How to Properly Terminate an Employee

Instructions

• 1

  Establish clear polices and warnings
  
  Before you decide to fire someone, it is important to establish clear procedures and guidelines so it becomes clear to an employee what to expect if he/she lags behind.
  
  Failure to comply with the Standard Operating Procedures will result in immediate termination. However, most companies first give an official warning, before deciding to take drastic measures. It is important that you outline the reasons - arriving late to work, failing to meet certain targets - to your employee and inform him/her the need to change his/her working habits. That way, the employee knows that he/she has entered a red zone, and any more negligence will lead to dire consequences.
• 2

  Organize your argument
  
  If you have decided that termination is the only solution, list down the possible reasons of your decision. You may not need to give any reasoning, but it is necessary that you handle the termination in a proper way. This way the employee will understand that his or her employers appreciated his or her presence but due to certain differences, the association had to come to an end. Moreover, it also keeps the firm’s reputation intact, given that the employee is taking no legal action. Even though his or her perception may not entirely match your evaluation, the employee will still try to improve the working habits to avoid enduring a similar sort of failure in future endeavours.
• 3

  Termination
  
  Termination should be discreet and kept out of public eye. If the termination news spreads out, it will lead to insecurity among other employees. Call your employee to your office and explain whether the lay off is due to bad performance or if the company is simply trying to cut down the labour force.
  
  Handle the argument tactfully, even if the employee is not entirely satisfied with your reasoning.