Create a probation policy for your workplace

A probation policy gives your business a written framework for how new employees are assessed during their early period of employment. It can set expectations around supervision, review meetings, feedback, performance concerns and internal decision-making. That is useful because informal practices often become inconsistent across managers or teams. A policy can create a clearer process, but it is still important that your managers follow it in practice. The practical working model can be just as important as the contract wording or policy wording when issues arise later.

A probation policy will often cover who the policy applies to, how long the review period runs, what standards or objectives are assessed, when check-ins occur, how feedback is documented, and what steps may be taken if concerns come up. It may also explain who is responsible for reviews and how outcomes are communicated. The exact content depends on your workplace and onboarding process. We draft the policy itself and advise on its wording, but the fixed-fee does not include ongoing HR management or representation if a dispute later develops.

The drafting usually depends on the types of roles you hire, how formal your onboarding process is, who manages performance reviews, and whether you already use employment agreements or internal policies that need to align with the new document. For example, a small business with one manager may need a simpler review structure than a business with multiple team leaders and staged sign-off points. The contract should reflect the practical arrangement, not just a generic precedent or one-sided checklist, especially where actual practice differs between teams.

Sometimes a template looks fine on paper but does not fit how the business really operates. Common gaps include unrealistic review timeframes, unclear manager responsibilities, and wording that does not match the employment documents already in use. If the policy says one thing and managers do another, that mismatch can create risk later. A tailored policy is useful where you want the document to reflect your real onboarding and review process rather than a generic model. It Your lawyer will explain the practical position and your options in plain English.

No. A policy is helpful because it records your intended process and expectations, but it does not replace the need to act fairly in the circumstances. If concerns arise during a probation period, what matters is not only what the policy says, but also how the role operates in practice, what feedback was given, and how decisions were made. This service deals with the policy document itself. It does not include ongoing representation, dispute work, or management of a live performance or dismissal process.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Probation Policy service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.