Probationary Employment

Introduction

QuadX Inc. (“the Company” or “QuadX”) believes that a well-managed probation period is important for both career development and as a means of assessing an individual’s competency to do the job to which they are appointed. The probation period should be a positive two-way process designed to assist the new employee in integrating into their new role in QuadX. The probationary period gives both manager and new employee the opportunity to recognise progress and to address any difficulties encountered.

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to managers in supporting new employees throughout the probation period.

Probationary Employment Policy

Definition

QuadX follows the definition of a probationary employee based on the Labor Code of the Philippines provided in Article 281-282: A probationary employee is one who is on trial by an employer during which the employer determines whether the employee is qualified for permanent employment. A probationary appointment is made to afford the employer an opportunity to observe the fitness of a probationer while at work, and to ascertain whether the probationer will become a proper and efficient employee while the probationer, on the other, seeks to prove to the employer that he has the qualifications to meet the reasonable standards for permanent employment.

Duration

Probationary employment shall not exceed one hundred eighty (180) days, or roughly, six (6) months from the date the employee started working. The services of an employee who has been engaged on a probationary basis may be terminated for a just cause or when he fails to qualify as a regular employee in accordance with reasonable standards made known by the employer to the employee at the time of his engagement. An employee who is allowed to work after a probationary period shall be considered a regular employee.

Responsibilities

1. As a probationary employee:

During the probationary period, new employees should learn all aspects of their position. This includes:

• • • Understanding and meeting the performance expectations provided by his/her immediate supervisor;

    • Familiarizing themselves with how their position fits within their department and QuadX;

    • Behaving in a positive and collaborative manner, and in alignment with QuadX culture and values;

    • Reviewing and understanding all QuadX policies, including our Code of Ethics and abiding by them.

    • Asking their supervisors for any clarification that may be needed and for feedback on their performance.

2. As a manager of a probationary employee:

It is the responsibility of the supervisor/manager to ensure that new employees are provided with enough context, the necessary tools, training, resources and support to undertake a full and active role at QuadX. It is the role of the supervisor/manager to:

• • • Introduce the new employee to the team, the company and other key stakeholders he/she will regularly interact with.

    • Discuss the scope of the role and the responsibilities that go along with it.

    • Set clear objectives for the duration of the probation period and beyond. The new employee must have a clear and thorough understanding of the dimensions of performance and key expectations he/she will be measured on as basis for regularisation.

    • Conduct regular check-ins with new employees throughout the probation period to provide feedback, with proper and full documentation.

    • Assess probationary employee’s performance vs. expectations at regular intervals.

    • Promptly address any issues of performance or behavior that arise and make employees aware at the earliest opportunity of any factors that may lead to them failing their probation period.

3. As HR Business Partner:

The HR Business Partner shall be the point of contact of the employee and the supervisor for any questions or concerns that may arise during the probationary period. Specifically, HRBPs can assist on the following items:

• • • Ensure that job description and probationary expectations (goals, targets, etc.) are discussed and agreed upon by the manager and the employee at the start of the probationary period.

    • Provide advice/guidance regarding the policy and process and any reasonable adjustments that may be appropriate to support effective implementation.

    • Support managers in any informal or formal performance improvement discussions.

    • Consult with managers on final outcome of the probationary period of the employee.

Probationary Employment Process

Important Guidelines

1. QuadX primarily uses Engagedly as a performance software tool to facilitate the entire probationary assessment process.

2. For those without Engagedly access (e.g. employees in hub operations or Xorting Center), a template is provided for you under Manager Resources below. Please contact your HR Business Partner if you need guidance on how to fill out a form.

3. All probationary employees shall be required to enter their Objective & Key Results using the Engagedly tool within the first month of their probation. That said, direct managers are expected to guide and facilitate OKR discussion and agreement with the probationary employee.

4. All probationary employees and their direct managers shall receive a notification from Engagedly Team as soon as a probationary review is due. This is true for the first up to their final performance check-in (3rd, 4th, and 5th month Probationary Review).

5. Both employee and manager shall be required to enter their ratings and corresponding comments on the Key Assessment Areas above within 5 days upon receipt of notification from Engagedly.

6. As soon as both employee and manager submit their review, HR shall be notified to review both submissions for completeness and accuracy before releasing the review for employee's viewing.

7. Manager shall then setup 1:1 with employee to align and discuss the review and its impact, if any (i.e. enrolment in Performance Improvement Plan).

8. Employee shall be required to sign-off before the manager can sign-off on the review after their 1:1 discussion. If HR intervention is needed to resolve any concerns or dispute, employee may trigger the resolution workflow via the Engagedly tool.

Manager Resources

Useful Templates

• Link to Engagedly (Perf/OKR Tool)

• Notice of Non-Regularisation

• Regularisation Letter Template

• Link to Engagedly (Perf/OKR Tool)

• Probationary Review Form (for employees without Engagedly access)

Good practice for managing probation periods

Planning is essential for an effective probation period. Consider how often you need to meet the employee, what information should be provided as part of induction (see People Operations on boarding checklist for more information on induction), objectives, training, the assignment of a buddy or mentor, development activities, relevant policies and procedures, as well as scheduling relevant meetings.

1. Conduct regular meetings to discuss the employee’s progress and identify support that they need. There is no set guidance on how often to meet – this will depend on the individual and the nature of the role. We recommend that as a minimum, supervisors and managers should hold a meeting at the end of the first week, and the end of the first month. Ideally, it is good practice to meet at least three times during the probationary period. Also, supervisors/managers can ask the employee how often it would be beneficial for them to meet. Document your discussions during progress meetings – this will serve as a reminder for both parties as well as provide a record in the event of underperformance at a later stage. Standard forms will be made available by People Operations through our Slack channels and Google Docs.

2. Set OKRs. Providing formal objectives on what the employee needs to focus on and key results on how they will achieve their objectives allows employees to understand exactly what is expected of them during the probation period and enables measurement of performance. Our OKR template form is available on our Slack channels and Google Docs. Complete this with the employee during their first week.

3. Agree a learning and development plan that outlines what an employee needs in order to carry out the role effectively. Engage the employee in conversation about what training and development they feel they need to be more successful.

4. Encourage an open dialogue. A probation period is more likely to be successful if the employee has been given plenty of opportunity to ask questions, have regular conversations and raise areas of concern.

5. Provide feedback. Meetings during the probationary period should be used as an opportunity to provide feedback on any areas of improvement. Never leave any issues of underperformance until the formal probation review. Explore any problems at the earliest possible opportunity. These meetings are also an opportunity to provide positive feedback and recognition.

6. Refer to the job description. The job description describes what the job involves, the scope of responsibilities and tasks. This can be a working document for both parties to refer to throughout the probation period.

7. In the event of performance concerns, agree an action plan for improvement. This could include additional formal training, support, and provision of a mentor or working with more experienced colleagues.

Successful outcome of probationary period

Where performance meets the required standards at the end of the probation period, please confirm this to the employee at the 3rd and final performance review meeting. Partner with your HR Business Partner closely to document the probation outcome.

Underperformance during probation

• If there are any performance or absence issues and/or the employee is not progressing satisfactorily, raise this with the employee as soon as possible, making a note of any discussions and actions. Your HRBP can provide support and advice.

• If, during or at the end of the probation period, the employee has not met the required standards of performance, attendance or behavior, you may consider that it is appropriate to terminate the employee’s contract of employment. Your HR Business partner can advise you how to do this.

• Alternatively, the probation period may be extended. The extension of a probation period should never be a surprise; regular meetings during the review period should have taken place and the employee should be aware of the underperformance.

• However, probation periods should only be extended where the manager believes that additional time (along with additional support or training) will allow the employee to reach the necessary standards. Consult with your HR Business partner for more advice.

• In the event of an extension to a probation period, a letter will be sent to the employee confirming the length of the extension, the date at which the probation will now end, and setting out the improvements that are required, along with the potential implications of continued underperformance.

Meetings during probationary period:

Prior to the meeting:

• Review the employee’s work prior to the meeting.

• Take feedback from colleagues or other managers as appropriate.

• Review the objectives set at the start of probation.

• Review the job description.

During the meeting:

• Review objectives set.

• Highlight areas that are going well.

• Explain any areas in which the employee is not meeting the required standard.

• Explore possible reasons for failure to meet the required standards.

• Invite the employee to share their thoughts, ask questions or raise concerns.

• Agree on next steps and next review date/ objectives before that meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the circumstances in which a probation period can be extended?

A probation period can be extended for several reasons, for example, if there are concerns about performance or if the employee has been off work due to sickness during the probation period (and there has therefore not been sufficient time to assess performance). Extensions are only possible if the employee has voluntarily initiated the request, and the request was duly approved by the manager and HR due to meritorious reason(s).

What happens if any employee if off sick for part of the probation period?

If any employee is off sick for a lengthy period during probation, it may not be possible to adequately assess their performance in the job. In these circumstances, an extension is likely to be appropriate if and only if the employee voluntarily requested for it. In the event that an employee has frequent short-term absence, this may also be taken into account when making a decision whether or not employment continues. Care should be taken to exclude disability or pregnancy-related absence from this assessment. When in doubt, please consult your HR Business Partner.

Can I extend a probation period more than once?

Normally a probationary period can only be extended once. After this time, a decision on future employment should be made. If you feel there is a reason why an exception should be made to this rule, please discuss this with your HR Business Partner before taking any action.

How long can I extend a probation period for?

A probation period can be extended for the same length of time as it was originally set. For example, if a probation period was for three months, it can be extended up to a further three months.

A new starter in my team is significantly underperforming. Do I have to wait until the end of the probation period before taking action?

No. Hold a meeting with them as soon as possible. Highlight the areas of underperformance and set targets for improvement. Keep monitoring the situation and have regular dialogue with the employee. Ensure that you keep notes throughout. If the situation fails to improve, you will need to make a decision about continued employment. Your HR Business Partner can provide further advice.

If any employee does not successfully pass probation, are they entitled to a notice period?

Yes. Employers in the Philippines are required to give a reasonable notice period to the employee who is being terminated due to poor probationary performance. The employee can be given at least five (5) days notice after the decision of non-regularisation has been communicated and issued. Managers must be prompt in issuing a decision on regularization and should mindful of the timing of the termination date to avoid crossing the 180th day of the employee in the company.