How to fire
someone. Step-by-step.
It is never a pleasant business to terminate employees. Nonetheless,
the prospect presents itself and you must take action. If the termination
is for “cause,” you must take great care must to keep
from making a bad situation worse. There are books and articles available
to guide a manager through this sticky problem.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to layoff employees for economic
reasons. While this presents a different set of problems, you still
must handle it delicately. The bruised feelings of the former employee
may express themselves in ways that damage the business.
Problems Can Arise When You Terminate Employees
The decision to terminate employees raises several different issues.
How will the termination affect customers or clients? You must contact
them to let them know they can expect the same quality of service
they have always enjoyed. It is unsettling for a customer to find
the friendly employee he or she always worked with is no longer there.
When it becomes necessary to fire someone, another question you
must ask is, “How will this affect the remaining workforce?” When
a coworker gets fired, rumors spread like wildfire. Most employees
think, “It could happen to me.” You may need to reassure
them and calm their fears. It is a mistake to assume that by terminating
one employee, the others will increase their productivity. Worried
about their job security, these employees may unconsciously decrease
their productivity.
There are external forces at work here as well. There are federal,
state, and local laws that regulate employee termination. When you
decide to terminate employees, you should brush up on these laws.
If you do not, you may be inviting a complicated lawsuit.
If you fire employees because of downsizing, keep the all workers
informed. Once you fire one set of employees, the business needs
might require more layoffs. If this is the case, let the employees
know they will get plenty of notice before the next wave.
Also be aware that terminated employees may act irrationally. You
may need to change locks and security codes. In short, a great deal
of thought and preparation is necessary before you terminate employees.
You
don't need an air tight case to fire someone ... but you need
to know these factors. |