The size of Chile’s economy has essentially doubled in the past 20 years, and its labor force has grown to over 10 million workers. These workers are in demand, not only from local employers but also from foreign investors in growing industries like mining, utilities, and financial services.

However, it can be difficult to hire local workers effectively and ensure that they’ll be the right people for the job. Likewise, employees also have to face the challenge of finding jobs that they’re well-suited for and roles they can thrive in. Probation periods can be very useful for helping both employers and employees find the right match so they can succeed together.

In this guide, we’ll look at how probation periods in Chile are used, the rules that govern them, and the advantages they can produce for workers and the organizations that hire them.

Definition of a Probation Period in Chile

A probation period or trial period, known in Spanish as a período de prueba, is an initial period used to assess the fit between an employee and their employer. For employers, this is a period when they can work closely with their new employees, giving them lots of attention and training to help them become productive team members. They also assess their new employees to find out whether the claims they made when they applied and were interviewed represent their actual skills and knowledge. Aside from their abilities, employers use probation periods to find out if new employees will adapt well to the company culture and be able to work effectively with their colleagues.

For employees, probation periods also represent times for them to try out their new jobs. They can find out if they like working for the employer, are treated fairly, can perform their function effectively, and fit into the corporate structure well. They also use probation to verify that they’ll receive the entitlements and benefits promised by the employer.

Probation periods start when new employees first start working. They continue to their contractually defined ends unless one of the parties decides to terminate their employment agreement. The employee may choose to leave the job during the period, or could be dismissed if the employer is not satisfied with their work or organizational fit. If the contract is not terminated during probation, the worker will be considered to have successfully passed probation and become a full employee.

Lengths of Probationary Periods in Chile

Unlike in many other countries, probation periods are not mandated or even legally defined for most employees in Chile. The main exception is that of domestic workers like housekeepers, nannies, and cooks. Probation for these domestic employees can last for two weeks and is used to assess their fit with their employer’s family. Both the employee and the employer have the right to terminate their contract within this time for any reason.

Employers of other types of workers can use probation periods that they define themselves, during which workers still receive the same protections and entitlements as full employees. Employers can set probation periods as times for training and close assessment of their employees’ progress and productivity. They can also choose to employ workers on fixed-term contracts as trial periods, and these contracts can last up to one year.

Legal Considerations for Probation Periods in Chile

For the most part, probation periods are not formally defined, and this leaves a lot of room for both parties to decide whether to use them and how to define their characteristics. There are generally no differences in workers’ legal rights and entitlements, except for domestic workers specifically. The important regulations to be aware of in Chile include:

Pay and Working Conditions

Chile’s minimum wage was updated on 1 January 2026 and is now 539,000 CLP (Chilean pesos) per month (roughly equal to 570 USD). Probationary workers or those on fixed-term contracts for trial purposes cannot be paid less than the minimum wage. However, workers can be hired for lower rates on fixed-term contracts than they would be paid if accepted as permanent employees.

Chilean employees typically work five or six days a week and a maximum of 45 regular hours a week. They can agree to overtime in writing and must be paid at least 150% of their normal wages for the extra hours they provide. They can only work a maximum of two overtime hours a day, with no other weekly or monthly limits. Workers on probation are protected by these same regulations.

Termination and Notice

As previously mentioned, probation periods are only legally defined for domestic workers. They can be dismissed without cause during their two-week probation periods but must be provided with three days’ notice in writing. They can also give the same notice to their employers if they resign.

Outside of probation periods, domestic workers can be dismissed without cause, as can executives, managers, assistant managers, and company representatives. They must be provided with 30 days’ advance notice in writing. Other employees can only be terminated for justifiable reasons, again with 30 days’ notice. Workers are generally entitled to severance pay equivalent to 30 days’ wages for each year of service they’ve provided, up to a maximum of 330 days’ wages. Again, these rules pertain to all employees, whether they’re considered to be on probation, on temporary trial contracts, or permanently employed.

Vacation / Holidays

Chile celebrates 15 national and religious public holidays each year. Workers are entitled to these holidays as paid days off work, and if they must work on them, they are normally paid a premium that can be included in their collective or individual agreements. This also holds for workers on probation, should any holidays fall on their working days.

Chilean workers are generally entitled to 15 working days off each year for annual leave, though in some regions, they receive 20 days. Once workers have worked for ten years, they start to receive one extra day of leave for every three years of work they continue to perform, even if they don’t stay with the same employer or work continuously. However, this leave entitlement comes only after workers have provided at least one full year of service to their employer. Therefore, while their working days help them accumulate leave entitlements, workers on probation are effectively not allowed to take annual leave.

Benefits of Probation Periods in Chile

Probation periods in Chile take different forms and can have formal or informal structures. However, they can produce benefits for employees and employers:

  • For Employees

Can try out new jobs to see if they enjoy them and fit well with their employers.

Have the opportunity to leave their jobs after providing their employers with minimal notice so they can seek employment elsewhere.

  • For Employers

Get to assess their employees’ skills and abilities, and see how well they fit with their coworkers and organizational structures.

Have the chance to dismiss workers easily and find new candidates quickly.

Can hire workers on temporary contracts first, before committing to hiring them permanently.

Conclusion

With the exception of periods used for domestic workers, probation periods are not well-defined in Chile. Employers can set up their own trial periods or hire workers on fixed-term contracts before committing to them long-term, but these workers are still fully protected by all relevant labor laws. Still, probation periods are a useful tool for both employers and employees to learn about each other and make final decisions about whether their employment arrangements will work out successfully.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, they’re not required and are, in fact, only legally defined for domestic workers. For other types of employees, employers can define periods where they’ll work closely with new employees and assess their skills, but there are no legal differences during these periods.

The legally defined limit for probation periods for domestic workers is two weeks. For other workers, employers can set any period they like, but there will be no legal distinctions between these and other periods of employment. 

Domestic workers are entitled to regular rest days and any public holidays that fall within their probation periods. However, workers only get annual leave after 12 months of employment.