As painful as it is, firing an employee is sometimes necessary. The more years you’ve spent in a company, the more devastating the effects of being let go. The individual being laid off should be treated with respect and allowed to go on good terms, regardless of whether they deserve it.
The following points should guide you as an employer when you’re about to carry out a layoff.
Record results and take care of administrative tasks
When you’re considering firing an employee, it’s a good idea to review their past accomplishments first to ensure you’ve followed all the necessary protocols.
Check if the individual received any formal warnings before and if there were significant periods of improvement in the employee’s work.
The worker and yourself should be aware of these details.
Have a face-to-face meeting
If you’ve decided to let the person go, you must at least have a conversation with them face-to-face to explain why. This may occur via Zoom calls for individuals working remotely, but the idea remains the same.
If you conduct the layoff, breaking the news personally and immediately is essential. The worker can express their concerns and get timely responses; sometimes, this can lead to a resolution for everyone involved.
Show some empathy
Just because the person you’re laying off will no longer be your employee doesn’t mean you should be rude. You need to keep your cool and show kindness. When appropriate, you should present the company’s compliance in their part in the ex-employee’s securing unemployment benefits.
It’s appropriate to express appreciation when the worker has achieved some accomplishment. Most importantly, try to leave things on a high note. Offer a handshake if you have a face-to-face conversation.
Carry out last-day interviews
On the final day of employment, Human Resources should conduct a special last-day interview with the employee and their boss. The exit interview with the terminated worker should be after the finalization of the dismissal. The HR person can explain to the terminated worker their rights to severance pay and any other financial compensation that may be available.
The HR staff will record the employee’s final comments, then verify with the manager the grounds for termination, including any attempts to remedy the situation, before finalizing the conclusion.
Update your team
Notifying your team about the layoff as soon as possible after the ex-employee’s termination is essential but not required. It would be better to wait a day to let others know what’s happening. It’s best to tell your team in person or via video chat to remain calm and professional while relaying the information.
Do not reprimand the employee; avoid the word “fired.” Be as transparent as possible during this procedure, but be careful not to get mired in the weeds. Never go back into the dismissal details, and remind the staff that it is company policy not to divulge personal information.
If the rumor mills start up, try to keep the situation under control by privately discussing with the instigators their concerns to get to the heart of what’s bothering them. In this situation, you want to do anything you can to boost morale, keep employees focused on their tasks at hand, and prevent them from losing faith in you by listening to their worries.
Just get it done
Suppose the employee’s dismissal isn’t due to poor performance. In that case, it’s essential to make it evident that the difficulty lies in the company’s reorganization and that you had to make the decision.
Stay away from explaining how hard it is to make a choice. Since the employee is experiencing grief, you should offer them time and space to grieve. It is up to you to break the news and field the inquiries.
