I&#x27;m not sure this applies over all of the EU – certainly in the UK it&#x27;s not true. (I learned this the hard way. Note to anyone working in the UK: in practice there&#x27;s a minimum probationary period of two full years, regardless of what your contract says.)<p>Anyway I&#x27;m not sure this scenario is any better than the US scenario of little to no employee protection. Sure, it means you&#x27;re not flat and your back from day one, but the cost firing <i>anyone</i> is substantial, making it very difficult particularly for small business to hire simply because the risk is too great. I&#x27;d be keen to learn if there are other ways to reduce that risk than simply making it easier to fire people indiscriminately.