UK employers to retain right to place new hires on 6-month probation

7 comments

1. Employees on a probationary period, whether it’s a 1, 3 or 6 month probation period, still have statutory employment rights, including but not limited to; unlawful discrimination, national minimum wage, the working time directive, statutory sick pay, maternity and paternity leave, and time off for dependents.

2. What is the point of them? Under 2 years of employment you can still be fired for no reason (or any reason really), all it does is extend the leave period. ‘Passing’ probation doesnt provide anything

3. With an employer still having the right to get rid of you for almost any reason within the first 2 years of employment (of which your probation is part of) I’m not really sure why anyone would nitpick probation times.

4. this is literally a huge reason why small businesses / SMEs can stay afloat! If they weren’t able to do this small / family businesses wouldn’t even be able to grow as hiring costs / hr and recruitment costs are insane

5. > Companies will be able to keep new hires on probation for up to six months under a compromise Labour plan despite an election pledge to give employees “day one rights”.

   So they are not day one rights. If they go through with this plan, does this mark the first reversal of an electoral promise?

6. 2 years is too long, however day 1 is worse.

   With the drive to get everyone off the sick or disability and into work, how many will be employed if they have full rights in day 1?

   It’s too much of a risk, so anyone even slightly disabled will not be employed in the first place.

7. Thought this was fairly standard and pretty common sense TBH