It has come
down to the unhappy moment when there
is no other choice—you
must fire an employee. One of many valid
reasons (incompetence, violation of company
rules, necessary downsizing, and the
like) has brought you to this decision.
Now you must take action.
First, you must act decisively. Once
you decide to fire an employee, procrastination
will only make a bad situation worse.
This is especially true if the employee
senses imminent termination in his or
her future. The longer you put off the
procedure, the more time the employee
has to go into the defense mode. He or
she will consciously or unconsciously
try to make you feel the problem is you.
In the worst case scenario, the employee
will take actions that hurt your business.
The other end of that spectrum is the
employee will simply slack off; sometimes,
stopping work altogether.
Next step is to make a plan. When you
are about to fire an employee, it is
not the time to shoot from the hip. If
you fail to consider legalities and proper
procedures, this process can cost your
business dearly.
Planning to Fire an Employee
In the planning to fire an employee,
there are several things to consider:
*Do I need
to give the employee a letter of termination?
If you fire an employee
for “cause,” a clear, well-written
statement of the reasons for the termination
will inhibit any future legal action
by the employee.
* Have I planned
out exactly what I am going to say
when I fire an employee?
A brief set of notes will help you be
sure to “cover all the bases” when
you call the employee in for the termination
interview.
*Have I given the employee opportunity
to change? In other words, have I ever
counseled the employee, given a warning
letter, provided enough training? Failure
to follow such procedures may come back
to haunt you in a labor dispute.
*Do I need
to prepare a letter of recommendation?
You should not give an employee whom
you fire “for cause” any
recommendations. Other employees, however,
may merit such consideration, and a short
letter of recommendation may take the
edge off the unpleasant situation.
These are just a few of the questions
that could make matters easier when it
comes time to fire an employee. There
are many resources available to guide
you through this process. If you take
the time to collect this information
before you fire an employee, it will
make the termination go more smoothly
and prevent legal problems later.
When
should you fire employee?
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