to be stuck with them for better or worse. I pray they will eventually commit gross misconduct so I can just get it over with.

What rights do you feel aren’t being afforded to you?

I think you are getting a really hard time! I think it’ll depend how family friendly your employer is. Everyone who’s had young children knows that you go from cold to flu to cough and there is nothing you can do about it. childcare issues effect everyone, and can result in everyone now and then having their morning schedule going out of the window. I think a reasonable person will forgive your illness, you might need to explain your child care issues but say you’ll make up any time.

The emails…everyone can forget the odd email, as long as on the whole you’ve been doing good work you will be fine!

Try not to stress, if they don’t give you some grace on 2 out of 3 of them, are they an employer you want to work for?

No you don't have any rights during your 1st 6 months and even if you did your poor performance persistent lateness would be grounds for sacking you.
The fact that you dont see lateness or not doing your job as a problem and have started banging on about your rights shows that you have a terrible work ethic and only an idiot would keep you as an employee

Edted to remove text as misunderstood original post.

🤣🤣

You don’t seem to have a very strong work ethic. If you can’t demonstrate commitment, enthusiasm, loyalty, energy and willingness to deliver 100% when you’re in probation, then it’s likely that you never will.

most employers will cut their losses and give the opportunity to someone who is able to reliably fulfil the role

You forgot emails about a job you wanted? This is a wind up.

Oh you’re one of those…

Embarrassed! 🤣🤣🤣

Sickness is one thing, but being late is probably the thing that will fail it for you, and not responding to emails enough to be reminded is bad

If you are halfway through your probation, if I were you id pull up my socks and make sure I was 100% perfect for my remaining time. At my place of work you'd probably get your probation extended.

I think the day 1 workers bill has been back pedaled on.

Also, a combination of all of these is not looking great at all. 1 issue which an employer knew about and you were actively improving on maybe.

The poster who is a manager whose person is passing probation is an example of where sometimes shit hits the fan and they can see potential. Sickness yes (it's a shitty time of year for illnesses) and if evidenced by drs note or it's very obvious to employer that person is just very unwell then it can be let go but might need monitoring in line with company policy. Same with lateness, it happens (transport strikes, public transport issues or sometimes traffic is really crap and lots of people in the office coming from the same direction are late), it's if everyone else is on time and you alone are late. Childcare issues, again with full transparency with the employer can be overcome but the conversations need to happen preemptively before it's brought up in a performance review.
However, if the person is excellent at their job, not dropping any balls, willing to make time up and generally performing well then arguments can be made to pass probation.

Tbh we are approaching end of business year, conversations about next year's budget, hiring, recruitment for next financial year are going to be happening in the next few weeks. You might already be too late.

You need to address the childcare, do you have a partner (who has built up goodwill with their employer) who can do drop off or cover child illnesses for a few weeks? Or find childcare that is more reliable or starts earlier. Childcare is not a work issue and needs you to find a solution.

Colds and flu, you do sometimes just have to power through a bit. Did you offer to WFH? Did you take a full period off until you were better or did you have a day off, come back and struggle and then need more time off. Under Bradford scale it's better to take the whole week off (even if you poorly on the Monday and Tuesday, feel a bit better on the Wednesday and better on the Thursday) rather than take Monday and Tuesday off, go in Wednesday and then need Thursday off.

If you are really lucky they may extend your probation, if not they’ll employ someone who is able to do the job.

Awww 🤗 Tbh ive always thought probation was a bit of a weird word for it ☺️

Sorry OP I’m with others here. I’d let you go. The fact that you’re not making much of an effort when you know you’re being monitored, and looking to use problems in your personal life as an excuse would be a big no no.

Sorry it’s not looking good imo.

I think the emails is a biggy, aside from everything else.

Just wondering how you could have forgotten the emails several times?

Emails HAVE to be (laboriously) focused on. Surely it’s a high priority?

Have to agree. Am in a high pressure job, very deadline dependent as well; I juggle this around high level caring for DH but when I'm being paid to work I'm being paid to work. Understanding employer BUT basics of reliability and performance, timekeeping etc and meeting job expectations still remain.