Extended probation, what can it mean in this case?

[Meme161]

Hi everyone,
I wondered if someone can help me out, I started a degree apprenticeship in November and the actual university part of things start in April.
There were 3 of us recruited and put in different teams to have rotations for 3 years to learn as much as possible, the team I started in didn’t know they will be getting an apprentice until 2 days before I started and the line manager I was assigned unfortunately got a cancer diagnosis which meant my first 2months I received barely any training.
I was then passed on to a more senior manager and received more experience and training in the 3rd month and started working on projects, keeping in mind I have never had a corporate office role beforehand.
i had my probation review meeting today which none of the other apprentices have had yet and my probation was extended 3 more months. This makes me feel really demotivated and I feel a bit penalised for the rocky start. Should I be worried? :(

I wouldn’t worry. What did they say why in the meeting? They should have identified clear goals they want you to reach by x date as well as how they will support you to achieve them. It may be an acknowledgment that you didn’t receive sufficient support in the first 2 months so are essentially 2 months behind where they need you to be in order to pass probation. You could request a half way review to check that you are on target to pass your probation in a few weeks time

Hey, thank you for the reply! They mentioned that they think it’s a positive thing for me and that they want to provide me with support and training as you mentioned. I was just a bit worried about it as I thought employers extend probations for the employees that they’re unsure about and I didn’t want to have the unfair disadvantage of failing my probation due to lack of training.

Did they not tell you in the meeting why they had extended your probation? Are they going to email them to you as much as a lot of places now get you to sign documentation after a probation meeting. It could be a sign things are not going well or just simply moved it due to lack of training and for next one to be 1 month after you had started uni course check all going OK.

Hey,
thank you for replying! They mentioned a few times that “it was a positive thing” as it gives them a chance to judge my performance more accurately but they didn’t make me sign anything or send it via email.
I feel like I should also mention that my probation was supposed to be 3months which would have ended on Feb 6th and I didn’t have that meeting until 20th of Feb (yesterday).

They would have just fired you if they thought you had no chance of passing probation. Sometimes they just need a little longer to assess you and if you didn't get the training at the start it isn't surprising that they don't know if you will reach the standard they need.

You can't perform miracles and a job fully without training. See it as a positive that they want to invest the time and train you properly.

If they kept telling you it is a positive thing then don't worry about it. I am sure they would have said what you needed to improve in if there was a problem.

I think to be realistic, neither you nor the company have had an opportunity to really assess the other.

This way your probation continues so they can actually assess you properly and tbh you can assess them as an employer as well. So far they've not been a great employer in introducing you to the role, training or internal organisation and that's an area of concern for you when you're doing a degree with them.

Make sure you've seen the proper plans for the degree study - agreed entitlement to study time, attending university, what happens if you fail an essay or exam and so on.

You essentially started your apprenticeship two months late, so it makes complete sense for your probation to be extended. I would believe them that it isn't a red flag in any way, just them acknowledging the delay.

Is this a "proper" apprenticeship? I know that sounds like a daft question, but it isn't. Were you recruited as an apprentice, with an apprenticeship agreement in place? If so there are different "rules" for apprentices. As such there is no "probation" for apprentices, because their employment can only be terminated in specific circumstances. That said, one of the circumstances is failure to progress in learning, so it may be that what they are actually doing is putting in place the structures to help you get to where you should be. If it is a real apprenticeship, it is actually quite hard to "just fire" someone!

Hey,
I was recruited as an apprentice and my contract mentioned 3 months probation which technically ended on Feb 6th but I didn’t have a meeting until yesterday which was Feb 20th.
They did not fill out the probation review form and just talked me through it verbally. The other 2 apprentices in the other teams did not get a probation review (we are on a yearly rotation). So this is all really confusing and demotivating for me especially that I landed in the hardest team to start with.

In that case then it is them that would be in trouble if they fail to provide the necessary support which they have legally agreed to provide. There's a brief guide here: https://www.springhouselaw.com/employee/apprenticeships

Make sure that you are documenting their failings - they are legally required to provide a learning environment, and "good excuses" aren't accepted.

I would also suggest that you ensure that you join a union.

Thank you so much for your help! I already am with a union luckily and have asked them to call me with some advice so hopefully it all works out.
thanks again