6 Things You Should Absolutely Do To Ensure a Smooth Employee Termination Process
Have you ever had to fire an employee before? No one really ever relishes the opportunity to inform an employee that they have been fired. Terminating an employee is a difficult, unpleasant experience, even in the best-case scenario.
More importantly, you should note that firing an employee improperly could subject you and your business to legal action for wrongful termination.
If you’ve decided that you need to terminate a member of your staff, it’s crucial to make sure you follow the proper legal procedures without putting yourself or your organisation at risk of a lawsuit, a fine, or both. Below, you will learn exactly what to do and not to do when it comes to firing an employee.
Before that, let’s quickly understand why employee termination occurs in the first place.
A Few Reasons Why Employers Terminate an Employee
If you intend to fire an employee, you must have a justification in writing. For instance, it’s possible that an employee’s actions have a negative effect on your organisation, harm productivity, or put your other employees’ health and safety at danger.
You must adhere to all applicable labour regulations when giving an employee notice of termination. Here are a few typical grounds for firing an employee:
1. Problems relating to productivity or performance
2. Problems with punctuality or absenteeism
3. Criminal activity or stealing
4. Threatening an employee, harassment, or causing bodily harm
5. Sub-par personality or attitude
Although you have the option to fire an employee for any of these reasons, your ultimate choice should be based on the specifics of each employee and case.
6 Must-Do Things When Letting Go of an Employee
Here are some things you must absolutely do when terminating an employee, as advised by human resource professionals and recruiters.
#1 Prep in Advance
To ensure the procedure goes as smoothly as possible, practise saying what you’re going to communicate to the employee and ensure all the necessary paperwork is in order.
Make a list of talking points if you worry that your anxiety will get the better of you when facing the employee. You must, at the very least, describe to the employee under fire the procedure for giving back what belongs to the company, vacating office premises, for how long will they keep availing allowances and benefits, and so on.
#2 Never Beat Around The Bush
Get one thing straight right from the time you decide to let go of an employee: someone who clearly doesn’t belong in the company and who doesn’t need to be fired can be fired.
When stating the reasons why the company is severing ties with them, avoid trying to make a case about issues regarding productivity or performance that don’t exist.
Be truthful from the very beginning. It’s best to quit this employment arrangement as soon as possible because neither party benefits from it.
#3 Everyone Deserves a Chance
It’s difficult to learn that you’ve hired the wrong person or that the applicant you had great hopes for isn’t happy with their present job. This is mostly true for startups and small businesses.
The reality is that you need to exert control over the situation, even though it might seem simpler to merely hope things get better. The best course of action is to speak with the outgoing employee and speak your mind.
Give them the chance to decide for themselves whether or not staying on in the company is the right thing to do. In some cases, the employee might decide to leave on their own following that single conversation.
#4 Team Up With a Colleague
Termination is indeed a sentimental and complex matter. Moreover, you cannot predict how the employee in question would react. And that is why, a sensitive matter such as this shouldn’t be handled alone. In other words, don’t dismiss a worker all by yourself.
A human resources professional should attend the termination meeting. Conversely, if you’re the HR handling the termination, make it a point to include the outgoing employee’s team lead or manager. And even if you do not have an HR team within the organisation, just be careful to include anyone who you can trust when the firing occurs.
#5 Timing is Key
The business should also note any unique circumstances that can make things worse. For instance, it’s advised that businesses strive to avoid terminating someone on a special occasion, such as the person’s birthday or any company celebrations or events.
Other than Friday, notifications should be sent on any other day and made early in the day. Instead of going into the weekend with less potential to advance in a search, early or midweek gives the employee the chance to start taking action by engaging in a job hunt.
#6 Conflict Resolution and Empathy
HR professionals and supervisors handling the termination should remain composed and repeat the message if the employee reacts angrily before continuing. When someone reacts intensely to the news, be kind and compassionate, but stay focused on the company’s mission.
Stay away from platitudes like “It’s alright, things will get better” or “I know what you must be going through”, that can downplay the employee’s feelings. Have a folder of pertinent materials available so that the employee can study them later.
Practise empathy but never stray from your responsibility. Remember that when you’re delivering such a message, the employee will naturally be saddened and disappointed. They may not even be able to comprehend whatever you’re saying because they’re emotionally charged.
The task of firing a problematic employee is undoubtedly more difficult than it sounds. Make sure everything is in place and the standard procedures and protocols are being followed correctly.
Uncomfortable circumstances or even legal problems that could harm your company could result from firing someone too quickly or without following the correct procedures.
