PITFALLS AND PRATFALLS OF TERMINATION
,As you now know, the decision to terminate is a major undertaking. In order to prevent a mistake, always ask yourself, “Have I forgotten anything that weakens this decision?”
For example, let’s say you terminate a female employee for poor job performance and she files a charge of discrimination, stating she was fired only because she is a woman. You check out the employee’s records and find her last two performance reviews were not bad. She was rated 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. You further discover she was just given a merit increase only three months ago. How did this happen?
Frankly, it should not have happened. The following list will help you avoid such oversights. Always audit yourself using this list whenever you are thinking of terminating someone.
Also, I recommend you develop a policy that limits raises, transfers, and promotions, and include it in your employee handbook and company policy and procedures manual. When an employee’s performance has improved, as defined by the rule of deactivation, you can reinstate the privilege. Generally speaking, a process to “limit” begins at the written notification level.
Termination Pitfalls and Pratfalls
Pay raise after a negative performance review
— Consider postponing any raise until performance has improved.
Positive performance review.
— Never sugarcoat feedback.
No performance review
— Establish regular review cycles. Hold supervisors accountable for completion.
Nothing in the file
— Establish a filing procedure.
No signature acknowledging review and receipt of documents
— Establish employee-signing procedure acknowledging review.
Multiple supervisors-transferring problems
— Establish policy limiting transfers while an employee is on an active performance notice.
Promotions
— Establish policy limiting promotions while an employee is on an active performance notice.