What is Probation?

Definition

Probation is an initial period of employment during which the notice period is usually shorter and the employer assesses whether to confirm the employee. It is a contractual arrangement rather than a statutory status.

How it works

What probation actually changes is the notice period and, in most policies, access to some benefits. What it does not change is that the employment statutes still apply, which surprises employers who treat probation as a period without obligations.

What it means in India

The duration, extension and confirmation mechanics come from the appointment letter, and where certified standing orders apply to the establishment they may prescribe a maximum probation period and the confirmation procedure. If the letter does not say that confirmation must be in writing, an employee whose probation expired while they carried on working is usually treated as confirmed.

What people get wrong

• Letting probation lapse silently and then relying on a probation notice period months later.
• Extending probation indefinitely, which certified standing orders may not permit where they apply.
• Treating probation as a period in which the statutes do not apply.

Terms this one depends on

More on employment and exit

Where this shows up in practice

Almost everything on this page ends up as a line on a payslip or a figure in a register. Shiftelio keeps attendance, leave, salary structure and the statutory deductions in one place, so the number in the letter and the number in the payslip come from the same record.