A probation period in your offer
A probation clause sets a trial window at the start of the job, during which the arrangement is easier to end. What it changes, and for whom, is in the wording — and it is usually written to change things for the employer more than for you.
What it's for
The employer wants a period in which, if the hire isn't working out, they can end it quickly and cheaply. Some clauses also tie benefits, bonus eligibility, or vacation accrual to completing probation, so the period can affect your money as well as your security.
How it shows up in an offer
"Your employment is subject to a probationary period of three (3) months from your start date, during which either party may terminate the employment relationship without notice or payment in lieu of notice. Enrolment in the Company's benefits plan begins on successful completion of probation."
For the first three months, either side can end it on the spot with no notice and no pay in lieu. Health and other benefits don't start until you've completed the three months — so if you have a prescription or a dependant, plan for the gap. "Successful completion" isn't defined; in practice it means nobody ended it.
What to check in yours
- How long. Three months and six months are both seen. Some clauses let the employer extend it; look for that.
- What "without notice" applies to. Read whether it applies to both sides, and whether "or payment in lieu" is there. What the words say and what applies in your jurisdiction can differ — that's the lawyer's part, below.
- What's gated behind it. Benefits enrolment, bonus eligibility, vacation accrual, RRSP or 401(k) matching, remote-work eligibility. Each one that starts "on completion of probation" is a cost to you during the period; add them up.
- What "successful completion" means. Usually nothing is written. If there's a review or a sign-off, it will say so.
- Whether it restarts. Some clauses say probation restarts if your role changes in the first year. Rare, but worth a glance.
Where a lawyer comes in
What an employer can and cannot do during probation is governed by the law where you work, and the clause in your offer may say more, less, or something different from what actually applies. We don't tell you which — that's the question to bring to an employment lawyer, and it's a short one. The report identifies what the clause claims and what it gates, so you know what you're agreeing to on paper before anyone tells you what it means in law.
This page explains what a clause says and what to look for in your own offer. It doesn't tell you what the law is where you work or whether a clause would be enforced — that's a question for an employment lawyer, and the page says so where it applies. Informational, not legal advice.