Firing Employees: Do's and Don'ts

Firing Employees: Do’s and Don’ts

By: Dianne Shaddock

© 2010 Easy Small Business HR. All rights reserved.

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Firing Employees: Do's and Don'ts

Special Report From: EasySmallBusinessHR.com

If you manage employees, sooner or later you will be faced with making

the very difficult decision to fire an employee for poor performance or

some other work related infraction. The decision to fire a worker should

not be taken lightly. Think about the following “Do’s and Don’ts” before

taking a step towards ending a staff members’ employment:

Don’t:

Leave the task to someone who does not have direct supervision of the

worker being fired. If you are their direct supervisor, you have the ultimate

responsibility to deliver the “bad news”.

Why? Not only does it put the person who does not supervise the

employee in an unfair and uncomfortable position of being the messenger

of your decision, but it makes the affected employee feel dismissed, angry

and resentful. Sit with your employee and be clear with them as to why

they are being fired. If you have been communicating with your worker

prior to notifying that they will be let go, (and I hope that you have), the

fact that you have reached the point where they will be fired should not be

a surprise to them.



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Don’t:

Fire an employee on the spot unless the actions are so egregious that it

requires immediate removal from the workplace.

Why? It is critical to be consistent with how you determine what acts of

employee conduct or misconduct rise to the level of firing an employee.

All businesses no matter how small should have basic standards in place

that highlight your expectations relating to employee conduct or behavior

in the workplace and the consequences of violating these standards. Firing

an employee without having company standards in place that show that

you have specific expectations of employees and their behavior

complicates situations where an employee feels that they have been treated

unfairly.

You should always investigate all situations that are brought to your

attention whenever possible. This means talking not only to the employee

in question, but any other staff members, customers, or clients who may

be able to provide details that will inform your decision to keep or fire the

employee.

If you don’t have any standards or policies in place, the best approach for

firings involving less complicated work violation situations may be to give

the employee a warning that their actions are inappropriate and then

clearly highlight your expectations moving forward. Let them know that

any future violations will result in termination. Document the date that the

employee received this information and place a note in their file.

Be proactive and summarize your expectations of all employees in writing

including the consequences for misconduct. Give a written document to all

of your employees that highlight your expectations. Employees deserve to


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know what is expected of them, as well as the consequences of certain

actions or behaviors in the workplace.

Do:

Fire workers who have crossed the line of what is considered egregious

inappropriate behavior if you are absolutely certain based on the facts that

the employee is guilty of misconduct. Behaviors that might require

immediate dismissal if proven are:

Violence against others

Sexual harassment

Threats

Bringing weapons to work

Remember to be proactive and have written standards in place that

highlight the company’s position on employee conduct and behavior. Be

careful to fully investigate any complaints before making the decision to

fire a worker. If you are not sure if a worker is guilty of any violation and

you need time to learn more in situations such as the ones described

above, suspend the employee with pay until you are able to research the

situation and talk to all of the individuals involved.


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Do:

Respect the privacy and confidentiality of everyone involved by meeting

with your employee(s) in a private area; (it’s o.k. to have a management

person present if appropriate as a witness).

Do:

Tell your employee the reason for the termination. Have a letter prepared

briefly summarizing the reason for their being fired, the date of the firing

and when their benefits will end, (if applicable).

Give your employee their last paycheck if at all possible when you notify

them that they are being fired. If this is not possible, let them know when

they can expect to receive their last check and that it will be mailed to

their home.

It is recommended that you consult with an employment law attorney if

you do not have a dedicated human resources professional in place to help

you through these more complicated situations.


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Firing Employees: Do's and Don'ts