Most employers loathe terminating their employees. Not only is it an uncomfortable situation, but there is also a great deal of money and time invested in hiring and training whichever candidate shall replace them.
But there definitely are right and wrong ways to terminate workers. Read on to learn more.
Don’t fire them in anger
This might be hard to do if you personally observe a worker make an egregious mistake that could endanger production or even lives. Still, you should subdue your anger and avoid publicly embarrassing them for their mistake(s). Instead, call them in to a meeting with HR and let them know without rancor that they are being let go from the company and there is no debate. But allow them the dignity of doing this privately.
Leave a paper trail
The best way to avoid a wrongful termination lawsuit is to have plenty of evidence that indicates the many opportunities you gave your employee to do better and meet stated goals. The more granular and specific the documents are, the stronger your case will be.
Make sure your legal grounds are solid
This is especially important if the employee you are terminating played a major role in your operations. Run the circumstances by your business law attorney to assure that there is no way the employee can accuse you of discrimination under the law.
Warn the IT department
You will need to collect phones and computers owned by the company and immediately change passwords and revoke access. Delaying even a little bit could result in a leak of company secrets or worse.
While terminating an employee is never pleasant, learning how to do it correctly protects both you and your business from future litigation. Working with an experienced advocate may be wise.
