Under Article 53 of the Labor Law, after the amendments in force since February 2025, total probation cannot exceed 180 days in any case. It must be stated expressly in the contract with a defined length, and either party may end the contract during it.
Step by step
- 1
Write it into the contract
Article 53 requires probation to be stated expressly in the employment contract with its length clearly defined.
- 2
No more than 180 days
The total cannot exceed 180 days. Before the amendment the text set 90 days, extendable by written agreement.
- 3
Check excluded leave
The executive regulations set which leave does not count toward probation, so review them before fixing the last day.
- 4
Once per employer
An employee cannot be placed on probation more than once with the same employer, except by written agreement, provided the new probation is for a different profession or job or at least six months have passed since the earlier relationship ended, under Article 54.
- 5
Ending during probation
If the contract ends during probation, neither party is owed compensation and the employee is not owed an end-of-service award for that period, under Article 54.
Mentioning probation in the contract without stating its length is a common mistake, because Article 53 requires it to be stated expressly with a clearly defined length.
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