20 February 2020

Briefly explained: Are you considering dismissing an employee during their trial period?

Employment law

A trial period gives you as an employer a good opportunity to test whether the employee you have hired is the right candidate. Trial periods also involve pitfalls that you must be aware of, says partner and lawyer Maria Elena Kvalen at SANDS. This particularly applies if you are considering dismissing an employee during their trial period.

The Working Environment Act gives employees strong protection against dismissal. Employees on their trial period have somewhat weaker protection against dismissal, but you must have done a good deal of preparatory work before you decide on dismissal.

It is crucial that the employee has received the necessary and sufficient training and follow-up, and that this is documented, emphasises Kvalen.

Opportunities to evaluate skill and reliability

Section 15-6 of the Working Environment Act gives the employer the opportunity to dismiss the employee during the trial period if the employee does not show satisfactory adaptation to the work, professional skill or reliability during the trial period.

Such a dismissal must then be notified to the employee before the trial period expires. If not, the normal employment protection rules apply.

Employer’s responsibility during the trial period

Before you, as an employer, terminate the trial period, it is a prerequisite that you provide the employee with the necessary and sufficient training and follow-up. The employee must receive a thorough introduction to the work tasks, so that he or she has a real opportunity to succeed before a potential dismissal, Kvalen points out.

Document training and follow-up

If, as an employer, you are considering dismissing a person during a trial period, you must ensure that you can demonstrate that the new employee has received the necessary training and follow-up. How far the employer’s training and follow-up obligation goes will depend on the individual employee’s education and experience.

Tips:

Follow-up meetings should be held regularly. Make sure to prepare written minutes of these meetings. This way, you can document the process.

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