Terminating a Poor Performer - 5 Tips to Termination
Terminating an employee can be difficult for some business owners even if that employee is performing poorly. Our dedicated SHRM contributor and HR guru, Jenni Stone discusses 5 tips for successfully terminating an employee.
Employee Termination Overview
Terminating an employee for poor performance…seems easy right?
On the surface, terminating an employee for poor performance seems simple. It’s nothing personal. The employee just isn’t getting it done and would be better off in another job. But even when a termination is 100% justifiable, managers must be extremely careful how they conduct themselves. Terminations, no matter how clear cut, can have legal ramifications.
Most businesses are protected to a certain extent by at-will laws, which allow the firing of employees for no reason. However, at-will employment does not keep an employee from filing a lawsuit for wrongful termination and, even if the courts rule in your favor, your business will be required to pay court costs. It’s best to take a few measures to protect yourself before firing an employee to avoid a costly legal process.
5 Tips for Termination
Document, document, document! Detailed, consistent documentation can defeat many claims of defamation, discrimination and wrongful discharge. Great documentation shows a pattern of clear expectations on your part, and repeated failures on the employee’s part.
Make your Employee Handbook work for you and not against you. Make sure your employee handbook and policies are clear and concise. If you just downlo