Do you make these mistakes with your 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.
Discipline
and terminate a problem employee. Employee written
warning form.
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