Re: Termination Process - Terminating An Employee

Hi,

Could you please tell me how to handle a termination/separation process in an organization without hurting anyone's feelings.

Thanks

There are many ways to handle termination without hurting anyone's feelings. Please let us know a few things like the reason why the employee was terminated, whether a domestic enquiry was conducted, has the employee accepted the fault, etc. Last but not least, we are being paid for the job to be accomplished and not to maintain the relationship. Be professional and approach accordingly; everything will be sorted out without any hassles.

Hi,

I, second, Saji would request you to share more details about it.

I feel you need to know more about Termination and its procedure which can help you in getting the answer to your question.

Secondly, if you want to discuss "Separation," I would like to say that there are many things that come under "Separation," including Termination, Retrenchment, Absconding, and Resignations. However, with TERMINATION only, there is a procedure where the employer has to take direct and immediate action against the employee based on specific or defined terms and conditions of employment when the employee is found guilty or, I would say, "because of some wrongful actions of the employee, the employer is forced to adopt this procedure," which means the employee has been "discharged," "dismissed," "fired," or "permanently laid off."

The employee who is going to be terminated based on valid reasons and after completing procedures and formalities deserves the action and sets an example for other employees too. Therefore, I don't think professionally we need to think or care about the effects of termination on other employees or about the employee who is found guilty in that case.

-RETRENCHMENTS/LAYOFF, which hurts employees, is an unavoidable/unwanted situation that neither the employee nor the employer wants.

-RESIGNATION is when an employee leaves the company/organization with mutual agreement by following the terms and conditions of employment.

-ABSCONDING is when an employee leaves their job without resigning and informing the employer, which hurts the employer as it increases attrition (attrition refers to the loss of employees) and comes under separation, including termination as stated above.

Hello members,

In my opinion, there is another instance of service termination, which involves individuals who have been untraceable for 7 years or more, as per the court order.

Dear Questioner,

Your question appears to me a little bit paradoxical, though it has been couched in nice words. In the realm of employment, the term 'termination' denoting "loss of employment" has a specific connotation, i.e., "loss of relationship." So, pain is always inseparable from separation for someone is going to hurt - maybe the affected employee or the employer, especially when it is at the instance of the employee, whose services are indispensable to the organization, or even the co-employees instilling a sense of fear in them because of the way the exit was handled - it depends.

In any type of termination, which was elaborately dealt with by Anil subscribing to the professional approach recommended by Saji, 'the hurt factor' or 'the sentimental blip' automatically recedes into insignificance. In such a situation, what is more important is whether it is fair after ascertaining its inevitability.

Dear HRSW1,

Have you planned the transition of your employees to their next job? You may have to let employees go depending on the business cycle or other reasons, yet your decisions shouldn't affect their career.

If you look for it, there are companies that offer Professional Transition Management Services. You can consider hiring one.

Alternatively, you can set one within your firm. Please identify seniors who are experts in counseling and are connected with the industry.

You may not find the exact role for the employees in transition, but even continuity in their employment somewhere else would help.

Try to find them a job and then release them from your firm.

Please do consider giving them a virtual designation to stay put during the job hunt. Finding a job without an existing one is next to impossible.

Please offer them positive feedback on growth and development. You might have found areas where they can succeed.

Hope this helps. Please share more about your options so that we can guide you for the Transition Management if you need it.

Thank you once again!

Separation is not painful only when both parties agree to part ways and realize that they will be happy without the other. Otherwise, separation is always painful to either of the parties, i.e., employer or the employee.

Your post denotes a situation where the employer wants to terminate the services of the employee, but the employee has no such ideas. As other learned members have enlightened you on various methods of termination, I do not want to go into those details. But what I gather from your post is that whatever may be the reasons, the employer no longer requires the services of the employee but agrees to condone the conduct of the employee that has led him to take the extreme step of terminating his services and therefore desires to end the relationship without hurting the employee. In my view, this can be done by only one way.

1) By calling the employee for a meeting in which the employee may be informed about the unwillingness of the management to continue his services and the reasons therefor but would like to give the employee the option of resigning from the services though the employer has the option to terminate his service, which he does not want to exercise keeping in view his career ahead.

2) If the reasons for termination are plain but not stigmatic, such as that the employee has good conduct but is low on performance which is unintentional, etc., the employer may also guide him with placement elsewhere that may suit his level of ability.

3) He can be given a service certificate and relieving letter without making any remark that damages his career.

I restrain myself from suggesting to issue a simple termination order or discharge order that does not cast any stigma on his conduct since even an order of termination simpliciter or discharge simpliciter shall reveal grounds for termination. It may hurt him or his career though not cast a stigma and also because it is always fraught with the risk of being dubbed as retrenchment or punitive if the employee is a workman, more so if he is on the permanent rolls but not under probation.

B. Saikumar

Hi,

When it comes to "Termination," it is always painful if done by the employer without the consent of the employee. As rightly suggested by a learned follower, the HR head should call the employee who is likely to be terminated and have a consultation session to try to convince him that termination is an inevitable fate but the separation will not be punitive. The employee may be asked to tender resignation, or he may be terminated, giving reasons that are not attributed to the employee concerned. In addition, a relieving letter for his rendered services should be given to the employee, which will help him prove his innocence and secure employment elsewhere. Terminal dues should be settled immediately, which will reduce his pain of separation. It will be quite troublesome and painful for him/her to come time and again to get dues settled after termination.

AK Jain

Thank you all for the replies. When termination occurs due to productivity/efficiency issues, does the employee need to be given any time to prove themselves? Or if the employee is terminated, are there any policies in place such as the employee needing to leave the premises immediately and not being allowed to talk with anyone?

If an employee's services are to be terminated for productivity and performance issues, I am of the view that if the employee shows willingness and inclination to improve, he shall not only be given time for improving it but also need to be helped with guidance in the form of providing feedback to him about weaknesses or deficiencies and be provided with support in the form of mentoring, coaching, or training. The policies to which you refer are unknown and unheard of.

B. Saikumar