How to Prepare for Termination of Employee

First Posted: April 8, 2021

Terminating employees is a stressful and unpleasant task for most managers, but it is necessary to learn how to deal with it. 

Here is a checklist to help you prepare for the actual meeting: 

1. Mull over your records to refresh your memory of the events or issues that led to termination for the particular employee. Confirm that company policy was adhered to in the case. 
2. Notify your boss before you act. This is crucial if the said employee was to appeal your decision to a higher authority and your boss may need to defend your actions.  
3. Some companies advise managers to rehearse the termination interviews beforehand with human resource personnel. Through role-playing, it helps the manager to clarify his thoughts, refine comments and anticipate the employee’s reaction.  
4. Focus on how the employee’s behaviour and the company’s policy are responsible for the termination. References to yourself or to anybody else makes them targets for hostility.  
5. Ensure that you do not plan for the actual termination to fall on the employee’s birthday or when he or she has just returned from a vacation. Being dismissed from work can be a devastating experience.