A Successful Termination Session

By: Laura Mohammad
October 7th, 2011

The final conversation when you terminate should be carefully thought out. You should’ve already done most of the work, establishing and sharing the pattern of poor performance. By the time you meet with the employees, they shouldn’t be surprised and you should be respectful. Now is not the time to establish your authority. Your job is to get in, give the news, listen and end the conversation. Here are tips to help you have a successful termination session.

• By now, you should’ve already given your unsatisfactory employee ample time and the tools to improve — optimally 90 days. If you’ve done things right, you have given at least two warnings, coached them and documented their performance. This conversation shouldn’t be a surprise, says Steve Roppolo, managing partner at Fisher & Phillips LLP’s Houston office.
• Briefly share that the reasons for the firing have been previously laid out and that it was made clear that if the situation didn’t change, there would be a termination. Say that it’s best for the organization and that you hope he understands. Now is not the time to rehash what he did wrong. He should already know. Say that it’s not productive to go into the details at this meeting.
• Give the worker a chance to vent, but don’t engage.
• You should be clear by now that this is the only option available. Don’t be defensive, aggressive or waffle.
• The speaking representative of the organization should be in HR or an upper-level manager who is familiar with the situation and has been trained to conduct the conversation objectively. A second person should be in the meeting as a witness. If the front-line supervisor has been central to the documentation and coaching, he may not be the best choice for the meeting since emotions could run high.
• If possible, have the final paycheck ready at the meeting. If not, at least have the amount that can be paid at that moment. Most states have final wage rules, so be sure that you’re clear about those regulations and that you reconcile with the employee quickly.
• It’s ok to allow the terminated employee to go around the room and say his goodbyes, as long as he is escorted.
• If it’s clear to the employee that he is about to be fired, don’t allow him access to information that could be loaded onto a thumb drive. You want to avoid the possibility of him stealing delicate information, such as client lists or pricing lists. IT can check to make sure copies haven’t been made and files haven’t been accessed.

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