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All newly appointed employees (academic and professional services) are subject to the University's Employee Probation procedure, and have a probation period of six months, unless otherwise stated in your contract of employment.

The purpose of the probation period is to assess whether an employee is meeting the required standards of performance, conduct and behaviour for their role, while ensuring appropriate support, guidance and feedback are provided as the new employee settles into the organisation. Regular reviews enable development needs to be identified, progress against probationary objectives to be monitored and any issues to be addressed promptly and constructively.

Employee Probation Timeline

When	What happensÌý
First 2 weeks (Start of Probation)	The line manager and employee meet to confirm length of the probationary period and agree probation objectives, confirm performance and conduct expectations, means of assessment, confirm mandatory training to be completed within the probation period and discuss support and development needs. The main points of this discussion will be recorded on the Employee Probation Review Form and shared with the employee.
Ongoing	The line manager will provide regular feedback and informal review discussions on how the employee is performing against their probationary objectives and whether their standards of conduct and behaviour are meeting the University’s expectations.
Month 3 (Mid-Point)	Formal check-in between the line manager and employee to discuss progress made against the probationary objectives, support, and any concerns or challenges. The Employee Probation Review Form is used to record the key points discussed in this meeting and is shared with the employee.
Month 5 (End of Probation)	Where the line manager is satisfied that the employee has met or is clearly demonstrating the ability to meet their probation objectives, probation is confirmed. The line manager will email the completed Employee Probation Review Form to HR@reading.ac.uk to confirm successful probation completion, and the employee will receive a formal confirmation letter from the HR Department. If the probation cannot be confirmed due to ongoing performance and/or conduct/behaviour concerns, a formal Probation Review Meeting will be held to determine the probation outcome.Ìý

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Setting Objectives

Managers and employees should agree probation objectives within two weeks of the employee's start date. Objectives should:

• reflect the duties of the role, as defined in the Job Description and Person Specification (JDPS)
• be achievable within the probation period
• cover performance, conduct and professional behaviours
• support successful integration into the team and University

Managers are encouraged to use SMART objectives to provide clear expectations, support meaningful feedback, and enable progress to be reviewed consistently throughout the probation period.

Academic Objectives – new Lecturers

New Lecturers are required to work towards a set of standard probation objectives relating to their academic responsibilities. These offer flexibility dependent on academic employment function, whether staff are full or part time and whether a new employee has FHEA (Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy).

Please refer to the Academic Staff section forÌýguidance and training available to help line managers with setting probation objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

A successful probation period relies on a collaborative approach between the employee and their line manager. Both have a responsibility to engage actively in the process, maintain open and constructive communication, and work together to ensure objectives are achieved, progress is reviewed, and any support or development needs are identified and addressed at an early stage.

Line Managers

• Set and review objectives
• Provide clarity regarding expected standards of performance and behaviour
• Provide regular constructive feedback
• Identify support and development needs
• Complete probation review documentation

Employees

• Engage with the probation process
• Work towards agreed objectives
• Raise any concerns or support requirements promptly

Human Resources

• Provide advice and guidance to the line manager on the probation process
• Following notification from the line manager, issue formal confirmation letters following successful completion of probation

Confirmation of Successful Completion and Beyond

At the end of the probation period, the line manager will review whether the employee has demonstrated the ability to meet the requirements of their role.
Where probation is successfully completed:

• the completed Employee Probation Review Form is submitted to HR (email: hr@reading.ac.uk)
• HR issues confirmation of successful completion
• employees move into the University's Performance Development Review (PDR)Ìýprocess

If the Employee Probation Procedure is not followed by the line manager, at the end of the probation period the probation shall be deemed as passed.

Support During Probation

The University is committed to supporting employees to successfully establish themselves in their role and reach the required standards of performance and conduct. Throughout the probation period, employees will receive regular feedback and guidance, and managers will work with them to identify any training, development or additional support that may be required to help them succeed.

This may include:

• Informal support
• Greater supervisory assistance
• Allocation of a mentor
• Reviewing workload and targets
• Additional training
• Periodic performance reviews
• Reasonable workplace adjustments if the reasons for underperformance are due to the impacts of a long-term health condition or disability

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