I’ve only seen trial period language as tool to protect the company from bad hires. Although I’ve never never seen it used, I personally think it’s a good idea but I can see it being difficult for the employee that’s picking up and moving their life to a new location. I would imagine it would not be good for their reputation to use the trial period as a means to fire someone which is probably why I’ve never seen it used. Although I would guess it might be used at several large national and international companies where they can be more cold blooded.
I’ve moved 2,500 miles for a job. There was plenty of opportunity for me to quickly move up the ladder and play a key role in the company’s management team. I left the company after about 1.5 years because I just didn’t see eye to eye with a couple of my superiors and they pretty much lied to me about the work they typically do. Several key personnel left in my short time there for similar reasons.
I’ve learned that it’s very hard to tell if your going to mesh well within a company. People can be very nice and easy to talk to during the hiring process but then difficult to talk to when it comes to work and business practices.
If it’s a local only firm, it’s tough to obtain information on their reputation unless you have contacts in that area. Even that’s not always reliable as there is a lot of bias out there.
If it gets serious, I would recommend at least getting out there to visit them in person. Assess their office, meet the personal you will be working with, ect. Ask them or others where good places to live. If commute time is important, maybe book a hotel in the area you’re looking at moving to. Drive into the office around normal rush hour to help find a location that you like. If you sublet for a bit, I would do at least 6 months. I made the mistake of doing 2 months and it just wasn’t enough time to find a great fit for my wife and I.
Also, make sure to negotiate them covering moving costs. Gas, hotels, packing supplies, and movers can cost several thousands.