Probationary Period
Any Employment Contract should contain a clause for a Probationary Period. This is a period of time when you can find out what a person is ‘really like’, before you take them on as a permanent employee.
No matter how careful you are when you recruit a new Personal Assistant, the only way to find out what it will be like to work with them is to take them on for a trial period. This will give you a chance to get to know them without committing yourself completely.
The probationary period allows you to give a shorter period of notice and should allow you to terminate a new Personal Assistant’s employment more easily if things are not working out.
It is important that the probationary period is long enough to allow you to really find out what someone will work like. A probationary period would usually be between 3-6 months long as it is important to allow enough time for any difficulties to become apparent.
The probationary period is two-way since it allows your Personal Assistant to give you a shorter period of notice. This can happen if they find that they are not suited to the job in some way.
It is useful to undertake appraisals during the probationary period. This will help you to discuss performance and any required training that your personal assistant might need.