I am starting as a full stack developer next month. This is my first serious job after college.
Do you think that the first three months used as probationary period are to figure out if you can handle the job?
The position includes some technologies I know very little about, but I'm hoping to figure them out fast as soon as I get my hands on the code (with no documentation). How do you learn once you start on a new job? Contact with co-workers will be reduced since I will start by working remotely. Any suggestions on how I can pick up speed and gain as much knowledge in a short amount of time without burning out?

Probationary periods are bullshit and should be illegal. It's basically bad faith hiring. They're asking you to commit to something, while saying they're not willing to commit to you.

Since it's your first job out of college it's not as bad, but be aware that this sort of thing is routinely used to dodge everything from benefits to employment taxes. Don't accept that type of behavior in future gigs.

@SortOfTested Probably varies by location. In the UK probationary periods are pretty much guaranteed with all new jobs - but it means either you can quit with zero notice, or your employer can fire you with zero notice. So the same rights apply either way.

@SortOfTested Australia has them too, it's so we can give minimal notice to employees rather then the 2 weeks.

They are still entitled to everything they would have been post probation besides the notice period.

It comes in handy when you hire someone who just doesn't do the work, or are a bad fit.

I've only ever sacked 1 person inside probation, but that was purely because they did bare minimal work and sat on YouTube/twitter all day.

3 month probation though, that's pretty good, it can vary up-to 12 months here.

It's not a sign off being a useless dev, it's so they can remove you if you end up being a total waste of energy, don't be that guy!

@AlmondSauce
Still not equivalent, you're giving up a job and a stable income stream. It's not as obnoxious as zero hour contracts, but is still every ounce Tory corporate classism.

@SortOfTested I disagree... We've had plenty of applicants who passed interviews, but basically sat on their asses once they were in. We have a one month probation (with one week notice, both sides), after that a one year contract (one month notice).

Sure, there's risk in switching jobs — but I don't think the answer is to provide so much job security that people stop trying to perform well altogether.

@SortOfTested That's certainly not ideal - but it works both ways too. Friend of mine left after a week somewhere as it was clear they were operating illegally, and he didn't want any mention of them on his CV. Found a new job with an immediate start a week later.

@bittersweet
I'm for termination in those cases. I've never seen a case here where a no fault probationary period wasn't used as temp labor.

@SortOfTested Hmm I guess it depends on the jurisdiction then, because hiring someone without probationary period and then firing them for underperforming in NL would mean severance pay, or getting a court involved to prove that it was malicious intent.

@bittersweet
Definitely is. I've had bad employees as well in the past, so I understand the defensive sentiment. I also have a bias that people and society > companies. The two should coexist and the risk should be equivalent in dealings. I actively fight against employment law inequity.

Context: I do business in the UK, Japan and the US. In those three jurisdiction the terms are:

US: mostly at-will employment, few to no professional unions. Fire anyone for any reason. The US doesn't have a concept of employment contracts, employment is conventional based on a number of provable conditions and a general compensation agreement. Wrongful termination and documentation requirements are both onerous and inconsistent across governing entities (states), so many companies are opting to reduce risk by making everyone permanent contractors.
UK: Fire anyone for any reason up to the 2 year mark. After the two year point severance is required. The UK also has an recent increase in 0 hour contracts, which are just straight predatory behavior.
https://theconversation.com/zero-ho...
Japan: most contracts are renewable fixed term where they "rehire" you over and over on an evergreen basis. This is many times obfuscated from the employee themselves by merit of an engagement wrapper where a shell organization fronts the contract as an intermediary. Fixed term contract terminations may only happen at the end of the term period sans documentable breach of contract.

For non-fixed term, there's a rigorous Japanese labor standard which requires heavy documentation, cause and severance of 30 days or 30 days notice of termination.

Labor law is pure fuckery.