The 119-day probation: what employers should do each month

Many companies in Thailand set probation at no more than 119 days. The main reason is that under the Labour Protection Act, an employee who has worked continuously for 120 days or more is entitled to severance pay on termination, subject to the conditions of the law. Check the details of your own case with a legal adviser or the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare.

But 119 days is not a countdown. It is the time both sides use to get to know each other. If the employer does nothing until month four, the final decision comes from gut feeling rather than information.

Week one: make a start possible

• Have equipment, accounts and a desk ready before day one.
• Say clearly what must be achieved in the first three months, in no more than five points.
• Name someone other than the manager whom they can ask about anything.
• On day 7, have a short chat: how was the first week, is anything stuck?

Month 1: check you understand the job the same way

Around day 30, sit down properly once. Ask whether the work matches what they expected when they applied, and say what is going well and what should change, with clear examples.

Month 2: give them real ownership

Hand over a piece of work they alone own, so you see how they think and organise, not just how they help others. Around day 60, review the goals you set at the start. If something is not there yet, say so now while there is time to fix it.

Month 3: the big review

Around day 90, compare results with the goals, and listen to their side too: are the team, the manager and the work what they hoped for?

Before day 119: decide and tell them

Share the outcome early; do not wait for the last day. If they pass, set out the goals for the next stage. If not, explain the reasons based on what you have discussed all along, and follow the steps the law requires.

A 7 / 30 / 90-day rhythm

If you hired through HappyJob and the employee agrees to a "Working with" guide, you see what they are good at, what kind of tasks suit them and what trips them up. The employee sees the same guide and can withdraw consent at any time. Enter their start date and the owner gets an email on day 7, 30 and 90 with the questions worth asking at each stage. Manage it from your teams.

The guide helps you have the right conversations. It is not a test of who passes.

Try it free with a team of three at Team Fit.