Terminations

Any time you need to fire an employee, or even consider termination, there are legal and ethical issues you need to contend with. Begin termination proceedings by providing the employee in question with feedback on his or her performance if at all possible. Approach this discussion as a means for employee improvement rather than checking the boxes off on the road to termination; in most cases, it is infinitely more cost effective to keep an employee than to fire one. Document this discussion and, if necessary, the failings that follow, including implementing progressive disciplinary actions. These documents are then used as the basis for the termination.

Our employment termination training videos cover all of this as well as the actual termination process. In short, always follow your employee handbook and company guidelines to the letter, from the amount of severance pay to the number of warnings or disciplinary actions dispensed during the course of the individual’s employment. If there is any question regarding the legality of the actions the supervisor is taking, consult the company lawyer before termination. Laws vary drastically by state, and ensuring that you and your company do everything by-the-books protects you from costly legal action later.

At its core, employee termination is an emotional process, both for the person being fired and the individual chosen to carry it out. Quality training ensures that emotions don’t get in the way of legality, and that your company is protected and the message you send to the remaining staff is one of fairness and logic.