When the new Labour government unveiled its plans for Employment Law there was a flurry of headlines. Generally these headlines talked about the potential increased burden on employers versus the improved protections for employees.  However, looking at the proposed Day 1 employment rights (with a probationary period for new hires) there is another way for progressive organisations to look at this.

When you buy a new car you will hopefully do the research so that you believe it is the right car for the right money. You have the comfort of a warranty but you know that if you don’t look after the car, drive it sensibly or have it serviced then you will have problems. Worse than that there  is a chance you will lose any warranty.  So here’s the provocation – do employers neglect to onboard new hires effectively because they think they have 2 year’s free reign? Now, many people will at this point say absolutely not. But stop and think for a minute. How often is there a disconnect over what an employer thinks is obvious and what an employee is unsure of. Generally an employer will see an employee as being ‘onboarded’ much sooner than the employee feels that they are part of the organisation.  How many of your new employees would feel the role is what they expected or that they are clear on what to do if they have a concern?  

Rather than looking at Day 1 rights and a probationary period as an additional burden  how about seeing it as a reset opportunity? A good probationary period will have a clear onboarding plan with absolute clarity on the requirements of the role as well as support available. It should also help new employees understand the organisational culture. There needs to be two way dialogue so early warning signs are picked up on. Do you invest the time to get know your new employee  and how they work best?  Going back to the car analogy this is about taking some time to read the manual and make sure the car is set up in the best way for you and the car. You wouldn’t expect to jump in a new car at the showroom and for it to know where you are headed without some input from you.

Unfortunately like a car even with all the right onboarding and care sometimes it just doesn’t work out. But it will happen less often and parting ways will be a lot easier. 

More often than not though you will have a much more effective and engaged employee who is justifying the time and money you have invested in them. Remember a car is always more valuable with a careful owner and a full service history!