Termination Due to Poor Performance (Managing Essentials™ Series)

If you can, go over your organization policy and documentation with an HR person, legal counsel, or your manager. Be sure to coordinate any final papers you’ll need in the interview. Try to schedule the termination early in the day and week, in a private area, and have a second person present. It’s a good idea to write down and practice what you plan to say. Tell the employee the decision to terminate has been made and allow a reaction. Deal with arguments and emotion by saying, "I understand you’re upset, but the decision has been made, and we need to move on." You may have to repeat it several times.