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TOPIC: Having to fire an Employee

Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #1

Well, it looks like I shall soon have the onerous duty of firing one of my underlings. I don't look forward to it. Anyone have experience doing this? I can't help but feel bad, but the person really has been given many opportunities to turn it around.
Except for Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, War Has Never Solved Anything.

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #2

I have fired a few people myself in the past. There's no way getting around feeling lousy - if you didn't, you would be the kind of boss that doesn't care. As long as this person has had many opportunities to improve through discussion and guidance from you, that is about all you can do. Just remember kindness and respect for this person - and feeling lousy goes away after a month or two. Or three.
Fotoz by Fritz

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #3

What kind of job? Assassinations? Jewel Thief? Handy Man? Chicken Catcher? If you need to fill the position I can do. :smt027 :smt066 :smt117
Its funny how something that takes multiple days to set up comes down in a few hours...

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #4

  • Douglas
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What I was always taught in school:

"Hire tough, fire soft"

You should give the broad reason why the person is being let go and then specifics if asked. I am guessing though if the person has been warned repeatedly and been given many chances to change, they won't be too surprised by the notice. Just be respectful and prepared to give constructive feedback if asked.
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #5

Make sure to be firm if you're going to give specifics. Don't leave any room for the person to think "Hey, I still might be able to save my job if I fix this..." If they think that, they'll start arguing with you. If you're sure you're going to fire them, make certain they know that you are certain.
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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #6

I am hopeful their performance was well documented, as well as any corrective action you decided to take. Have a specific set of clear reasons why they are being terminated.

(I disagree with Douglas here, sorry)
Do not fall back on generalities.
1. What happened?
2. What did they do that was wrong, not as expected, or requested?
3. Why was their action/inaction a problem or what were the consequences?

Don’t give them the opportunity to walk away saying, “gee I can’t understand why they fired me.� Then, unfortunately this is the hard part (the one nobody likes), be professional and get it over with. The sooner you move on, the better for you and your existing workers.

Dave
You should know better than to pick up a duck in a dungeon....

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #7

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Dave, then we agree to disagree. :D

If the person has been warned, then they already know what the specifics are. They know (or should know if the proper steps were taken) what happened, what they did wrong, and why it was a problem. They should know what change or action is required, and consequence if the behavior/inaction/problem is not corrected. By the time you are firing them, you should be simply taking the last step, informing them of the consequence that they already knew about. They should already know the reason in painful detail.

In otherwords, do what Dave said, just long before the day you are planning on firing the person.

My thoughts are only worth what you pay for them though. :P
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #8

Nope. I've been a manager for a number of years and had to fire people. you want to give them exact specifics of why they are being terminated. List what they've done wrong, list how many times they've been spoken to about whatever they did and then what they have done now.

And if possible it's always best to have another manager or an HR person sit in with you so they can't claim any wrongdoing on your part. In otherwords, always have a witness if possible. And if the person is of the opposite sex then definitely have another person sit in with you, preferrably if you're a man firing a owman have anotehr woman sit in with you.
~It's good to be young and insane~

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #9

I'm also a believer that when someone is being fired they should be told here's why. Ideally they should know why they are in this situation but lets be honest common sense is not nearly as common as one would think.
Marc Giving The Magic Mouth and Grog a personal voice one con at a time."Im a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class. Especially since I rule" - Randal Graves

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #10

Having been on the receiving end of being canned a few times, I'll give you my words of wisdom, if you can call them that.

1. Come on soft
2. Ask them if they know why they're being fired
3. If they can't think of a reason, tell them and give them instances

If they're being fired for doing something wrong repeatedly, then just ask them to be on their way.

The few times I was fired, I was lucky enough on two of those occasions where my employer offered to help me find another position through contacts and such. They never got back to me, but at least they offered to help by making some calls.

In this case, however, seems as though the first situation applies.

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #11

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How about you gather all the underlings together at the end of the day and annouce 'Free round of beers on me for all the employees working for me after work today!' and when he/she moves to follow the crowd out to the bar tell them, 'Errr, not so fast there <insert name>'.

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Having to fire an Employee 18 years 6 months ago #12

Ha Ha! Henwy, you're so twisted--I can respect that.

On a selfish note, if I do have to get rid of this person sooner rather than later, I probably will not be able to take the rest of my vacation this year. :(
Except for Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, War Has Never Solved Anything.

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