How Long Is Long Enough? Rethinking the Probation Period for Personal Assistants

The 90-Day Myth

Ask almost any household employer how long their PA's probation period lasts, and the answer will almost certainly be three months. It is a figure borrowed from corporate HR practice, repeated in template contracts, and accepted without much scrutiny. Yet for employers of personal assistants — where the working relationship is intimate, the environment is domestic, and the stakes are often deeply personal — 90 days is frequently too short to tell you anything useful at all.

This is not a minor administrative quibble. Ending a placement prematurely because an employer misread the early weeks, or conversely retaining someone who is fundamentally unsuitable because the probation period lapsed without proper review, can have serious consequences. Understanding what a probation period is actually for — and what the law does and does not say about it — is essential groundwork for any household employer.

What the Law Actually Says

It is worth establishing from the outset that UK employment law does not recognise a probation period as a legally distinct concept. There is no statutory definition of probation, and its inclusion in a contract does not grant an employer special powers of dismissal. What probation periods do reflect is the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection, which under current legislation stands at two years of continuous employment.

This means that, in strictly legal terms, an employer can dismiss a PA within the first two years of employment without the individual being able to bring an unfair dismissal claim — provided the dismissal does not breach other protected rights such as those relating to discrimination, whistleblowing, or statutory maternity entitlements. A contractual probation period of three or six months does not, in itself, provide any additional legal protection beyond what the two-year qualifying period already affords.

However, this does not mean probation periods are without value. A clearly defined probationary arrangement, properly communicated and documented, sends an important signal to both parties about expectations, review processes, and the criteria against which performance will be assessed. Used thoughtfully, it is a management tool rather than a legal shield.

Why Domestic Employment Is Different

The private household is not an office. A PA working in someone's home must navigate a set of interpersonal dynamics that simply do not exist in most professional environments. They are operating in a space that is simultaneously a workplace and a deeply personal sanctuary. They may be caring for children, supporting an elderly relative, managing medical routines, or maintaining the rhythms of a household that has developed over many years.

Settling into this environment takes time. Many experienced PAs report that the first four to six weeks of a new placement are consumed almost entirely by orientation — learning preferences, routines, communication styles, and unspoken household norms. During this period, performance data is almost meaningless. A PA who appears hesitant or inconsistent in week three may simply be finding their footing, not demonstrating a character flaw.

Conversely, a PA who performs impeccably during the initial weeks — when they are at their most motivated and most self-conscious — may reveal quite different working habits once the novelty has worn off. The three-month mark, so often treated as a decisive verdict, frequently coincides with neither the end of the settling-in phase nor the emergence of genuine working patterns.

The Structured Alternative: A Phased Review Approach

A more effective approach replaces the single probationary endpoint with a series of structured review points, each designed to assess a different dimension of the role.

Month One: Orientation and Onboarding The focus here should not be on performance in the traditional sense, but on engagement. Is the PA asking the right questions? Are they demonstrating that they understand the household's expectations? Are there early indicators of attitude, reliability, or communication that warrant attention? A brief, informal check-in at the end of week two and a more structured conversation at the end of week four is sufficient.

Month Three: Operational Competence By this point, the PA should be performing their core duties with reasonable confidence. This is an appropriate moment to assess technical competence — whether they are completing tasks to the required standard, managing their time effectively, and responding appropriately to feedback given during the onboarding period. Document observations carefully and be specific: vague feedback is difficult to act on and impossible to rely upon if matters escalate later.

Month Six: Relational Fit This is often the most revealing review point, and the one most frequently skipped. By six months, the initial formality has faded. The PA's genuine working style has emerged. The household has experienced a range of situations — good days and difficult ones — and both parties have had sufficient time to assess whether the arrangement genuinely works. This is the review that carries most weight.

Common Mistakes Household Employers Make

Perhaps the most frequent error is treating the probation period as a passive countdown rather than an active management process. Employers who conduct no formal check-ins, provide no documented feedback, and then decide at the 90-day mark that things are not working have, in effect, squandered the entire probationary period.

A related mistake is conflating personal discomfort with professional underperformance. Domestic employment is unusually intimate, and it is not uncommon for an employer to feel that something is 'not quite right' without being able to articulate what that means in employment terms. Feelings are valid data points, but they are not a substitute for documented, specific, and fair assessment.

Finally, employers sometimes fail to communicate probationary criteria at the outset. If a PA does not know what they are being assessed on, the review process is neither fair nor particularly useful. Setting clear expectations at the start — ideally in writing — is not bureaucratic overreach; it is basic good practice.

Extending a Probation Period

If a review reveals genuine uncertainty — perhaps due to illness, an unusually disrupted period, or concerns that require more time to assess — it is entirely reasonable to extend the probationary period. The contract should ideally make provision for this. Extensions should be communicated clearly, in writing, with specific objectives for the extended period and a defined review date.

An extension is not a punishment. Presented constructively, it is an opportunity to give a placement the best possible chance of success.

A Final Word on Fairness

The probation period exists to protect both parties. Household employers benefit from a structured opportunity to assess suitability before the relationship becomes more entrenched. PAs benefit from clear expectations and honest feedback that allows them to adjust their approach. When used well, it is a foundation for a strong working relationship. When treated as a formality, it is an opportunity wasted by both sides.