Inductions

An induction is the process of welcoming someone to an organisation or role. It's sometimes called 'onboarding'.

There's no legal requirement to have an induction. But a well-structured induction programme helps workers to:

• settle into a new job or organisation
• get the information they need to do their job
• understand what's expected of them

An induction can be formal or informal. There's no set length of time it needs to last. It depends on the role and the needs of the organisation.

An induction could also be useful for someone returning to work after a long time. For example, after a career break.

Pay during inductions

Workers have the right to be paid for any hours they work from the first day of employment. This includes any time they spend on induction.

An induction is not the same as an unpaid work trial, which might be used as part of interviewing job applicants.

Inductions and probation periods

An induction is not the same thing as a probation period. But the two things might happen at the same time.

Some employers use probation periods to assess a new worker's performance. When this is used, a worker must successfully complete a probation period to stay in their job.

A probation period is more formal than an induction. If a probation period applies to a job, the employer must include this in the worker's written statement of employment particulars.

Contact the Acas helpline

If you have any questions about inductions, you can contact the Acas helpline.