Skip to main content

Hi Community,

 

Currently we have an employee that might change to a Team Lead role. This person has a permanent contract and we are wondering if we can offer this employee something like an addendum or new contract to make sure we have a bit of a probation/trial period.

How do you usually do this in your company?

Hi ​@brittbosma !

Very interesting question. I’m going to pass this along to some of our most helpful community members and see if they can provide some insight! 


Hi ​@brittbosma,

As far as I’m aware this whole probation period thing is quite a sensitive legal topic. I know in many countries you can’t add an additional probation period if the employee already passed their probation period. I’m not sure how it is in your country.

A possible workaround that comes to mind right now would be to promote the employee to the team lead role with some goals set without any renumeration or position changes. Once they’ve “proven themselves” during the trial period and achieved their goals, you could do the addendum and official changes. 


Tagging some other folks who could be quite helpful here!

@HRJoy ​@Nathan Jolly ​@JHBEM ​@LegoMD 


Hi,

Agree with Sabbu. It’s very sensitive next to the fact that it not really showing a great deal of trust that this employee can be succesful in the new position so you could face a negative view from the employee which does not help to become succesful.

If remunaration will also increase due to this new position you could tie a probation period to it but personally I find that a negative start also.

My personal view is to agree on an evaluation period after which both parties agree if this is a good step for both sides.

I would not go into trying to get a new probation period for this step.

 

KR

Kees


@brittbosma 

you need to confirm internally whether it is being defined as a different role or a change within the existing role.

If it is a change of role then it is a new contract as the role, reposnisbilities etc. are fundamentally different.

If it is an amends to an existing role that they are performing, if it is not a huge difference you can typically utilise an addendum.

There is of course a big element about whether this is an addendum that needs a signature or a addendum as a notification.

If this is significant enough change in the role then it would need the employee consent regarding the role, the remuneration etc.

Rather than having a probation period for the role it would be better to approach the employee with regards to having identified them for further career progression and proposing this as a learning and development opportunity.

During this period - if you want to go down a probation style route - you can evoke an ‘acting up’ approach where in a fixed-term period (tyically from 3-12months) the individual is supported in acting up into the role; assuming that both sides then see the necessary growth and the role continues to be required then they could be permanently promoted into the role.

This way it is all communicated positively and the ‘acting up’ period is still a career development exercise even if it is help with them getting promoted into a different role in the future.


Your reply