In the 7th installment of our Firing 101 series, HR Daily Advisor Editor Steve Bruce explains the 6 steps HR/employers should take in this crucial step of the termination process. Bruce also explains what HR should do after the termination meeting ends.
This is Steve Bruce for the HR Daily Advisor. This video is the seventh— and final—in our Firing 101 series—the Six-Step Termination Meeting.
No termination will be fun, but if you plan carefully, and you have the materials at hand that you need, you can accomplish it with a minimum of pain and difficulty. Remember, terminations cause many lawsuits, and the way employees are treated often affects their decision about whether to sue. Since emotions run high during a termination, many managers find it helpful to prepare an outline, or even a script of what they are going to say. Before beginning the meeting, check to be sure that you have documents, checklists, releases for the employee to sign, lists of resources, and so on.
Also be sure that you have tissues, water, paper, pens, and any other necessary items.
Step 1. Inform the employee.
After greeting the employee, move directly into the purpose of the meeting. Small talk is inappropriate. State that the employee is being terminated and state the real reasons for the decision. Don’t “soft-coat” the news by offering some more palatable reason like “it’s the budget” when the real reason is a documented performance failure. If this is a no-fault situation, you may explain the organization’s rationale and what the organization has done to try to make the situation as easy as possible for employees who are being terminated.
Avoid platitudes such as “I know how you feel” or “I’m sure you will find a new job right away” or “This is really a blessing in disguise.” Be clear. If you are too vague, the employee may not understand that he or she has been fired. For example,: “Well, sometimes things don’t work out, you know, and we just have to cut our losses and move on, you know?” That’s too vague. Here is an example of a direct statement: “On September 1, you were given a final warning to improve your reliability in making the monthly reports on which we base our materials orders. In addition, we agreed that you were to improve your communication skills with colleagues. Today is December 1. Your reports for September and October were late and inaccurate. As a result, shortages and overages have occurred. Furthermore, you have made no apparent effort to communicate more effectively with coworkers. Therefore, we are terminating your employment as of today.”
Step 2. Deal with the employee’s reaction.
Employees may react with anger, sadness, confusion, disbelief, numbness, fear, or a host of other responses. The best advice is to always remain calm and in control, acknowledging the feelings but helping the worker stick to the facts at hand. However, do not agree with any statements the employee makes about, for example, the unfairness of the termination. And do not try to be a psychologist or psychiatrist—you’re not.
Step 3. Lay out the terms.
For example, you might say, “In an effort to assist you financially, we have put together a separation package that includes severance pay. The benefits manager is waiting to explain the severance and other benefits to you. We also have arranged for outplacement assistance; this is a service designed to help you in a career development analysis and your job search efforts. A consultant is here today to meet with you.” Hand the employee a packet of materials that delineates the separation benefits and phone numbers for questions. Make any reminders necessary with regard to trade secrets, non-competes or other similar agreements.
Step 4. Let the employee know what’s next.
First, discuss the logistics of the departure—what the last day will be, vacating the office, packing up personal belongings, returning property, exit interview, meeting with counselor, etc. If the employee is to continue working for some period, clarify the organization’s expectations.
Step 5. Answer employee questions.
If you don’t know the answer, tell the employee you will get back with the answer. In general, do not answer questions about the reasons for the firing, or its appropriateness except by repeating the initial comments. Avoid debating or bargaining with the employee. Resist trying to defend the organization and its decisions. If the employee makes a reasonable request, for example, to keep home office equipment for two weeks until other arrangements can be made, see what you can do. Avoid discussing severance or termination agreements that have been reached with other employees. And avoid giving the employee advice.
Step 6. Conclude the meeting.
Remember, the termination meeting should be brief—no more than 10-15 minutes. When the employee has finished asking questions and seems reasonably composed, close the meeting. Accompany the employee to the person who will be handling the next stage of the termination process. If appropriate, make a supportive closing statement such as “I appreciate the contributions you have made here and if I can be of any assistance, please let me know.”
When the employee walks out the door, you may heave a sigh of relief, but your job is not done. Here is what to do next. Write a memo for the file summarizing the meeting. Note what you said and what the employee said. In particular, note any inflammatory statements or threats to sue by the employee, along with any admissions that could be used to defend against a later claim of wrongful discharge. If the employee asked any questions during the termination meeting that you could not answer, get answers or get the appropriate expert to work on the answers. Follow up to be sure that the information gets to the terminated employee. Check to be sure that the employee followed through with the list of things to do and people to see. Were all materials turned in? Were appointments kept? Conduct an exit interview if appropriate. Make or arrange for any necessary notifications to colleagues, customers, contacts, receptionist, and so on. Finally, maintain confidentiality. Employees and others who push for more information should be told that, “As you know, I can’t discuss private personnel matters.”
That’s it—the termination is done. Not the most pleasant of experiences, perhaps, but the best it could be under the circumstances.
For help with terminations and all your HR challenges, we recommend http://HR.BLR.com.
This is Steve Bruce for the HR Daily Advisor.