HRSINGAPORE Community

Dear HR Community,

We are in the construction industry and have employees undergoing probation. After their probation period we require them to sign an acknowledgment as follows:

"Your probation period with us is due to end on XXX
We are pleased to confirm your ongoing employment effective immediately from XXX
The terms and conditions of employment set out in your original Employment Agreement will continue to apply to your ongoing position as XXX
Your probationary period counts towards your continuous service with the Company.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I accept the above-stated terms and conditions related to the above position.

SIGNED:
DATE:"

However, we have an employee who refuses to sign the acknowledgment that he has completed the probation period.

In this situation do you consider him as completed the probation or still on probation?

Please indicate your views using the form below.

Thank you in advance for your views and comments.

Berniece

If the employee refuses to sign the probation completion:

He is deemed to have completed the probation: 67.47%

He is considered as still on probation: 12.05%

He has given notice of his intention to resign: 18.07%

Not sure: 2.41%

Before confirmation, there will be a performance appraisal to review this new staff's performance. It will be signed by the new staff and the superior. After that, a confirmation letter will be issued to this person. If the staff does not accept, he or she would have to consider continuing with the employment. If he or she has to decide to tender. The notice period is the same as a confirmed staff. - Tracy

Suggest you issue a confirmation letter stating the same information without the need to request acknowledgment from the employee. - Brenda

You can ask your employee for the reasons why he doesn't want to sign the acknowledgment. - Shirley

The Employee would be deemed to have completed the Probation period as all applicable benefits, e.g. Leave would become eligible. - Naresh

I would deem him as completed his probation because there is factual evidence. By not signing on the probation, is the staff planning to resign and serve his notice period based on the probation period rather than the confirmation period? - Jasmine

The probation period serves the dual purpose of letting the employer and employee assess the fit between them. So If the employee is refusing to agree on probation completion, then essentially they are saying they don’t find the employer suitable – ie in my view it should be resignation. - Sunil

Obviously, he has been offered employment elsewhere. - Ling

Any reason(s) why the employee refuses to sign the acknowledgment? - CH

We do not need employees to sign acceptance of confirmation. - SK

To check his intention/reason for not signing. To me, he has no intention to stay with the company. - SW

I understand probation is confirmed when the company is silent after the probation due date. However, if you state in your employment contract that employees need to sign before any confirmation, I think you are confined to this. - TSH

It means the employee is unsure if they want to end their probation because their original probation period was insufficient to judge whether or not they would like to continue staying on in the company. - Rachel

You do not need the staff to sign the acknowledgment. Just send the letter to confirm the staff will do. The additional step to sign acknowledgment is not required. - Jennie

He might have given the intention to resign as well. - Piyush

Can remove the section for staff to sign off acknowledgment, since the official letter to inform about him passing probation will suffice. - Melodi

In general, we do not require the employee to acknowledge the completion of a probation period because it is assumed that the supervisor of the new employee has assessed and agreed that the employee has met the minimum job requirements. - Leann

If the employee refused to acknowledge his employment confirmation, obviously he has the intention to resign from his position. - Wendy

I learned that in the event a staff refused to acknowledge an HR letter, we will talk to the staff and record our conversation accordingly. A formal letter shall follow to close the case. We'll then save the email/letter in P File for records. In this case, the staff is deemed to be confirmed after the discussion and upon his receipt of the HR letter/email. - Canny

Check if he does have any intention to quit. If the employer is satisfied with his probation, just issue a letter of confirmation. Why the need to acknowledge again when there are no changes to the T&C? - Lona