Bad attitudes create a toxic work environment impacting productivity, performance, and morale. The question is – if you have an employee with a lousy attitude, can you fire them?
As one of the top staffing firms in South Florida, Future Force can tell you that you can, in fact, terminate someone with a bad attitude. Just make sure you go about it in the right way, or you could wind up in legal hot water.
What steps should you follow? Here’s a look at 5:
Step #1: First, make sure you’ve brought up the issue to the employee in question. If they have no idea that their attitude is causing an issue, then they can’t possibly improve it.
Step #2: When you do have the conversation, be as specific as possible. Don’t just say that their bad attitude is impacting the team; give examples, e.g. “The constant sarcastic remarks during team meetings hurt people’s feelings and aren’t productive.”
Step #3: Don’t just point out the employee’s bad behavior. Make suggestions for improvement. For instance: “Instead of criticizing everyone else’s ideas at meetings, why don’t you make it a goal to offer one or two of your own?”
Step #4: Go on to explain that you really need someone with a positive attitude who adds value to the team, rather than critiquing it. In addition, make it clear about what the consequences are (i.e. possible termination) for not improving their attitude.
While having these conversations can be awkward, doing so is crucial. For instance, the employee won’t be shocked by the news and will be less likely to react negatively – i.e. sue you. That said, if you’ve had these conversations with the employee in the past – all to no avail – then you do have a legitimate reason for termination.
Step #5: After the firing, know what you are going to say to your remaining staff. They’ll be wondering whether or not they’re on the chopping block next. However, when you do talk to your employees, don’t get into specifics about why the employee was fired or badmouth him or her. Just let them know that policies and procedures were properly followed, including offering ample warnings.
Do you need help filling a position that was recently vacated? If you do, call Future Force. As one of the top staffing firms in South Florida, we can help you hire skilled, dependable employees on a full-time, part-time or temporary basis and ensure they get up to speed – and productive – as soon as possible. Contact Future Force today to learn more.