How to Fire an Employee: Legal and Ethical Steps to Fire an Employee

Firing an employee is stressful for all parties – not just for the employee without a job. No matter how well you’ve communicated about performance problems with the employee, almost no one believes that they will actually get fired. Employees convince themselves that they won’t get fired: they think that you like them; they think you know that...

Need to know how to fire an employee? These are the legal and the ethical steps to take to ensure that the company's actions are above reproach - in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of your other employees.

Managers cite firing employees as the job they most hate to do. Sometimes, terminating a staff person’s employment is the best step to take for your organization. Sometimes terminating a person’s employment is the kindest action you can take for the person. In some circumstances, firing an employee is an immediate necessity for the safety and...

The decision to terminate an individual’s employment carries with it the risk of a possible legal challenge. Depending upon an employer’s policies or whether an employee has an employment contract, an employee may, for example, have a breach of contract or “wrongful discharge” claim. Learn the right questions to ask before you terminate an...

"An employee with a tremendous amount of knowledge is tremendously bitter and angry all the time. She is very good at her job. She also believes everyone else is incompetent at theirs. This person used to have a leadership position..."

Firing an employee can be a dirty job, but the IT department must help do it. It is necessary to involve IT in the employee termination process because a former employee who still has access to a company's network and proprietary corporate data is a security threat. Find out why and how the IT department needs to be involved in the termination of employees.

If you manage people, work in Human Resources, or care about your friends at work, chances are good that one day you will need to hold a difficult conversation. As an example, people dress inappropriately and unprofessionally for work; personal hygiene is sometimes unacceptable. These steps will help you hold difficult conversations when people...

Looking for a format that's a winner when you want to help an underperforming employee succeed? The purpose of a formal Performance Improvement Plan is to help an employee succeed. This format enables you to set goals, establish measures, conduct review sessions and chart progress. Not convinced of the need for this procedure? Check out my introduction to the form. You'll be happy you did.

Firing employees is never a pleasant experience but there are actions you can take that minimize the pain - for you and for your organization, and for the fired employee, too. What have you found is best not to do when firing employees? Advice about what works well, too, is welcome.

Details employers have considered when firing an employee have changed in recent years due to online resources. Employers believed that it was unkind to fire an employee on Friday because the employee would be unable to weekend job search. The times they are a’changing, but some things never change. It’s still important to develop a solid...

Need a sample termination letter? Employers will want to write a termination letter when they fire an employee. The termination letter confirms the details of the firing and summarizes the information that the now former employee will need to know. Find a sample termination letter.

Need a sample letter to use when you terminate an employee for a reason? This sample letter of termination states the cause and confirms that the employment relationship is terminated. Use this sample letter of termination as an example when you write your own termination letters.

Do you need sample termination letters for your workplace for a variety of termination situations? Terminating an employee is a daunting task at best. So is the follow-up termination letter and documentation. But, these sample termination letters will allow you to customize a termination letter for your own organization's needs. Find a variety...