No manager looks forward to firing an employee. Sometimes, though, it’s a necessary evil. When it is, you need to handle the situation with care. As one of the top staffing firms in South Florida, Future Force knows how you approach the situation is just as important as what you say during it. To help ensure you’re compliant with the law, while still being compassionate, here are a few tips to follow:
Tip #1: Document poor performance.
Before you make a move and fire an employee, make sure the employee’s performance has been documented over a period of time. If an employee is late, lazy, or unproductive – and yet has either a perfect performance review or no write-ups – then you could land in legal hot water should they try to sue you.
Tip #2: Make sure you get all sides of the story.
If another employee is telling you about someone’s poor performance on the job, don’t just take their word for it. Investigate the situation for yourself and verify the details. Don’t fire someone based on second hand information.
Tip #3: Be clear and direct.
Don’t offer a long-winded explanation about why the employee is being fired. They probably already know the reason(s). Be as quick, clear and direct as possible when handling the situation.
Tip #4: Keep apologies to yourself.
If you’re like many managers, you probably feel awful about having to fire an employee and it can be tempting to apologize as a result. But don’t do it. If they didn’t perform well on the job or didn’t try to improve the situation, then it’s their fault, not yours.
Tip #5: Be compassionate.
Even if you’re firing someone who is the worst employee you’ve ever had, remember that they’re human. This is an extremely sensitive and upsetting situation and you must approach it with compassion and care. To do so, think about how you would want to be treated in their shoes.
Tip #6: Be discreet.
Don’t announce to the whole company that someone was fired when that person is still in the building. Be as discreet as possible. You don’t need to offer your other employees a lot of information, just let them know the person was terminated and who will be handling their tasks and projects until you hire someone new.
Do you need help replacing an employee? 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.