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Firing

When terminating public-sector employees, be careful how you announce their departure

03/11/2015

Government workers have more protections than other employees when it comes to termination. For example, if a public employee is falsely charged with some form of misconduct, she may have a l­awsuit. By all means, resist the temptation to make an example out of the fired employee.

Establish clear record of who made termination decision and why employee had to go

03/10/2015
Courts don’t like conflicting reasons for termination, or confusion over who made the decision. They want to know exactly who decided the employee should be terminated and why. Create a clear who-and-why record before you fire.

Performance nose-dives right after notice is given–is it OK to fire?

03/10/2015
Q. One of our employees gave us a two-week notice, and is now noticeably slacking off. Can we let him go before the two-week period is up?

More than one reason to terminate? Be sure to carefully document your rationale

03/09/2015
While there’s no requirement to provide a specific discharge reason, you should be ready to document the rationale behind the decision. Note each reason you considered when making the case for termination. You will need that documentation if the employee sues.

Appeal of firing doesn’t give worker more time to sue

03/03/2015
Employees who use a post-­termination appeal process don’t have a pass to miss EEOC filing deadlines. The clock doesn’t wait to start ticking until the appeal process is finished. They still have to file their agency complaints within 300 days of discharge.

Employee fired via Twitter–before she even starts

02/24/2015
The day before a Texas woman started her new job, she tweeted a rather profane opinion about it—and even threw some sour emojis into the mix. Guess what happened next.

Pick one good reason to justify firing

02/18/2015
A poor performer may disappoint on many levels, doing lousy work and failing to get along with others … harassing co-workers and fudging time sheets. While you should document all the problems, you don’t have to cite every one when you terminate the employee. Pick one and stick with it.

No cooperation? Start progressive discipline

02/09/2015
Some employees have such a chip on their shoulders that they balk at work that falls outside their usual duties. When lack of cooperation crosses the line into insubordination, it’s time to implement your progressive discipline system.

Gov’t employers must offer pre-termination hearing

02/02/2015
Public employees can’t be terminated without a pre-dismissal hearing of some sort, to give the employee an opportunity to learn why she’s being fired and a chance to speak up. The hearing doesn’t have to be formal, but simply firing the worker without explanation isn’t an option.

Cut lawsuit risk: Before firing, give worker time to tell her side of the story

02/02/2015
One way to reduce the possibility of a lawsuit (or look good to a judge if you are sued) is to refrain from cutting off employees from talking during the termination meeting. Take the extra time to let workers tell their side of the story before you fire them.