Trial Periods

15 June 2018

It is hard to see what the fuss is all about.  In Australia, a 12 month qualifying period applies for small employers (those with <15 employees) with a six month qualifying period for large employers.

Should this change proceed, employers excluded from using a trial period will have to consider using a probationary period.  Terminating an employee on a probationary period is still subject to the usual rules around dismissal, but if managed effectively, a probationary period can assist employers successfully set expectations for new employees and address any performance issues by issuing warnings where necessary prior to dismissal.