Corporate E-Learning

Having to fire an employee is never an easy task. Sometimes, despite attempts of open communication and encouraging performance, an employee will need to be terminated from the company. One of the hardest aspects of preparing to fire an employee is to separate the emotions from the facts. Firing an employee should always be a last resort, so it is important that the manager has covered all other avenues possible before moving forward.

An employee performance improvement plan (or PIP), also known as a performance action plan, is a great tool to help employees that are struggling with performance, while still holding them accountable for their past mistakes. A PIP can help managers and employees determine a pattern of performance and can identify areas that may need more improvement than others. Through feedback and one-on-one communication, PIP should guide the employee toward the right track and away from any poor performing behaviors.

Every manager is familiar with how to identify high-performing employees and know various ways to keep them motivated. However, many managers are unaware of how to identify employees that will need to be terminated from the company. When certain traits and behaviors become easy to recognize in problem employees, the manager will know right away who to eliminate from the team, when necessary.

Sometimes it can be hard for a manager to admit when it is time to let an employee go from the company. It is important to recognize various behaviors and ‘red flags’ that an employee may display when that are not performing well with the rest of the group. But after several unsuccessful opportunities for improvement, the manager must realize what needs to be done for the greater outcome of the team.

Firing an employee is never a pleasant experience – for the manager or the employee. However, an effective termination meeting can help to (somewhat) difuse the situation, allow the employee to keep their dignity and ensure the manager is following all of the proper, legal guidelines. The termination meeting should serve as a chance to terminate the employee discreetly, while ‘wrapping up’ certain matters, such as returning keys or badges and negotiating some form of severance or benefit pay.

Believe it or not, there are right ways to fire an employee from a company. Although firing an employee is never pleasant and can cause extreme anxiety, it is important to follow the correct steps to ensure fairness, dignity and some form of understanding between each party.

Having to fire an employee is a task every manager wishes they could avoid. Sometimes no matter how often or how much you’ve spoken with the employee about their performance, they still do not believe they are able to be fired. But when the time comes, the manager must be prepared to deliver the news and ‘wrap up’ any final business with the employee with dignity and tact.

One of the most helpful tools when preparing to fire an employee is the use of a termination checklist, which is usually covered during a termination meeting. This list helps the employee to thoroughly cover any loose ends before the employee is let go, such as returning keys or badges, alerting human resources of the change, and deleting the employee’s access to the system. Without the checklist, the manager may forget one of these items, which would be bad for the company, as well as the terminated employee.

When preparing to fire an employee, some of us flash back into the movies where the boss walks in, tells the employee they’re fired and it’s over. But, that is not how it works in the real world. There are many incorrect ways to fire an employee. These methods can cause anxiety or embarrassment to the employee and the manager, but can also leave the company open for a lawsuit regarding harassment from management or even wrongful termination.

Once an employee has been told they are fired, many managers believe that is the end of the process. However, there are still many factors to cover while the employee is still on the premises. After an employee has been let go, it is important that they are escorted off of the property as soon as possible to avoid a scene in the office or to avoid the risk of the employee damaging any company files.

An exit interview is typically completed when an employee leaves voluntarily or is part of a company lay off. However, the interview can be done with employees that have been terminated if completed correctly. It is important to remember that the employee will mostly likely be angry or hurt, so the manager must tread lightly and ensure they have another manager or human resource representative present at the time of the interview.

Although this workshop is coming to a close, we hope that your journey to knowing how to effectively fire an employee is just beginning. Please take a moment to review and update your action plan. This will be a key tool to guide your progress in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. We wish you the best of luck on the rest of your travels!