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Even within a company it depends on the type of work. In IT and Accounting it's far more common than in customer service and retail where people have to be there to handle customers. Here in our offices of about 400 we offer flexible start and end times, 1/2 hour or hour lunch, 2-3 day/week telecommuting, 4 day a week/10 hour days, or flex schedule with one day every other week off. My direct reports all start at different times between 7am-10am. There is none of this available until after probation has been passed.
That's what it was like for me, except I was allowed to do this while on probation. Generally come in around 8-8:30, leave 4:30-5 on a typical schedule... sometimes work through lunch, sometimes take a long lunch.
Flex time in summer -- 4 10hr days with Mondays off... WFH policy.
No, most office job do not have flex hours. That's considered a benefit offered in few companies.
It might depend on the industry. In all my interviews with IT companies almost all advertised flex hours. A few had a specific timeline, like you couldn't come in after 9 or 10, but you could work 6-3 or 8-5, whatever you wanted as long as the work got done. The only place I interviewed that had a set schedule was a finance firm that needed all employees in while the markets were open.
I wouldn't say flex hours are the norm, but they are very common in some industries.
Specifically, in an at-will employment state, why would an employer utilize a probation period for new hires?
My vacation and sick time benefits don't start until the 6-month mark, so why a 3-month probation period? Seems a bit pointless to me...
FYI -- "At-will employment is a term used in U.S. labor law for contractual relationships in which an employee can be dismissed by an employer for any reason (that is, without having to establish "just cause" for termination), and without warning. When an employee is acknowledged as being hired "at will", courts deny the employee any claim for loss resulting from the dismissal. The rule is justified by its proponents on the basis that an employee may be similarly entitled to leave his or her job without reason or warning."
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSchemist80
A lot of companies still have internal policies regarding firing an employee. During the probationary period those policies are very relaxed or nonexistant.
Some companies use temp agencies for this. I'd not recommend that as the minute you involve a temp agency you are everyone's last choice for employment. It repels a significant portion of the skilled labor market and practically anyone currently employed.
^ What MS said, this way if the new hire isn't cutting it for one reason or another the hire can be terminated without going through the sometimes involved process of terminating an employee.
If nothing else it emphasizes the need to exhibit your best work habits at the onset. Not everyone does.If you have been warned you will be under a microscope in your first 90 and you fail top preform it's better for all concerned to go soon so you can avoid the shock of unplanned unemployment and the company can invest in a better candidate.
Ahh I see, that does make more sense. Is there an obvious milestone when a new hire has "passed" his or her probationary period?
I bring this up because I literally hit my 90-day mark today. I have no idea of how I'd know I'm "off probation" other than the fact that it has been 90 days and I'm still here.
I'm sort of just basing my acceptance on the fact that I've recently been added to our on-call schedule spanning to the end of the year and have company travel planned for September. I'm guessing this wouldn't be the case if things weren't going well.
Those would be clues, I'd think.
Often the employee becomes eligible for the benefits offered by the employer at the end of the 90 day probationary period, such as health insurance, 401K plans, and that sort of thing. If you haven't gotten information about these benefits already, you might start getting them now.
Because during those three months I get to decide if you're going to make it or not...I don't have to follow a multi- step corrective action process to fire you...I just fire you. We also have the ability to extend your 90 days if we think that you're issue is just a training one...again, if I feel that you're going to make it even with an extension, I just fire you or give you the opportunity to resign (this doesn't blocks the 'no re hire' status, which is an automatic one year at our company)
It seems pointless to you and I understand that, but it's not pointless to HR or management.
When I was young and starting out, whenever I would start a new job, I put the employer on a probation basis. If I didn't like the work there or the managers attitudes, or the way things were done, I'd just quit on the spot, no notice or anything.. Just like the employers can fire or layoff with no notice, I could walk off a job with no notice and not feel one little twinge of guilt about it. It goes both ways.
I found a job that fit me real good and I'm still there, 32 years come July 12th.
To anybody who is just starting out in the work day world, my advice is to live modestly and try your best not to get yourself into a financial situation that you need the job more then the job needs you. If you're able to do that, then you have the power and you won't have to take just any kind of job that comes down the pike.
Last edited by qwertyasdf; 06-17-2014 at 09:40 PM..
As an FYI, there are some legal and accounting reasons for establishing probationary periods based on the state.
An example is in most states (despite what many think) a person is eligible for unemployment benefits if terminated for performance if that person just isn't able to perform to standards. The probationary period allows us to establish a baseline ability to perform so if a person is terminated a year later, we can show they were able to peform and any shortcommings is now intentional on the part of the employee. Every employee will work their tails off to do the job during the probationary period. Additionally, if we terminate an employee for performance during the probationary period, our unemployment benefit account isn't charged in some states or its a split between our account and the state's account.
Ahh I see, that does make more sense. Is there an obvious milestone when a new hire has "passed" his or her probationary period?
I bring this up because I literally hit my 90-day mark today. I have no idea of how I'd know I'm "off probation" other than the fact that it has been 90 days and I'm still here.
I'm sort of just basing my acceptance on the fact that I've recently been added to our on-call schedule spanning to the end of the year and have company travel planned for September. I'm guessing this wouldn't be the case if things weren't going well.
You're always on probation - always.
Probation's typically a formality to use so that they can determine who can take advantage of company benefits like health, 401-k, and so forth. But you're always being watched, and it's always a matter of 'What have you done for me lately.'
Probation's typically a formality to use so that they can determine who can take advantage of company benefits like health, 401-k, and so forth. But you're always being watched, and it's always a matter of 'What have you done for me lately.'
It just gets a little bit harder (baring at-will employment) AFTER the actual probationary period ends. Say you pass it, you need to show that the employee either made an egregious error, slumped in performance and it isn't based on protected classes.
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