Mercedes,
You are right. Dismissing an employee is never a pleasant task, but it is sometimes necessary. I agree with having another person/manager in the room just in case there is an issue. But a termination should never come as a surprise if the dismissal is performance related. The supervisor should have been working with the employee all along in an attempt to improve performance. Stating the reason for the dismissal in a clear, concise manner is the most effective way to complete the task. Be factual keeping the emotion out of the process.
Pat
Pat
I definately agree on Monday mornings.
I believe you need to be firm and factual when delivering the message.It needs to be done privately and professionaly.
Elsa
Elsa,
I agree that Monday is the best day to terminate an employee. I also believe in having another person in the room, preferably from HR. They can then deal with the "what happens next" questions. If the supervisor has made an honest effort to help the employee improve their performance, the dismissal should not come as a surprise. If the dismissal is for reasons other than performance, then policy should establish the appropriateness of the action.
Pat
Give them an opportunity to correct their mistakes and improve. If no improvement or the issue continuues after several write ups then the employee will be terminated.
Julie,
I like your reference to progressive discipline. If the dismissal is based on the employee's inability to do the job, you will at least have worked with them and talked with them in an attempt to improve their performance. If they are unable or unwilling to improve their performance, the dismissal will not come as a surprise. Then you will deliver the message in a factual, brief manner, preferrably with someone from HR in the room with you. They then can deal with the collection of keys, computer, etc.
It is never a plesant task to do but it is a small part of the responsibility of being a supervisor.
Pat
The most appropriate way is to hold a meeting in a private office , state the facts and be straight forward.allowed the employee to say goodbye to fellow workers so long as she/he is acting reasonable and not out of control. The dismissal will be best on a Monday morning.
As learned in this course, the best day is a Monday. The most appropriate is been respectful to the employee, never using arrogant manners; showing compasion; doing it in private and if prefered and necessary it would be best to have a second staff member, such as the Campus Director. Explain the reason for the dismissal briefly. Also, I recomend that the employee is requested to see the HR Department for any questions, and wishing good luck.
Madeline,
Dismissing an employee is one of the tasks that goes with the territory. It is not a task that anyone ever enjoys doing. If a path of progressive discipline has been followed, the dismissal should not come as a surprise to the employee. The only suggestion that I would add to your response is that I always like to have another manager, preferably from HR, in the room as well. They can then deal with the gathering of keys, computer, etc. and if questions arise in terms of what was said, they can corroborate your statements.
Pat
Nelly,
Good response. Further, the dismissal should not come as a surprise if you have been working with the employee to improve performance. Be brief, to the point. I like your comment regarding showing compassion. That can be difficult but it is important in terms of allowing the employee to maintain their dignity.
Pat
The most appropriate for me is to do it in a private office and also have someone from HR with me.
Addys
There's been a lot of discussion on these threads about the best day of the week for a dismissal, with most people, and the module, preferring Mondays as it allows the dismissed employee the opportunity to job search that week. But what about the needs of the campus? I have had to terminate 4 employees this year, unfortunately, and none of the planned events were scheduled for a Monday. The dismissals involved instructors and the dismissal was scheduled for a day in the week that was most appropriate to the students - the end of a weeks' material and test, for example. Sometimes the employee does something so egregious that dismissal is immediate, but usually in these instances it is not.
What do you think about meeting the needs of the company first, rather that the dismissed employee?
Welcome, Theodora, to the class. You make a very good point. The instructional materials for this course are generic so that they can apply to a variety of Employment settings. A classrom presents its own set of circumstances when it comes to an employee dismissal. A point you made very clearly is that the impact on the students needs to be taken into consideration as well. In fact, that needs to be a priority.
Pat
I like the idea of dismissing on a Monday i always thought a Friday was best but i definitely see why Monday is now. I think the dismissal should be done privately. I think you should state the reasons why the person is being fired but be straight to the point dont sugar coat things or apologize.
Erica,
Dismissal or termination should not come as a surprise to the employee. Even so, it is important to plan for that dismissal as you would any meeting with an employee. A dismissal is a progressive process starting with the identification of issues and assistance with fixing the deficiencies. When efforts fail, the next step is dismissal. I agree with you that this step needs to occur in private but will usually involve HR to make certain there is a witness to verify the process. Be factual in the discussion so the information is crystal clear.
Dr. Patricia Kapper
An employee should never be "surprised" when a dismissal occurs. As long as you are having the appropriate actions and discussions with clear cut expectations then when those expectations are not met the dismissal should go fairly easy as the employee should not be surprised or taken off guard. I think when it goes bad is when an employee is surprised and does not see this next logical step occurring. Always have someone from Human Resources in attendance. Make sure you are direct and to the point but not callous and go over the previously documented expectations and the fact that those were not met.
Melanie,
Your response tells me that you have done this before. The process that you describe is the kind of process that keeps you out of trouble and allows an employee to leave with their dignity and respect intact. I have heard of employees who have thanked their manager after their dismissal because it was handled professionally.
Dr. Patricia Kapper
What is the most appropriate and professional way to dismiss an employee?
I may have to fire an instructor and to me firing them on a friday or the last day of the term to make sure the students grades are in and everything is done for the term so the studnet does not suffer on this and the transition is smooth would make sense to me.
i agree with doing it in a private area as well as having a representative from HR the first employee I had to fire I could not get someonw from HR to come in and it was not a great experience becasue that employee turned everything around and went to HR about it. Even though the HR representative would not come to the meeting.
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for your comment. There are many factors that come into play when making the decision to terminate an instructor. The day of the termination is less important than the manner in which the termination takes place. You're correct in making sure grades are completed and turned in and any student information is secured. You also have to be sure the individual is properly escorted out of the building without making a scene or disrupting other classes, this may require a security escort. If possible, it's best to conduct the actual termination with a representative of HR as referenced in earlier postings and to do it in the most "humane" manner. In addition you'll want to make sure the instructor doesn't take any proprietary materials or student contact information. Any ideas on how you might insure a "clean" termination with these additional considerations?
Dr. Robert Roehrich
