Have
you ever written a termination letter or fired an employee?
Here's how.
As a business owner or Human Resources manager, writing a termination
letter may be one of the more difficult parts of your job. Firing
an employee is a delicate task and your letter is an essential
part of that difficult process. Besides writing the termination
letter, you must notify the employee in person that you are firing
them. The only exceptions are if the employee has stopped showing
up for work or if the employee is in a circumstance where the
manager cannot speak with them in person. If possible, write
the letter ahead of time and present it to the employee during
the termination meeting. This removes any confusion and keeps
the employee from stating that they never received the termination
letter.
The termination letter itself is a legal document. You will
need it if the employee files a lawsuit or grievance for a wrongful
termination. Therefore, you must carefully consider the contents
of the termination letter and how you write it. Remember that
brevity is the best policy. Long-drawn-out explanations are awkward
and a judge can use them against you if a legal proceeding occurs.
Stick to the Facts in the Termination Letter
Forget an “I am sorry” sentences or even “We
enjoyed your time here” or anything that shows emotion
about the employee's dismissal. And stick to the facts. Mention
the warnings you previously gave the employee and how they have
lead to the decision for termination. Provide specific reasons
for firing the employee, their problem behaviors and dates these
problems occurred. Finally make sure you include the effective
termination date, and any discussions you had about termination
with the employee.
Terms and Conditions
To prevent confusion, you must remind the employee of any verbal
discussions on the terms and condition of their employment. This
may include future employment opportunities, employment opportunities
at parent or sister companies, nondisclosure agreements, private
ownership information, or other clauses that were discussed in
a contract, pre-termination meeting or final termination meeting.
Remember to state specifically the terms of the nondisclosure
or private ownership conditions, in case the company must file
a legal action against the employee because they break the agreement.
Include all Financial Information
The termination letter should include all information on final
paychecks, a severance package, when health benefits will end
or if the company includes a benefits package. If necessary,
the termination letter may need to explain retirement accounts
or life insurance policies or specify who can help with transferring
these benefits.
Fire
an employee safely without an attorney. Includes termination
letter.
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