By sacking on Friday, he has 2 days to accept the layoff and get help from his support group before they all return to work Monday. And it protects you and the company from unlawful dismissal lawsuits. If an employee has taken too many sick days or repeatedly failed to call in, management should have recorded counseling sessions and warning notices to the worker. You have tried to rehabilitate them and they have failed to increase. When you have a difficult individual, you should carry out the jobholder layoff program suitably to ensure you and the employee's rights are seen to. Don't give your opinions to the eyewitnesses. (Probably these steps will be consistent with any investigatory policies you have.) But if you don't have a policy, then this process is proper for any overwhelming misbehavior probe. Due to your strong moral beliefs, you may want to layoff an employee even when his conduct is legitimate. However, during company hours, business needs and your job come first. Why is it the worst at will workers, the ones that you simply should terminate, are always the ones most likely to sue you? It should clearly spell out and document the reasons why you laid off the jobholder. How do I conduct worker investigations before layoff?

Be sure to keep a copy for the company records, and if you must mail a notice (if a worker works off-site), then use certified mail. It's not any secret she and I had our differences about her job productivity [or conduct.] We followed all the company's policies and methods, but it just didn't work out. Although the definition of employment at will favors the employer, it frequently fails to protect you when you fire an employee.