30 week probation. Is it normal?

[Mammamooandboo]

First full time permenant job. Will have 10 week then 20 week probation. Have no issues with this and so far so good but seems quite a long time for probation and wondered how long others had

Lots of jobs in my industry ate 6m probation. 3m for some but depends on experience.

Possibly depends on the role and level of seniority but 6 months is quite normal in a lot of industries so 30 weeks is only a bit longer than that. What do you mean by 10 week probation, then 20 week probation, what is the significance of splitting it in two?

Im not actually sure why its split. I have asked but stupidly cant remember what was said. Think it may have been about being reviewed after 10 weeks then again after 20. Its been such a whirlwind with lots of legislation to learn my mind has gone to shreds

If I were you I would seek clarity over that detail about the probation period split. Ask your line manager to explain it to you. Stuff like that is important not to be vague about.

I agree that you need to get the details clarified. I finished a 1 year probation in November, this was the longest probation that I'd ever had but passed without comment.

Yes - normal. My previous job was 6 months probation. First review was at 6 weeks then another at 3 months and a final one at 6 months. I think this just makes it easier for them - splitting the probation I mean - so they have a platform meeting in place to get rid if things aren't working at various stages. Longer probation is becoming more and more common - I have heard of it through friends recently as well. Sometimes due to very senior roles but also for whatever reason companies seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on 'right fit'. And if you're not, then probationary period means there is less comeback on them if you are left go.

That doesn't sound too unusual. I think my current job had a probation period of 1-month where you could leave/be fired with minimal notice for utterly useless or intolerable people, and the normal probationary 6 month period where you got a bit more of a notice period if you were fired/quit. I'm not aware of anyone failing their probationary period here - I think it's something HR have put in place to minimise the risk associated with new staff.

Probationary periods are meaningless anyway. You don't have any extra rights after passing a probationary period set by your employer and it's not any more difficult for them to sack you the day after you pass probation than it was the day before.

The only things that change when you pass probation is that often your notice period increases and sometimes you might become entitled to additional benefits. But your job isn't any more secure.

YY to what flowery said - we don't use probationary periods for exactly those reasons. It's much better to have regular reviews during the first six months of employment, to pick up any issues or training needs early and get them resolved so the person can work to their best potential. One big review after 6 months is no real use to anyone!

Is yours perhaps that you need to have completed a particular set of competences / qualifications after 10 weeks, and then a further set in the next 20 weeks? So the 10 week point could be to review whether you've made enough progress to expect that the rest of the competences will be completed in time? Anyway, as others said - best make sure you understand it now as you don't want to be caught out!

Hi just to update you all that it was actually only 20 weeks probation. A review after 10 and then another after 20 weeks. Think my new job nerves caused me to panic and mishear as im just so happy to have got it in the first place and worry constantly something will go wrong. Thanks everyone

Very standard in the NHS. We have 10 week and 20 week reviews.