Probation
Probation is a process designed to support you to settle into your role and the University, and where your immediate performance expectations, metrics and critical deliverables will be identified, along with any training and support required to set you up for success.
All new continuing and fixed-term employees will normally have a probationary period noted in their contract of employment of:
- up to six (6) months for Professional Employees; and
- up to 18 months for Academic Employees.
Probation timeline
During your first month of employment, your manager will work with you to establish your performance expectations and document them in your Probation Performance Development Plan (Probation PDP).
Your manager will hold regular meetings with you to provide timely feedback, support your development, and guide your performance. These meetings will encourage open, two-way communication and include written feedback as part of the formal review process.
Probation review process
| Employee type | Mid-term review(s) | Final review | Confirmation decision |
|---|---|---|---|
Professional | Month 3 | Month 5 | Month 6 |
Academic | Months 3, 6 and 12 | Month 17 | Month 18 |
If at any time during the probationary process, you are having difficulty meeting your performance expectations, your manager will contact their Senior HR Business Partner for guidance.
Once you have successfully completed your probationary period, you will transition to the standard Performance Development Planning (PDP) process.
Resources
For additional information about your probation, please refer to the available resources.
Contact us
For additional information and assistance with your probation period, please feel free to contact our team. We are available to provide support and answer any enquiries.
For more information, please submit your query using the P&C Service Portal.

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