Saying Goodbye: Handling Employee Departures with Professionalism 

by Yevheniia Matrosova, Head of Recruitment and HR in Reenbit

Yevheniia has over nine years of HR and recruitment experience, including over four years as a Head/Lead. She earned her degree from the Business School of Leadership and Management and has also served as a tutor for multiple recruitment schools. Yevheniia has successfully managed teams of 15 or more members and has independently staffed over 200 highly skilled IT specialists. Her expertise extends to designing HR/R processes from the ground up for various organizations.

Terminating an employee is one of the most challenging tasks a manager or HR professional will face. It’s essential to handle the process with care, compassion, and professionalism to minimize disruptions to the organization and the terminated employee. In this article, I’ll provide a comprehensive guide on how to terminate employees properly in a way that’s ethical, efficient, and effective. 

1. Assess the situation 

Before initiating the termination process, it is crucial to assess the situation thoroughly. Consider the following factors:

• Performance issues: Has the employee failed to meet the job requirements or expectations despite warnings and performance improvement plans?
• Behavioral issues: Has the employee exhibited inappropriate behavior or violated company policies, such as harassment or discrimination?
• Company restructuring: Is the termination due to restructuring or downsizing rather than the employee’s performance or behavior?
• Feedback on work: Does the company provide feedback for each specialist during the work process?

By taking the time to assess the situation, you can determine the appropriate approach and ensure that the termination is justified. 

2. Prepare for the termination 

Once you have assessed the situation and determined that termination is necessary, it is essential to prepare for it. Consider the following steps:

• Review your company’s policies and procedures regarding termination, as well as any legal requirements, such as compliance with federal and state employment laws. Check the agreement between the Company and Employee regarding the termination points and notice period.
• Consider the timing of the termination carefully, such as avoiding terminations during busy or stressful periods, Fridays, or times shortly before a holiday. Plan the logistics of the termination, such as who will be present during the termination meeting and how you will handle the employee’s departure.
• Plan the structure of the feedback and your dialogue. Try to avoid destructive formulations.

By preparing for the termination, you can ensure that the process is as smooth and respectful as possible. It is important to show gratitude for the employee’s time spent in your company.

3. Conduct the termination meeting 

When conducting the termination meeting, it is crucial to handle the meeting with professionalism, respect, and empathy. Consider the following: 

• Be direct and honest with the employee about the reasons for the termination while remaining professional and respectful. 
• Show empathy and understanding for the employee’s situation and be available to answer any questions they may have.
• Offer support to the employee during the transition, such as assistance with job searching or resume building.
• Provide information about any severance pay, benefits, or other post-employment benefits to which the employee is entitled. 
• Share a plan for offboarding.  

By conducting the termination meeting with care and empathy, you can minimize the emotional impact of the termination on the employee.

4. Follow up with remaining employees 

After the termination, it’s essential to follow up with the remaining employees to ensure they’re aware of any organizational changes and address any concerns they may have. Here’s what you should do next: 

• Reassure employees that the termination was an isolated incident and that the organization is committed to providing a safe and supportive work environment.
• Provide support to remaining employees, such as additional training, feedback, or team-building activities. 
• Address any concerns or questions remaining employees may have about the termination and its impact on the organization. 
• Offer a positive recommendation to the terminated employee for future employers, if possible. 

By following up with the remaining employees, you can maintain a positive work environment and minimize any disruption caused by the termination.

5. Secure company assets and data 

Securing company assets and data after termination is essential to protect sensitive information and intellectual property. Consider the following steps:

• Collect any company property from the terminated employee, such as a laptop, access badge, or company vehicle.
• Disable the terminated employee’s access to any company systems or data to prevent unauthorized access or theft.
• Take steps to protect sensitive information, such as changing passwords, revoking access to confidential documents or databases, and notifying IT or security personnel. 
• Check all NDA documents to ensure that they are signed by the employee.

By securing company assets and data, you can prevent any damage to the organization and its reputation.

6. Learn from the experience 

After terminating an employee, it’s crucial to learn from the experience. Consider the following steps: 

• Conduct an exit interview with the terminated employee to gather feedback on their experience with the organization and identify any areas for improvement.  
• Review the termination process to identify any areas for improvement and ensure that the process was fair and legally defensible. 
• Provide feedback to management on the termination process and the employee’s performance or behavior to improve performance management and prevent future terminations.

By learning from the experience of terminating an employee, you can improve your organization’s processes and procedures, promote fairness and equity in the workplace, and prevent future terminations.

Do’s and don’ts during termination 

Do: 

• When informing an employee about their termination, be clear and concise about the reasons for their dismissal. 
• Even if you need to let go of an employee for poor performance or misconduct, it’s essential to show them respect and compassion during the process. 
• Give the employee sufficient notice about their termination, so they have time to prepare and arrange for alternative employment. 
• Offer assistance in the form of career counselling, job search support, or severance pay, if applicable. 
• Ensure that you are following all company policies and legal requirements when terminating an employee, such as providing written notice and offering compensation where applicable. 
• Allow the terminated employee to inform their colleagues of the news on their own.

Don’t: 

• Refrain from surprising an employee with their termination. Provide feedback and opportunities to improve performance before taking this action. 
• Do not disrespect or humiliate an employee when firing them. Conduct the conversation in private and in a calm and professional manner. 
• Do not share personal information about the employee or the company during the termination process. 
• Do not fire an employee as a form of revenge. 
• Do not delay the termination process. Once you have made the decision, it’s crucial to act promptly and with transparency to avoid confusion or anxiety for the employee. 

Real-life cases and lessons learned 

Is truth always the right way?

At my previous job, we had an employee who lacked initiative and was unreliable with completing tasks on time. Additionally, we received numerous negative reviews regarding his communication skills, and unfortunately, he did not take criticism well. Despite our attempts to address these issues and offer support, including coaching on how to manage his challenges, offering simpler tasks, providing additional vacation days, and having the project manager work with him, there was no improvement. Eventually, we made the difficult decision to terminate his employment. However, our main challenge was communicating the reasons for his dismissal as he did not seem to understand what we were trying to say. To protect team morale and our HR brand, we framed it as a staff reduction due to low workload on the customer side. While complete transparency is ideal, it’s important to balance that with minimizing risks to company culture and brand during difficult decisions. 

Managing staff reductions with empathy 

I once faced the challenging situation of having to let someone go due to staff reduction. In such cases, it is crucial to provide a clear explanation of why this individual was selected for termination. While the reasons may be tied to factors such as salary or experience on the project in comparison to other team members, it is important to avoid disclosing this information during exit interviews without adequate context. It may come across as unfair to the affected employee. Instead, it’s best to emphasize their contributions to the project and reassure them that the decision was not based on their skills or performance. Instead, it’s best to emphasize their contributions to the project and reassure them that the decision was not based on their skills or performance.

If salary is a concern, offer to assist in finding new employment opportunities, both within and outside the company. It’s important to maintain a positive relationship with these individuals, even after their departure. Keep in touch with them and offer any new opportunities that arise in the future. 

Firing an employee is a difficult and often unpleasant task, but it can be made more manageable by adhering to a few key steps. By assessing the situation, adequately preparing for the termination, conducting the meeting with empathy and sensitivity, following up with remaining staff, protecting company assets and information, and using the experience as an opportunity to learn, you can ensure that the process is both ethical and efficient. This approach can reduce disruption to both the organization and the dismissed employee, ultimately promoting a positive work environment. Remember that termination is not the end of the process but rather the beginning of a new chapter for the organization and the terminated employee.