Hiring and probation

Probation passed: confirmation of employment letter

Confirms the probationary period is complete and the full terms now apply.

The review meeting has happened and they have met the standard you set out at the start. Say so in writing. Silence at the end of probation is read by tribunals, and by the employee, as having passed anyway; the letter just makes it clean and moves the notice period on.

Before it goes

  • A probation review meeting has been held and notes kept.
  • You know what changes on confirmation: notice period, any benefits, any pay step.

The letter

[COMPANY NAME] [COMPANY ADDRESS] [DATE] [EMPLOYEE NAME] [EMPLOYEE ADDRESS] Dear [EMPLOYEE FIRST NAME], Successful completion of your probationary period I am pleased to confirm that you have successfully completed your probationary period, and your employment as [JOB TITLE] is confirmed with effect from [DATE]. At our review meeting on [MEETING DATE] we discussed [TWO OR THREE SPECIFICS: the quality of your work on …, your reliability, how quickly you have picked up …]. [Any development point agreed, e.g. We agreed that you will complete … training by …, and I will support you with that.] From [DATE], the following terms in your written statement now apply in full: Notice: [NOTICE PERIOD] from either side, or the statutory minimum if longer. [Pay: your pay increases to [£ AMOUNT] per [year / hour] from [DATE], as set out in your statement.] [Benefits: you are now eligible for [BENEFIT] from [DATE].] All other terms are unchanged. Please keep this letter with your written statement. Thank you for the start you have made. I look forward to the next stage. Yours sincerely, [MANAGER NAME] [JOB TITLE] [COMPANY NAME]

Filling it in

Specifics
Two or three real things. A letter that could have been sent to anyone is worth less to the person receiving it, and less to you as a record if performance later slips.
What changes
Check the written statement. If nothing changes on confirmation, say so; if the notice period steps up, name it.

What the law says

  • Employment Rights Act 1996 s.86: statutory minimum notice applies regardless; a longer contractual notice usually kicks in on confirmation.
  • Employment Rights Act 1996 s.4: a change to particulars (for example the notice period) must be confirmed in writing within one month.
Guidance, not legal advice. Employment law moves; check the current position before relying on any of it, and take advice on anything that could end someone's employment.

What turns this letter into a claim

  • Do not let probation lapse in silence and then try to extend it a month later. Once the period has passed, it has passed.
  • Do not confirm someone you have doubts about because the paperwork is easier. Extend, with reasons, or end it.

Questions people ask

What if I forget to send this and the probation end date passes?

They are confirmed by default. Any contractual step-up in notice or benefits tied to confirmation applies from the end date. Send the letter anyway; late and accurate beats never.

Does passing probation give the employee extra legal protection?

Probation is a contractual idea, not a statutory one. Unfair dismissal protection has depended on length of service (two years at the time of writing); the Employment Rights Act 2025 is changing that, so check the current position before relying on service length. Guidance, not legal advice.

The letter, with the names already in

Employ AI drafts letters like this one from the employee's record, so the dates, service and pay are already right, and the disciplinary module writes the invitation and outcome letters from the case itself. All 44 letter families, 49 UK policies, GPS clock-in, rotas, leave and timesheets: £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee. 14 days free, no card.

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