Why you MUST counsel and, possibly, terminate a problem
employee
It is never a pleasant business to terminate employees. Nonetheless,
the prospect presents itself and you must take action. If the
termination is for “cause,” you must take great care
must to keep from making a bad situation worse. There are books
and articles available to guide a manager through this sticky
problem.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to layoff employees for economic
reasons. While this presents a different set of problems, you
still must handle it delicately. The bruised feelings of the
former employee may express themselves in ways that damage the
business.
Problems Can Arise When You Terminate Employees
The decision to terminate employees raises several different
issues. How will the termination affect customers or clients?
You must contact them to let them know they can expect the same
quality of service they have always enjoyed. It is unsettling
for a customer to find the friendly employee he or she always
worked with is no longer there.
When it becomes necessary to fire someone, another question
you must ask is, “How will this affect the remaining workforce?” When
a coworker gets fired, rumors spread like wildfire. Most employees
think, “It could happen to me.” You may need to reassure
them and calm their fears. It is a mistake to assume that by
terminating one employee, the others will increase their productivity.
Worried about their job security, these employees may unconsciously
decrease their productivity.
There are external forces at work here as well. There are federal,
state, and local laws that regulate employee termination. When
you decide to terminate employees, you should brush up on these
laws. If you do not, you may be inviting a complicated lawsuit.
If you fire employees because of downsizing, keep the all workers
informed. Once you fire one set of employees, the business needs
might require more layoffs. If this is the case, let the employees
know they will get plenty of notice before the next wave.
Also be aware that terminated employees may act irrationally.
You may need to change locks and security codes. In short, a
great deal of thought and preparation is necessary before you
terminate employees.
Need
to terminate employees? Here's how...
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