AndreaKay.com: Firing someone

Home

Services

Books

Speaking

Advice

you are here: AndreaKay.com >> Advice >> Career Advancement >> Firing someone

Advice Topics

Career Advancement

Also try the:

Career Advancement archive

From my new book, Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers, discover how to change careers at any age. Plus interview questions to be prepared for, how others made successful career changes, if you have what it takes to make a change, how to get an offer in a new career when you have no experience and how to stay focused and motivated.

For more help on how to talk about yourself when you’re going for a promotion (or a new job), how to update your resume to reflect your achievements and how to be prepared if you decide to look for a job elsewhere, see Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want, Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want and Greener Pastures: How to Find a Job In Another Place.

Career Advancement

"Firing someone"

Dear Andrea:

--New manager in Ohio

Dear New manager:

You show promising signs by not making a hasty decision and thinking through the possible implications of your actions. So even though your boss has told you to fire someone, talk this over with him or her and discuss the reasoning and implications to the business. Find out why he hasn't done anything about this up to now. It's your job now to be a leader, use sound judgment and not be afraid to offer it.

Hash out:

Legal concerns. The number of wrongful termination suits filed by employees is mind boggling. Find out what your company's employment policy is, whether the employee received warnings, that type of thing. Sometimes small companies don't have formal disciplinary procedures, so you may want to talk with an employment attorney. You also don't want to create a bad reputation for your company by being sloppy about how you handle this touchy situation.
New headaches. If you get rid of this person, who will replace him or her? Think through who will handle this person's workload and a plan for hiring a replacement.

Consider how you and your decision could be viewed by other employees. How will this affect morale and your credibility? Will people start fearing for their jobs? Plan how you'll handle these concerns that could come up.

If you and your boss decide firing is the best option, prepare for this face-to-face meeting. Plan your words carefully, thoroughly explaining the reason for the termination. Get to the point and include what the employee will get in terms of severance pay and benefits.

There are many other issues you'll want to cover with your company's attorney. And eventually you'll get accustomed to your company's policies and procedures. The part that's most difficult is how distasteful this deed is. It's something you never get comfortable with.

I want you to be able to search and share information on my site. That's why I offer this feature below so you can refer this page to your friends. However, all of my content, including these articles, are copyrighted and may not be sold, transferred, published, displayed or distributed for any other purpose. See Terms of Use for more information.

Refer this page to a friend!
Click on the button below and send him/her this link and a personal message.