How to fire someone? Well, the answer is plain and simple, yet many bosses avoid doing it. So if you’re someone who is considerate towards your employee’s feelings, it’s necessary you have a deeper look at this article.
Trust me, when I say this, not all bosses are bad and not all of them are Donald Trump or Vince McMahon. They say You’re Fired so confidently it seems like they have practicing since ages. Now, relieving someone from their services has always been a tough job for many bosses. Looking someone in the eye and saying those two golden words, mentioned above, can be a really tough thing to do. You have to be considerate and let them know the exact reasons as to why you don’t want them to work.
I guess most of you must have seen the comedy drama film “Up in the Air” starring George Clooney. In the film, Clooney plays an employee of a firm who is hired by corporate bosses who want to fire their employees, but are afraid to do so. So he fires the employees for them. This sounds a good option but is very unrealistic, and even if it was real, think about all the money you would be spending to just hire such guys. So it’s necessary that you take matter in your own hands and learn how to fire someone gracefully.
How to Fire an Employee
Now you have to ax someone’s job but have to be very considerate while doing that. Telling someone that you are no longer required, you are stealing away their only source of income from them. You have to make sure that it doesn’t come too hard at them. Most people avoid being in such a situation but then you just cannot tolerate an employee who is a burden to your organization, and is proving to be a liability than being an asset.
There are many things to do before you think of firing someone. If the employee is really being a pain to the company and its employees, it is better to lay him/her off. Start the firing process by giving verbal and written warning letters to employee. Giving warnings is just not enough, it is important that your employee pays attention to it. Your written warning must have the employee’s signature, as this document can later serve as a proof. There may be times when the employee doesn’t sign the document. In this case, get a witness to sign it. The witness’s signature proves that the employee was given repeated warnings but still didn’t paid any attention to it.
If the employee chooses to sue you later, these documents can serve as a proof. Without following the standard procedure the employee can drag you to court and sue you for millions. Be prepared with you paperwork, which should include a termination letter. You should also have appropriate reasons as to why you want to fire him/her.
While starting the termination process it is important that at least two company representatives are present (which means you and another senior employee). There’s an 80% chance that the employee can sue you in court, so its good to have a witness. Make sure to keep the meeting private and confidential. Say everything you want smoothly and quickly, don’t indulge in long conversations. Everything that you say must be following the termination letter. If you want, you can also allow the employee to clear his/her doubts by asking questions. Don’t forget to wish the employee good luck for the future and have a warm hand shake.
Hope now you’ve learned how to fire someone legally. This uncomfortable meeting can go with ease if you play your cards right. Always remember to have a legitimate reason for firing someone. Don’t feel too bad after firing an employee, you did what was right and you have just saved your company from the many loses which were occurring because of him/her.