Important Things to Do When Terminating an Employee

You met them, you liked them, and so you decided to give them a job. But now they’re performing below company standards and you need to do something about it: you need to terminate them. We know that as a business owner or boss, terminations can sometimes be uncomfortable, especially if you’re worried the employee may retaliate in some way. But we believe if you follow the guidelines we’re about to lay out for you, you will feel more confident when it comes to terminating an employee.

First, you need to become very familiar with the federal law and your own personal to make sure that the reasons you’re firing this employee do not violate either of these laws. Plus, having a solid understanding of these laws can only help you throughout the termination process.

Next, you should keep a record of all strikes against the employee. If they are tardy, have a bad attitude, abuse the length of their break time, etc., write it down. Be sure to document the date and time, as well as a detailed account of the event so that if and when you finally have to terminate this employee, you have sufficient evidence to support your decision.

Additionally, if you’ve offered ways to help the employee improve his or her performance, such as through a company training session or other similar methods, you’ll want to keep a record of that too, because it is proof that you tried to help the employee get back on the right track.

Be sure to clearly communicate your concerns with the employee as they arise. If you have an employee who showed up to work an hour late, it’s not enough to just write it down in your records and keep it to yourself. You should speak to this employee and find out what’s going on. Maybe they have a legitimate excuse for their tardiness, or maybe they don’t. Either way, you need to bring your concerns to their attention so that they are aware of their wrongdoing and have a chance to make the appropriate corrections. Having a clear line of communication will also ensure that your employee won’t turn around after being terminated and file a wrongful termination lawsuit against you. After all, they won’t have any merit to do so if you follow these steps!

When dealing with a termination, you should clearly state your facts and then end the conversation. Therefore, do not argue with the employee if they attempt to lash out at you. As an extra precaution, you should have a member from the HR department or a fellow manager in the room with you so they can act as a witness to the termination and interaction as a whole.

Once you have completed the termination, you must follow up by immediately cutting all ties between the employee and your company. This includes removing them from your computer system, collecting any parking passes, keys, company ID cards, building access badges, etc. this employee may have acquired over the term of their employment.