When you decide to let go of a low performer on your team, you cant walk up to them and tell them that they are fired. Instead, you need to have a meaningful conversation with them under the right circumstances and ensure that you deliver the news less painfully. So, how can you do that? It's simple. Just follow the do's and don'ts for employee termination mentioned below.
Do's
Let the company's HR know about your
intention and seek their help to complete the process in the right manner.
Make the time to take the person to a
different room and share the news in a straightforward and firm manner.
Show compassion for the fired employee and
tell them you can help them look for another job, or you can serve as a
reference.
Share your decision with your team so that
they know that one of their colleagues will not work with them anymore. You can
choose not to share the details behind your decision.
Look for a replacement and find someone to
manage the rising workload in the meantime.
Don'ts
Delay the termination process if the cost
of retaining a low-performing employee is higher than the disruption of letting
them go.
Drag the conversation too much or let them
convince you to retain them. Be firm on your decision.
Expect HR to do the task for you. After you
have shared the news, ask the terminated employee if they have any questions
and answer them the best you can.
Forget the laws and legal obligations
mentioned below
The Legal Aspects
When terminating an individual's employment,
you need to provide at least two weeks' written notice that mentions your intention
to terminate an employee's employment. In place of written notice, an employer
needs to pay two weeks' wages at a regular rate to the employee who has been
terminated.
This requirement applies to all employees
who are being terminated, except the following:
An employee who terminates their employment
An employee who has not completed three
consecutive months of continuous employment with a company
An employee who is being dismissed due to a
just cause
An employee who is on a lay-off (which does
not constitute a termination of employment)
A contractual employee whose contract is
ending on a pre-defined date.
Sample of Termination Letter
Here's a sample termination letter you can
use when you need to terminate an employee:
Dear (Name of the Employee)
I am sorry to inform you that as of (date
of termination), you will no longer be employed with (Add the name of the
company here). As discussed, we think this is the best decision for you and the
company.
From (date of termination) on, you won't be
eligible for any compensation or benefits associated with your position. Please
return (any company property that the employee has) before (date of termination)
to the Human Resources or administrative office. You will be eligible for
(compensation, severance pay, vacation days' pay, etc.) that will be credited
to you in (add the number of days) days' time.
If you have questions or need any
clarifications, I am at your disposal for up to (seven) working days after your
last day of employment.
We wish you the best of luck.
[Manager's Name and Signature]
To know more about more legal aspects of
terminating an employee in Canada, click here.
Here's a list
of things to consider while terminating an employee.
Sources:
https://hbr.org/2016/02/the-right-way-to-fire-someone
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/labour-standards/reports/termination.html
https://resources.workable.com/employee-termination-letter-template