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Part 2 (continued from
October 2001 Recruiting, Inspiring & Retaining E-zine)
() Work out all the details of any severance package
before the termination meeting. You may want to ask the employee to sign a
severance agreement with a litigation waiver if you are providing assistance
above and beyond what laid off employees typically receive. (For employees
40 and older, make sure the agreement includes conditions and language
consistent with the older Worker Benefit Protection Act.)
() Have a plan for retrieving any money or equipment
the employee needs to return.
() Be prepared to answer the employee's questions
about departure, references, unemployment, COBRA, and any assistance in
finding another job.
() Strongly consider providing some outplacement
assistance. This often redirects any employee anger into constructive
efforts.
() Carefully craft your opening statement, clearly
communicating that the employee is being terminated and why. While showing
compassion, convey that all relevant managers agree with the decision, that
all factors have been weighed, and that the decision is final--not open to
discussion or negotiation. You may want to rehearse this statement or write
it out.
() Cite reasons for the dismissal briefly and
factually. don't make value judgments or attempt to analyze.
() Don't apologize, and don't take responsibility for
the failure. You may want to just express regret that the opportunity did
not work out.
() Don't talk about "how difficult this is for me."
You still have a job, and the employee may resent your indulging in your
discomfort.
() Have documentation of transgressions or poor
evaluations on hand, but don't use them unless necessary. Make sure that the
documentation is 100 percent accurate so you aren't compromised in any
future legal proceedings.
() Aim for a 5- to 10-minute meeting. Maintain control
of the session and don't stray from the central issue. If the employee gets
argumentative, keep your responses measured and factual.
() Hold the meeting in a private area. If no neutral
area is available or appropriate, the supervisor's office is fine.
() The ideal number of people representing the firm is
usually two. (You want a witness, and you don't want someone to be alone
with an employee who could get combative.) The person who evaluated the
employee should participate, and the other representative might be from
human resources.
() Arrange for the employee to remove personal effects
in private.
() Terminate employees before Friday. Most experts
prefer this timing because you're not ruining someone's weekend; the
employee can immediately consult with a counselor, attorney, or other
helpful professional; and fellow employees aren't building questions or
anger over an entire weekend.
() Terminate employees at the end of the day. Letting
someone go earlier can imply severe wrongdoing and "defame by innuendo."
() Try to avoid terminating employees around holidays
or birthdays.
() Determine what will be said to remaining employees.
The best route is usually to be quite general ("It just didn't work out")
while avoiding dishonesty.
() Offer a delayed telephone exit interview, if
appropriate, to demonstrate respect for the employee's observations and
ideas.
() Try to end the termination meeting on an upbeat
note, such as your organization's willingness to provide transition tools to
the employee.
() Document the termination conference.
() If you need to terminate some employees and layoff
others, try to do the terminating first. If you let everyone go at the same
time, the laid off employees may blame their departures on failure to get
rid of the poor performers.
Talking pains to terminate employees sensitively is
the humane thing to do, and it is good business. You want a reputation for
fairness and compassion throughout your industry and community, and you want
to minimize any risk of litigation or charges of discrimination within your
organization.
Remember that employers with 100 or more employees
are covered by WARN--the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act. Effected
nationally in February 1989, the act required employers to provide at least
60 days notice of plant closings and mass layoffs.
Thanks to our friends at
the Human Resource Department for letting us print this. |
