Termination, do’s and don’ts!
by Don Ford
What are some key points to an effective termination?
- Preparation and confidentiality very important!
- Collect and review all the information!
- Be sure your information is correct!
- Get necessary approvals!
- Have a witness to the termination process!
- Select the appropriate time for the termination. Do not terminate close to a break period or lunch period! This person should be allow to leave without coming in contact with other employees.
- When you start the termination process, be clear and to the point. This is a termination, do not apologize. (Often there is a period of shock for the soon to be ex-employee in which they do not present a rebuttal. Use this time to complete the termination process and allow the person to leave.)
- State the facts clearly, this is not a debate, provide necessary paperwork.
- Allow them to leave, have them escorted to their locker, allow them to clear their locker and leave the building. If they state they have personal items in the work area, either send someone to retrieve these items or offer to UPS them to their home. Do not allow the soon to be terminated person to go back into the work areas.
- Someone must observe them as they leave the building and leave the property. You must be sure they do not have an accident and hurt themselves (possible law suit) or damage company or others property.
- Notes must be made immediately following the termination.
Below are a few termination situations for you to consider. All are true terminations.
First, an employee is caught stealing from the company or, an employee has been caught in the act of positioning merchandise in a location so he can steal it later, and he admits to such.
Second, we can consider the termination of an employee for assaulting another.
Third, it is reported that a long term employee is making errors in their work, the errors have been verified.
Fourth, an employee is using tobacco in the building during working hours.
First: It was lunch period and all hourly staff were required to be out of the work areas during lunch. I had eaten my lunch and decided to review the order status of all the filling departments. I was about half way through the first building (the two buildings were attached making them one but there was a wall between the two) when I heard a noise. Knowing that no one was supposed to be in the area I drove in the direction of the noise. To my surprise there was a trash cart rolling to a stop. Trash carts were large metal carts about 4 foot tall. Seeing no one, I looked in the cart. There were several chain saws still in their cartons in this trash cart.
I immediately went to an intercom and called for a department manager who was in the break room. When he answered I told him to quickly step outside the break room and watch for anyone coming from the filling areas. Anyone coming from the filling areas should be stopped and brought to where I was in the building.
Not more than a minute had passed when I heard the department manager coming into this department, and he had an employee with him. The employee said he had come out into the building to get his medicine from his jacket.
I then walked over to the trash cart and asked him what he knew about the chain saws in the trash cart. He paused for a minute and then stated, “I put them there”. We asked, “Why”. He stated, “I was going to push the cart over to the side unloading door, and after work today I was going to say there was some old wood pallets that I wanted to take home. When I got the wood pallets I would take the chain saws too”.
Would terminating this employee be difficult? You decide.
Second: There had been an incident in the center were one person pushed another. The fellow that was pushed came in and told me his story. I called the other fellow in, and he told me his version. In fact there had been an assault. I, following company policy called HR and relayed the incident to them. They said they would consider and get back to me. HR had to review and then get approvals from higher ups in the company.
As I was waiting for the decision to terminate, which I knew was coming, an employee called me and said, the fellow that had pushed the other person is telling everyone, you better have the police here if you are going to try and fire him.
I again called HR and passed that info on.
It wasn’t too long when I got the call from HR to terminate, and they said get the police to be there when you terminate. I called the police and told them what was going on. They sent an officer over. I called the employee in to the manager’s office. The officer walked over to him and said, “This man has something to tell you, be quite and listen.” The officer turned to me and said, “Go ahead”.
Would terminating this employee be difficult? You decide.
Third: This employee in their late 40s has 1 child who is in school, has been employed with us for over 8 years. This employee has an excellent attendance, is productive and liked by most coworkers. During the past 5 months there has been several errors in their work reported. This employee has been counseled several times, they have received a written warning, and have also received a three days suspension. This person has been told the errors must stop, if not, they are subject to termination!
A coworker to this employee, again reports to management that errors are still being made. You take this information and check for the errors. Finding the reported errors, you report to HR. After consideration and receiving approvals from upper management, the decision is made to terminate this employee.
Would terminating this employee be difficult? You decide.
If you knew this person was a single parent?
If you knew this person was a female?
If you knew this person was providing care for their parent?
If you knew the person reporting these errors, wanted this person’s job?
Fourth: An employee who had worked at our center for several years had volunteered to go help a new center get ready to open. This employee used chewing tobacco. During a break this employee went outside to get a chew. Break was over and this employee either forgot to get rid of his chew before entering the building or, intentionally kept the chew in his mouth. Either way, the manager knew this person had a chew in his mouth and addressed the employee. The employee said he forgot.
The manager consulted with HR. The employee was driven about 100 miles to the airport. Put on a plane and sent home. I was instructed to terminate the employee for using tobacco in the building, when he returned to our center.
Would terminating this employee be difficult? You decide.
Using tobacco is a termination offence, is this offence equal to theft or assault?
Did the fellow truly forget he had the chew in his mouth? Could forgetfulness be a reason for not terminating?
How was the manager made aware of this employee having a chew?
This person had volunteered to help at this center. Should that have been considered?
Don Ford
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