By Alan Bernstein, SHRM-SCP
President and Chief Human Resource Consultant of HR Office Savers, Inc.
Firing an employee is never a pleasant experience – for the manager or the employee. However, an effective termination meeting can help to diffuse the situation, allow the employee to keep their dignity, and ensure the manager is following all the proper legal guidelines.
The main person present in an employee termination meeting should be the employee’s manager or immediate supervisor. They are most familiar with the reasons for termination, employee performance, and the employee’s personality.
In most cases, another attendee should be present to act as a witness or observer. This person is usually a representative from human resources or another manager or supervisor.
The employee may feel as though the company is ‘ganging up on them’ if more than two people are present during their termination, so the manager should use their own discretion when making this decision.
Venue
Matters such as termination should be handled privately, meaning it should be out of sight and earshot of any other employees or co-workers.
If possible, the meeting should be held in a location that does not alert other employees to what is taking place, perhaps a general conference room rather than the manager’s office.
In some instances, you may decide to have the meeting in a location outside of work, such as a restaurant or coffee shop. This is a good option if it will reduce the chance of an emotional outburst or other embarrassing behavior.
Logistics
Security may be required once the meeting is over to escort the employee off the property. In this case, the manager can offer to have the employee’s personal belongings sent home to them at a later date.
Before letting the employee go and having them escorted off the property, it is important for the manager to review any form of final benefits package, including final paychecks, medical insurance coverage, and retirement/vacation pay. Discuss with the employee the need to complete any actions, such as signing a release for the company, returning company property, or taking part in the company’s exit interview.
Since the employee will obviously be upset after their meeting, security must be willing to deal with any forms of emotional outburst or backlash from the employee.
In Conclusion
Although firing an employee is never pleasant and can cause extreme anxiety, it is important to follow the correct steps to ensure fairness, dignity, and some form of understanding between the parties involved.
