Checklist: The 5 Ws of Firing

By: Laura Mohammad
September 12th, 2011

There are basic tenets in a firing that ends respectfully and effectively. The final conversation that you have with an employee you have to terminate should be brief, private and have no surprises, says Steve Roppolo, managing partner at Fisher & Phillips LLP’s Houston office.

Critically, your choice in venue can be central to success or failure of the conversation. Holding the meeting away from other employees and even carefully choosing the time of day helps minimize the drama and embarrassment that can come when you tell your employees that they’re being let go. Here are answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and how of choosing the best venue for that final conversation.

• Who. You’ll want two people at the meeting, one as a witness and one to speak. Both need to be familiar with the situation.
• What. By now, you should have properly prepared your employee with coaching, feedback and warnings. Also, you should have documented the process. This meeting should not be a surprise. If it is, you haven’t done your job.
• When. Many employers will fire on Friday, because in theory, it gives the employee time to cool off. But the day isn’t really critical. The time of day, however, is. You’ll want to terminate near the end of the day. It minimizes disruptions if the employee reacts badly or storms out.
• Where. Don’t have the conversation in view of other employees. Avoid speaking in the break room or on the shop floor. The overall goal is to minimize embarrassment. Ideally, you’ll want it to be in a conference room or in an office with a door.
• How long. If you’ve done everything right, leading up to the final conversation, the meeting should take no more than 10 minutes. In fact, most of the conversation will likely involve procedural questions about issues, such as COBRA or a severance package.

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