Disclaimer:
It is never pleasant to fire someone, regardless if you know that person well or not. However, if you have a poor performing employee who doesn’t show any signs of wanting to improve, then you really cannot afford to waste time and money by keeping him around. Fortunately, there’s no gray area when it comes to firing someone- it’s either you do it the right way, or the wrong way. If you get this process all wrong, you could cause unnecessary pain for you both or worse, you might end up with a lawsuit. To avoid possible complications, it’s best you learn how to terminate an employee the right way.
The Proper and Safe Way of Terminating an Employee
- Firing shouldn’t come as a surprise
It shouldn’t come as a shock to the employee that he or she is being fired. The actual “firing” should be the final step to a review process. You need to first warn that person that they aren’t performing up to par and that he is at risk of being terminated. Learning how to terminate an employee requires lots of patience, and a firm decision. You have to inform him about his poor performance, and then discuss how he can improve and finally give him time to change. If there is no improvement, then you can let him go.
- Have data to support the decision you’ve made
You will need sufficient proof to back up the choice you have made. If your reason for terminating him is attendance, non-compliance with company rules, or other sensitive issues, then you should have documents or witnesses to prove this claim. If it’s about poor performance, your initial warnings need to have realistic goals that can be measured, and recorded in paper. If this goal isn’t met, then you can show performance logs to prove his poor performance.
- Do it privately
Although taking your employee out for a meal and firing them in the restaurant might be a good idea, it is not the best environment to spill the beans. Consider a private, neutral place such as a conference room. This is a basic step in learning how to terminate an employee. You don’t want to break the bad news in public, as the person being fired could cause a scene.
- Don’t ever fire an employee alone
One of the things to learn about how to terminate an employee is that you should never announce it to the employee alone. Always have a witness with you during the meeting, because you never know if the employee may retaliate. Aside from that, such conversation could lead to an argument, and the things you say might be used in court if he decides to sue.
- Be compassionate but don’t be misleading
When firing someone, you need to be compassionate and respect the employee’s dignity throughout the firing process. Many lawsuits are a result of superiors not treating their employee with empathy and dignity. Since you’re firing this person, you don’t need to insult him or go over his poor work in lavish detail. However, you shouldn’t be misleading as well, tell the person that he’s fired, and state the reasons for your decision. Say your goodbyes politely and wish him well, then that’s it.
Knowing how to terminate an employee the right way is crucial for your business’ income and continuity. You don’t want to constantly deal with an employee’s mediocre performance, don’t you? Aside from that, terminating an employee properly will prevent unnecessary stress with possible lawsuits and employee uproars. There is nothing wrong with letting an employee go, so long as you do it right.
Having a conversation where you have to terminate someone is difficult, even if you have handled it dozens of times.
Let us help you make it easier. Download our guide Making Difficult Conversations Easy and get the tools to help your navigate through these conversations.
