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How to Terminate an Employee
Matt Krumrie / Monster.com
June 23, 2008
Letting an employee go is a difficult situation most managers want to avoid, but with the right preparation and professionalism, you can get through such a tough talk with your dignity (and your employee’s) intact.
Firing Best Practices
Another manager or HR representative should always be present, especially if terminating a potentially hostile employee or one who might twist your words or make false accusations. It is also best to include a balance of genders, says Lissa Weimelt, principal with The Hiring Experts, a retained executive search firm.
The best place to terminate is a private office or meeting room close to an exit—there is nothing worse than an upset employee having to traipse through a workplace to find his way out.
Out of respect for and fairness to the employee, terminate as early in the workweek and day as possible. In addition, bring tissues and water as well as the phone number for an employee assistance program representative, if available, says Scott Cawood, PhD, president of ModernThink, an employee management consulting firm.
“If you let someone work all day, then they are giving to the company, and other employees will see this as disrespectful that you let them give all day long, or all week long, then fired them at the last possible moment,” says Cawood, author of Destination Profit: Creating People-Profit Opportunities in Your Organization. “Fire them early and pay them for the day, but let them leave right after the meeting.
There are logistical issues to work out, too. Cawood once had to terminate an employee who used a company car. How will that employee get home? Finally, have any necessary paperwork or documents ready to avoid scrambling for them as the employee tries to leave.
Next: What to Say and How to Say it
Smart_Ghost
2 months ago
6 comments
It is a good article, yet, I believe the termination meeting should be in the presence of HR representative not as an eyewitness, but, as a supporter to the line manager when any questions about the employee dues or the next steps are raised. Of course the manager should be supported with the incident reports that support the termination decision, the performance review meetings that has been conducted, the warning letters etc.
The termination decision is difficult so it should be phased, only in cases of gross loss to the employer or due to misconduct, or malpractice etc.
Regards,
K.B., Egypt
b6258711
6 months ago
2 comments
The firing manager must have good documentation. For example, if the employee skills are not suitable for the job, make sure that the supervisor and the employee agree on an action plan. This will show that the supervisor's intention was to help the employee improve his/her skills prior to termination.
I agree, if the employees has questions, the correct thing to do is preferred the questions to the company's policy HR.
jkoyon
6 months ago
2 comments
The article is about actual termination. We should probably just assume that appropriate procedures and policies were followed up to that point, since that's not really the point of the article.
I don't find the article at all one-sided. I have fired several people that I liked, and they knew it was coming because they were not performing. I am well aware that it could happen to me if I don't perform. It could happen to me even if I do (I have survived two rounds of downsizing). As the article states, most companies (and any company interested in its employees) will have specific HR policies in place an available to employees to answer the "unanswered questions" from the example.
Job security, regardless of the environment, is never entirely at the hands of the employee. If a unionized workforce needs to be down-sized, it will still happen. Employers cannot always plan for every eventuality in business.
Also, managers have to concern themselves with more than one employee. What about the "lack of concern" for the rest of the workforce, whose performance and livelihoods are jeopardized by an underperformer? Is it fair to allow that employee to damage the company in a competitive environment just because we don't want to fire someone? Trish, I think your points about making sure employees receive feedback and training and that managers really need to understand the jobs of line employees are valid, and I'm sure not everyone gets a fair shake before they are terminated. That doesn't mean that employers shouldn't be allowed to fire people.
trish
6 months ago
2 comments
too bad that this is so one sided and it shows such a lack of concern for the employee.. such as it is everywhere, why do employees leave with questions unanswered when there was time to work with the employee and train them better, I think job security should not be at the hands of the employer, when the employee is the person submitting themselves to the environment. I do believe there needs to be policy changes regarding these matters, so right to work states and private sectors are held accountable to these matters and people do not become praey to small clicks and management who may not know the true skills in the trade involved with an employee under scrutiny. I see how sad it is that everyone blogging acts like they are immune to termination themselves. One sided behavior implicates businesses in America into the power tripping, us and them mentality. We better change this, since outsourcing may bring armies of people into our country who may bring their newfounded respect factors here, who may turn to teach current managers new needs will need to be met, and angers will not turn to civil wars over America's policies to terminate without being properly attended to as a human beingterminate without being properly attended to as a human being.
seabrownthree
6 months ago
3350 comments
I found the article to be informative. It opened the dialogue for even more points to be made, and I'm looking forward to reading them all!
furmankevin
6 months ago
2 comments
I am someone who is moving into a management position and may at some time face this very important issue, thank you for this tip....:O)
GKittredge
6 months ago
2 comments
The decision to discharge an employee should be carefully planned, and the use of a "termination checklist" by HR personnel can be of benefit to both the employer and the employee. This checklist should include:
1. Know precisely why the employee is being dismissed.
2. Set a private appointment in your office to ensure control and privacy. Under no circumstances should the dismissal be done on the telephone, by email, or in a social setting.
3. There is never a good time to dismiss, but an early Monday or Tuesday is preferred to a 5 pm on Friday.
4. Keep the meeting brief. Get the bad news out at the offset. Avoid platitudes.
5. Let the dismissed employee have an opportunity to get his or her "side across, without interuption. However, keep control of the meeting.
6. Do not discuss the situation with any other employee.
7. Have any final payroll checks, benefits, or vacation payments prepared in advance.
8. Regardless of the reason for termination, be sure the employee understands his/her rights regarding employee benefits (i.e. group insurance continuation, pension plan electives, unemployment insurance, etc.).
Also be aware that while most employees respond to a dismissal with shock and anger, if the process is well planned and executed, it rarely reaches the level anticipated or feared by managers.
George Kittredge
www.laborandemploymentlawblog.com
gemmie
6 months ago
2 comments
There are challenges in dealing with a "just culture" and working through discipline and termination. For the example above, would there have been conversations, goals for PIP set in prior conversations?