Dismiss an employee during or at the end of a probationary period

Key points

• If a probationary employee is not performing satisfactorily, the employer should aim to give them time to achieve the required improvement, with adequate support and training.
• This will usually mean waiting until the end of the probationary period before making a decision to terminate the employment. However, in some circumstances, early termination may be appropriate.
• The employer should be aware of the circumstances in which a probationary employee will be eligible to claim unfair dismissal, or bring another claim relating to their dismissal.

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