Terminations (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
Botched terminations, on the other hand, can damage retention and recruitment efforts. “Employees who ob- serve callous treatment of terminated workers may think, ‘Maybe it’s time for me to seek other opportunities with a better, more respectful company,’” said Cissy Pau, princi- pal consultant at Clear HR Consulting. Poor treatment of departing employees can also lead to damaging word of mouth and negative online reviews that make it tough to attract future hires. “Job candidates today are extremely well-informed,” said Reitz. “Accepting a job offer is no longer just about a prospective paycheck. It’s also about the experience, the culture, and about how people are treated throughout the entire work life cycle, from onboarding until the time they walk out the door.” One more thing: Angry or upset terminated employees may seek relief in legal action. “People who are treated in a way they find insulting, aggravating, cold or callous, are far more likely to go to a lawyer and see if there’s some- thing they can do about it,” said James W. Seegers, part- ner at law firm Baker & Hostetler. “Treating people with respect and a little bit of compassion can help de-escalate emotions. And keeping just a few people from seeking out lawyers will save a company a lot of money.” Maintain Privacy No performance-related termination should come out of the blue. “Prior to letting an employee go, there should have been one or more meetings during which the super- visor discussed performance issues and detailed what the individual needed to do to improve,” said Thomas W. Slattery, a San Diego-based attorney. This graduated approach not only communicates fair treatment, but also helps defend against any charge that the termination was done for reasons other than poor performance. Advance preparation is also necessary for cases in which the employee has violated company policy. It is crit- ical to lay the groundwork by thoroughly investigating the misdeeds. The results of such investigations should be re- corded in written reports. Chronic absenteeism, too, needs to be adequately re- corded. Here, past attendance records of the individual will speak for themselves, as will copies of written warn- ings given the employee over time. Whatever the cause, when the decision is made to sep- arate an employee, practice makes perfect—or at least re- duces the chance for costly errors. “Rehearsal is essential for a successful termination meeting,” said Pau. “Plan what you’re going to say. Practice your script with another com- pany manager to evaluate its effectiveness.” Empathic employers will schedule termination meet- ings in locations that minimize the risk of embarrassment. “Avoid any public place where everybody can see that a termination is taking place,” said Pete Tosh, Founder of The Focus Group. “The employee’s office is a good choice because it is private. And if they’ve got just a few personal
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