You're Fired
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

I love being in business. If there were one part of having my own business that I would call my least favorite, I’d have to say it’s firing an employee. Nobody that I know finds it easy to fire someone. I’ve had to fire quite a few people during my years in the alarm industry and I can tell you from personal experience that it is not pleasant and it never gets easier. Even when I’ve had a very good reason, the very thought of having to tell an employee that we were letting them go gave me a knot in my stomach.

On the other hand, I have to remind myself that in the long run it’s far better for everyone concerned and that includes the employee. Why should a business continue to have on its payroll a worker that is not suited for the job? Wouldn’t it be better for an employee to be in a place where he or she is happier and talents are put to better use?

Alarm company owners and managers should also keep in mind that some legal problems may arise from firing an employee. Many employees who have been fired have sued their former employees on the basis of "wrongful dismissal." That’s why I believe businesses should have a written policy regarding terminating the employment of a worker. Make sure it is detailed enough to cover any situation that could justify dismissal, and give a copy to every employee. Of course, firing anyone on the basis of race, creed or sex is not only illegal, it’s wrong.

Once you have a policy in place, follow through and implement it. Here are some thoughts on making a difficult situation a little easier.

Warn the employee. There really should be no surprises. Inform your employees when they are not doing the job according to your expectations. You should also give them an opportunity within reason, to improve. Don’t just tell them that you are not happy let them know that their job is on the line. Establish a time frame along with specific expectations.

Be sure. Never fire anyone in a moment of anger. Put as much thought into your decision to fire someone as you put into your decision to hire him or her. Ask yourself if you’ve given the person enough training and enough time to do the job. Ask yourself if you’ve made known to the employee as clearly as possible what you expect. If the employee is not right for the job, could another job in the company better suit the employee’s talents?

Keep it to yourself. Firing is one topic that makes headlines in the company grapevine. If you tell anybody, word will get out and most likely, the employee will find out.

Do it yourself. Firing is one responsibility that you should never try to get out of by giving it to someone else. It’s unfair to everyone involved and sets a bad example.

Be ready. Have ready any records, forms or evaluations you need to justify your decision. This is also a good time to give the final paycheck.

Do it ASAP. Once you’ve called the employee in to your office, let them know as soon as possible. Don’t beat around the bush.

Don’t give false hope. This is not a good time to give "one more chance." Be tactful, but also be honest. If you never want this person working for you again, don’t let them think that you might rehire them. Letting them know why you fired them, will help them learn from their mistakes.

Be prepared. Different people react in different ways. Some people cry, some just stare into space and some get angry. Your reaction will set the tone during the rest of the process.

Keep your other employees in mind. Whether other employees have a right to know why another employee was fired is not the question. Firing an employee can erode morale and increase suspicion and anxiety in your other workers. People tend to jump to all sorts of conclusions when they don’t know what’s going on or feel like they are in the dark. You don’t have to give all the details but try to answer with a reasonable amount of candor.

Learn from your mistakes. If you have to fire an employee, in all probability you made a mistake when you hired him or her. Ask yourself what led you to hire this person in the first place. Where did you go wrong? The more you learn from your mistakes the less likely you’ll have to fire somebody the next time and you’ll have one less knot in your stomach.