How Do You Tell an Employee They're Being Let Go for Performance Issues? Seeking HR Advice

Hello, hope all the HR professionals are doing well and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year 

How to communicate performance-related termination

My query for today is, how do you convey to an employee that he/she has to leave the company due to lack of performance and that we are losing clients under the vertical handled by that employee? How do we communicate this to them? If he/she accepts or rejects, whose decision is it? What is the procedure after he/she agrees to resign? We have a notice period of 15 days. If more information is needed, please let me know.

Regards, Aishwarya
HR

Handling Termination Due to Poor Performance

If the termination of the employee is on the grounds of poor performance, have you issued any warning letters so far? What about the Performance Appraisal (PA)? When was it last conducted, and was the employee informed about the poor performance by their manager? When customer complaints were received due to the poor work of the concerned employee, were they given any kind of warning letter?

If you have completed this groundwork, there should not be a problem in handling the termination. The news of separation will not come as a complete surprise.

In any case, let the employee be informed by their manager about their poor performance. This will help the employee prepare mentally.

When the employee comes to your office, inform him/her that their services are discontinued with effect from the _____ date. Clearly mention to whom they should hand over the charge of their position.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Sir, thank you very much for your reply.

Yes, all that has been conveyed to the employee, even during performance appraisals. We did not issue a warning letter physically or by mail, but several discussions have taken place regarding the issue, and the employee is well aware of her poor performance. The client has also spoken to the employee and conveyed his dissatisfaction with her work. We have made it clear that if this continues, we cannot afford to keep the employee.

However, she is currently on leave and would not have expected that we would terminate her. Unfortunately, we have no other option.

My query is: Should we provide a termination letter or ask her to resign? If we provide a termination letter, will we still issue the experience and relieving letter, or is it only issued if the employee resigns?

Aishwarya
HR

Dear Aishwarya,

No employee should be allowed to leave with a blemish on their career, as that same employee may thrive and excel in a different environment. Therefore, regardless of any unsatisfactory performance, it is advisable to permit the individual to resign and provide them with a service certificate graciously.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

Thank you, Vinayak Nagarkar, for your feedback. Now that the manager is going out of town tomorrow, and I have to deal with this situation, can HR alone be enough to convey this message to her, or is it mandatory for the manager to be there? Please let me know.

You can take the employee into a conference call with the manager to convey the same message to the associate.

Dear Aishwarya,

The manager should be in the picture. Please consider the suggestion of a conference call to ensure effective communication.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

Dear Aishwarya,

As an HR Specialist, you are aware of the mental anguish that a non-performing employee is likely to experience when facing the possibility of termination due to poor performance. The initial reaction may involve a clear denial of the situation, followed by accusations of victimization. Therefore, it is advisable not to rush into the termination process immediately.

Organizing a Conference

Instead, consider organizing a conference involving the employee, their immediate supervisor, the functional head, and HR. Allow the line managers to explain the gravity of the situation resulting from the employee's underperformance. As the HR representative, you can then persuasively present the employee with the option to choose between a punitive dismissal or a dignified resignation.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance or clarification.