Tips on How to Fire an Employee

December 18th 2015 at 4:30pm Published by firstdownadmin

As a small business owner there will come a time during operations when you would have to free an employee from the duties that they are currently assigned or the duties that are currently handed over them. This time could come because of a cash crunch of sorts, due to the situation of the economy or due to the personal behavior of the employee themselves, but regardless of the reason behind the firing, you need to make sure that the step is handled professionally.

Most managers or small business owners are good at managing and leading staff, but they aren’t just built for firing. Any decision that requires them to communicate the unsaid to the employee can leave them in a tight spot. Being empathetic is one thing, and keeping an employee you don’t need and your company cannot afford is another. Let’s just brew up a scenario, where your company is facing bankruptcy and you have somehow gotten hold of small business funding for yourself. The funding will give you some wiggle space, but you need to lower the expenses born by you on a routine basis. This will require you to get rid of that trainer who hasn’t been doing anything substantial for the last year and a half. Now, you might have some empathy for them, but relieving them from their role is in the best interest of the business, and would give you an excuse to spend the money from the funding in a better manner.

Here we mention some of the tips you can follow when it comes to firing an employee:

Have a Familiar Face Do It

While a popular adage from the past goes ‘responsibility goes up the ladder,’ you should be careful with who is tasked with firing an employee. If you, as a manager, have had limited interaction with the said employee, you should hand the honors over to someone who is familiar with them. You can ask their immediate supervisor to hand the termination over to them, so if they have any further reservations they can voice them at the spot, rather than feeling nervous in front of the owner.

Communicate the Reasons

When you’re firing an employee make sure that you don’t hold anything within and communicate everything to them. They’ve worked with you and they deserve to know the real reason behind them being fired. Let them know the real reason so that they can take actions accordingly.

Keep It Short

Why don’t you have much to say during a firing meeting? Because there isn’t much to say to begin with! Meetings where you’re firing employees should best be kept short. If they creep longer, they can easily become awkward or annoying.