5 Ways to Handle a Layoff or Firing - CareerAlley

5 Ways to Handle a Layoff or Firing - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Terminating an employee, whether by layoff or firing, is never a pleasant task. For the employee, a poorly handled termination can add insult to already painful injury. Heres how to go about it without fanning the emotional flames and with less chance of a lawsuit: 1. Let Cooler Heads Prevail Dont fire an employee while youre angry and tensions are high. If you let your feelings get the best of you and act in a hostile way during the firing, you raise your chances of the employee filing a lawsuit. Walk away and cool down; suspend the employee if the situation calls for it, but try to be calm and collected when you do the actual firing. 2. Have a Little Empathy Remember that being laid off or fired is a highly stressful event, and try to be empathetic. Allowing your employee to keep his or her dignity through the process will go a long way toward making it go as smoothly as possible. Dont lay off employees during the holidays, and keep terminations private not in front of coworkers. Give your employee specific details about why youre firing him or her. This clarity helps keep imagination at bay, and can cut down on the risk of the employee suing you for age or gender discrimination. 3. Plan Ahead Hold the termination meeting in a neutral place, and keep it short 20 minutes or less, if possible. Theres no hard rule about what day or time to have this meeting, so long as youre well prepared to answer any questions the employee may have. Take an HR representative with you to act as a witness, and to explain the employees benefits, if any (such as leftover vacation time). You should also provide this information in writing, since the emotional jolt from the bad news may make it difficult for the person being fired to remember all the details. 4. Be Respectful During Layoffs Give your workers a heads-up that the layoff is coming; if youre a larger employer, youre required by federal law to give 60 days advance notice. If possible, break the news to workers individually, and give them time to ask questions. Give them honest answers about why they are in the group to be laid off, and be sure to thank them for their hard work. 5. Keep Up Morale Among Your Remaining Workers A layoff or firing isnt just stressful for those being terminated. Remaining workers may have to take on extra duties now that there are fewer employees. In the case of a large layoff, you may have to give employees extra training to cover jobs previously done by the laid-off workers. Communicate with your employees throughout the layoff process, providing honest answers to questions. Those left behind after a mass layoff will likely be anxious about their own jobs; being clear about the reason for the layoff can help calm these concerns. Career Tip of the Day: Suggested Reading: We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search