Firing an employee. It sucks. Can anyone relate? (1 Viewer)

[MAC_32]

I think the first disciplinary meeting is much more difficult than the actual firing, but that's all performance related. Budget cut layoffs would be a totally different animal.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

As a manager it's your job to document the poor performance. Tough to do, but when it comes time to fire that person there should
be NO surprises

The HR lady at my work has a GIF of Barney Fife with the caption, "nip it in the bud". She will send it out to a department manager when she hears of trouble brewing.

Her mantra is, you can't let anything linger and fester, hoping the problem will go away, because it almost never does. It only gets worse.

 

[bigbottom]

The worst thing to do is to lecture the person you are firing. If you have done your job all along, they know the details and they don't need to be rehashed at this point. Just rip the band aid off and do it. Also, here in Florida, we are a right to work state so we don't always go into details about why someone is fired. It is the generic "as of today, we are terminating your employment." The only time we gave specific reasons is when we were questioning an employee about an issue. I had one employee threaten to "shoot a b***ch in the face" so once he admitted that is what he said, we fired him, walked him out and called the police.

I think you mean “at will employment” state.

 

[FatMax]

As a manager it's your job to document the poor performance. Tough to do, but when it comes time to fire that person there should
be NO surprises

The HR lady at my work has a GIF of Barney Fife with the caption, "nip it in the bud". She will send it out to a department manager when she hears of trouble brewing.

Her mantra is, you can't let anything linger and fester, hoping the problem will go away, because it almost never does. It only gets worse.

Yeah, I've seen it. Probably most have. It will never cease to amaze me how a group of fully grown humans can devolve into a room full of kindergartners if given the chance.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Her mantra is, you can't let anything linger and fester, hoping the problem will go away, because it almost never does. It only gets worse.

I would say to this "sometimes". Sometimes things don't change and it just won't work. But I have seen it where management can make a difference. And personality / skill set fit.

 

[UncleZen]

The worst thing to do is to lecture the person you are firing. If you have done your job all along, they know the details and they don't need to be rehashed at this point. Just rip the band aid off and do it. Also, here in Florida, we are a right to work state so we don't always go into details about why someone is fired. It is the generic "as of today, we are terminating your employment." The only time we gave specific reasons is when we were questioning an employee about an issue. I had one employee threaten to "shoot a b***ch in the face" so once he admitted that is what he said, we fired him, walked him out and called the police.

I think you mean “at will employment” state.

Sorry, yes, you are correct. Right to work also but that is regarding unions.

 

[bigbottom]

Her mantra is, you can't let anything linger and fester, hoping the problem will go away, because it almost never does. It only gets worse.

I would say to this "sometimes". Sometimes things don't change and it just won't work. But I have seen it where management can make a difference. And personality / skill set fit.

I agree and think that a good manager and effective performance management can make a difference in the great majority of cases. That’s the best way to nip it in the bud.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

Her mantra is, you can't let anything linger and fester, hoping the problem will go away, because it almost never does. It only gets worse.

I would say to this "sometimes". Sometimes things don't change and it just won't work. But I have seen it where management can make a difference. And personality / skill set fit.

I agree and think that a good manager and effective performance management can make a difference in the great majority of cases. That’s the best way to nip it in the bud.

reaction.

 

[dickey moe]

Business is business, you know that and he knows that. You should be feeling relieved that he's gone, being nice only goes so far in business if you're not producing. You shouldn't let a business decision bother you after work.

This sounds like a really terrible way to go through life. Work is a huge part of our lives. If what we do at work has no effect on your personal life - well, I don;t know, that seems wrong

I'm a small business owner, who has employed almost my whole family and most of my friends at one point or another. When I hire them I let know whatever happens at work is business and shouldn't affect our relationship outside of work. I have fired my dad numerous times, my brother, my best friend (he got rehired years later) and numerous other friends and family. Once I was at a party and sat down next to the latest person I had let go. He told I don't like you anymore. I asked why and he said because you fired me. Then his cousin sitting on the other side of him said he had been fired by me too. The host spoke up and said he had been fired before as well. We all tapped our beers together and that was that. There is little margin for error in my business and my tolerance for mistakes on the job is much tighter than in my personal life. Everyone I hire knows I'm shooting for 100% accuracy and only a few mistakes is all it takes to get shown the door.

I see no reason to bring work home. I have always believed if you are spending your personal time thinking/worrying about work you need to get a new job. No job is worth stressing over during your personal time.

I find this entire arrangement so very strange.

 

[Dezbelief]

Business is business, you know that and he knows that. You should be feeling relieved that he's gone, being nice only goes so far in business if you're not producing. You shouldn't let a business decision bother you after work.

This sounds like a really terrible way to go through life. Work is a huge part of our lives. If what we do at work has no effect on your personal life - well, I don;t know, that seems wrong

I'm a small business owner, who has employed almost my whole family and most of my friends at one point or another. When I hire them I let know whatever happens at work is business and shouldn't affect our relationship outside of work. I have fired my dad numerous times, my brother, my best friend (he got rehired years later) and numerous other friends and family. Once I was at a party and sat down next to the latest person I had let go. He told I don't like you anymore. I asked why and he said because you fired me. Then his cousin sitting on the other side of him said he had been fired by me too. The host spoke up and said he had been fired before as well. We all tapped our beers together and that was that. There is little margin for error in my business and my tolerance for mistakes on the job is much tighter than in my personal life. Everyone I hire knows I'm shooting for 100% accuracy and only a few mistakes is all it takes to get shown the door.

I see no reason to bring work home. I have always believed if you are spending your personal time thinking/worrying about work you need to get a new job. No job is worth stressing over during your personal time.

I find this entire arrangement so very strange.

People's lives and wellbeing hang in the balance, the margin for error is tiny. When people's lives are are on the line I only hire people I trust with my own life. I go to work everyday with the goal of an error free day and expect the same out of everyone else. I do my job as perfect as possible and don't worry about it in my off time. I don't dread Monday mornings on Sunday night. I don't come home and complain to my wife about work. I don't come home stressed out and needing a break before I can interact with my wife and kids. I love my job but I don't take it home with me.

I do walk that back a little bit, during the Delta wave I lost dozens of people I had known for a decade or two. I'm sure I had PTSD by the end of the Delta wave. It was devastating.

 

[ChiefD]

Business is business, you know that and he knows that. You should be feeling relieved that he's gone, being nice only goes so far in business if you're not producing. You shouldn't let a business decision bother you after work.

This sounds like a really terrible way to go through life. Work is a huge part of our lives. If what we do at work has no effect on your personal life - well, I don;t know, that seems wrong

I'm a small business owner, who has employed almost my whole family and most of my friends at one point or another. When I hire them I let know whatever happens at work is business and shouldn't affect our relationship outside of work. I have fired my dad numerous times, my brother, my best friend (he got rehired years later) and numerous other friends and family. Once I was at a party and sat down next to the latest person I had let go. He told I don't like you anymore. I asked why and he said because you fired me. Then his cousin sitting on the other side of him said he had been fired by me too. The host spoke up and said he had been fired before as well. We all tapped our beers together and that was that. There is little margin for error in my business and my tolerance for mistakes on the job is much tighter than in my personal life. Everyone I hire knows I'm shooting for 100% accuracy and only a few mistakes is all it takes to get shown the door.

I see no reason to bring work home. I have always believed if you are spending your personal time thinking/worrying about work you need to get a new job. No job is worth stressing over during your personal time.

I find this entire arrangement so very strange.

People's lives and wellbeing hang in the balance, the margin for error is tiny. I only hire people I completely trust.

What kind of business are you in?

 

[worrierking]

Timely thread. I haven't fired anyone in more than 25 years, but I have a meeting with an employee today that may end in termination. Sad thing is she is experiencing mental issues. I'll be insisting she attend our EAP program if she wishes to remain employed. If she refuses, she's gone.

This is a longtime friend. It will really hurt and I've lost a ton of sleep in the last week.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Timely thread. I haven't fired anyone in more than 25 years, but I have a meeting with an employee today that may end in termination. Sad thing is she is experiencing mental issues. I'll be insisting she attend our EAP program if she wishes to remain employed. If she refuses, she's gone.

This is a longtime friend. It will really hurt and I've lost a ton of sleep in the last week.

Hang in there. It makes it much tougher when they're having trouble outside work and also if they're a friend.

I also think part of it is understanding it will hurt. At some point, when you've done all you can reasonably do to minimize the hurt, you just have to accept it as crappy as that is. I think sometimes we see hurt or pain as failure and I don't think that's right. Sometimes, it unfortunately is part of the thing and we just do the best we can with what we have. Good luck there.

 

[JohnnyU]

I know easier said that done, but hire the best and the brightest. We all know that isn't part of the corporate structure today.

 

[Judge Smails]

Don’t know about others, but personally I’ve been laid off twice. Once you experience it on the other side your empathy level is even higher. It sucks.