One of the most difficult actions any executive has to tackle is that of terminating employees.  

And I believe that going about the task of terminating employees respectfully can and should be the focus of having this difficult conversation with your employee so that it can make a tough situation better for both of you.

Knowing that termination will end their current source of income and undoubtedly affect them in a number of ways personally makes it infinitely more stressful for you to address the task. 

And yet we don’t teach the business communication skill of terminating employees respectfully. 

So what often happens is, although keeping the employee in question may be detrimental to the health of the company itself, many leaders keep people on longer than they should because they simply can’t face firing them. 

There are ways that you can terminate an employee with both dignity and respect:

Communication is key. 

Explain the circumstances surrounding the decision for termination without sugar-coating the situation.

The truth is still the truth, so be sure to be genuine and honest in your explanations. 

Provide both documentation and an explanation

If the termination is performance-based, be sure that you provide documentation and give your employee clear and honest feedback.

Be crystal clear about the reason for termination. 

Whether it’s performance-related, a lack of “fit” in the company, a change in the organization’s needs, or a mass layoff, the employee has the right to know why they are losing their job. 

Provide the employee with the next steps

Specifically explain the timeframe within which their departure will take place and what the company will be providing (if any) to the employee (i.e., severance pay, benefits) after they leave the company. 

There are hundreds of resources on how to hire effectively but what is lacking are resources on terminating employees respectfully.

How have we as organizations overlooked this critical business communication skill?

Is it less important than any other communication skill? I think not. 

How we treat people says a lot about who we are. 

Next time you are faced with the uncomfortable task of terminating an employee, refer back to these 5 steps that I’ve provided here in this article.

Learning to terminate employees respectfully is just one example, but a key business communication skill for all leaders to learn.