All Wholegrain Digital employees come on board for an introductory period. This is the time between you signing your contract of employment and being granted permanent employee status. Essentially, it’s a trial so we can check you’re a good fit for the team and you can check that you like working with us. This section tells you all you need to know about how the procedure works.
The Basics
The introductory period applies to all newcomers to Wholegrain Digital. At our discretion, we may also apply it to a current employee who has been transferred or promoted to a different post.
Our standard introductory period is three months.
We may extend the introductory period if we’re not satisfied with an element of your work or performance but think it will improve over time. If so, we’ll give you formal notification in writing, stating the reason for the extension and clearly defined objectives. We’ll also support you through the process with any training and guidance we feel would be beneficial.
Terms of Employment during the Introductory Period
During the introductory period, your terms of employment are the same as in your contract with one main exception: the amount of notice required if either side wishes to terminate the agreement. During this period, either party may terminate the contract with one week’s notice. In the event that we decide this isn’t working as we’d hoped, your employment will cease immediately and we’ll pay you in lieu of a week’s notice along with any holiday pay you’re owed.
At the end of the introductory period, your notice period will be as defined in your contract.
If you’re a current employee who’s been transferred or promoted, your notice period remains the same as in your contract.
Monthly Updates
Our People and Office Manager, will meet with you on a monthly basis during your introductory period to review your performance and see how you’re getting on. They will also check whether you have any problems or queries and then feedback to the Directors.
We keep written records of these meetings and also provide you with a copy for your reference.
There’ll be a final review meeting at the end of the introductory period with one of the Directors. Assuming there are no problems, you’ll receive an official letter confirming your appointment. Hooray!
Problems during the Introductory Period
Sometimes things emerge during the introductory period, either with your references and documents, or the standard of your performance. If something unsatisfactory crops up, we’ll always discuss it with you first, either to confirm the facts or see if there’s something we can do to help you achieve the standard of work we require.
If your work hasn’t reached our high standards and we think it unlikely further training or support would lead to a satisfactory level of improvement, your employment will finish at the end of the introductory period. Should this happen, we’ll give you written notice and feedback confirming our reasons.