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Reasons to Fire Someone:
1. Termination for behavior.
Behavioral issues are a common reason for firing someone. If management has put in the time to try to correct bad behavior and documented it, but the problem continues or worsens, it's time to let the employee go. Allowing bad behavior to continue after warnings sets a bad example and hurts morale.
2. Termination for performance.
Employees who cannot meet performance goals are often terminated after being given a chance to improve. If training and reviews haven't worked, it's a sign that they may just be in the wrong position. If you can't move them into another position, it's time to terminate.
3. Termination for bad attitude.
Termination for bad attitude may be tough, legally speaking. If the employee works at-will, you may be better off not giving a reason. If the employee is not at-will and must be fired for cause, you'll need to document specific examples of the attitude problems first.
4. Termination for insubordination.
If an employee refuses to carry out duties that are part of the job description, refuses to carry out a lawful and ethical directive by management, or is disrespectful toward a manager or supervisor, it's time to consider terminating for insubordination. You'll want to carefully document any instances of it.
5. Termination for sexual harassment.
Employers who do not heed sexual harassment complaints risk being held liable for a hostile work environment. If there is specific evidence, document it well. If an employee works at-will, and evidence is unclear, it may be best to fire them without giving a reason.
6. Termination for attendance.
If employee attendance consistently violates company policy, it may be time to fire them. Be sure to document each case of it, and make the employee aware of the consequences of continued absences or tardiness.
7. Termination for bullying.
Workplace bullying, or workplace harassment, in the form of unwelcome, hostile behavior, is often a reason for termination. Document all complaints about it and make the consequences clear.
8. Termination for safety violations.
Terminating an employee for safety violations can be risky, even if merited, because it can potentially be seen as retaliating against an employee for reporting safety issues. Get legal assistance if safety issues are leading you to consider firing someone.
Other situations may precipitate a firing as well, such as a serious code of conduct breach or when an employee simply stops showing up, in which case you have a job abandonment.
How to Fire an Employee:
Step-by-step guide to terminating employees.
Understand your company's termination process.
Verify the reason for termination.
Have a look at your company's employee handbook and ensure that your grounds for wanting to terminate the employee are not discriminatory in any way and comply with your company's policy.
Follow your company policy on termination.
Review your company's termination policy and approach your human resources and legal departments regarding your company's employee termination process.
Identify and review the problem.
Document and flag the issues.
Assemble the employee's past performance evaluations and document any issues and concerns relating to their performance or conduct that have been raised.
Schedule a review.
Set up a meeting with the employee to inform them of the issues and concerns, reviewing their performance thus far, and present them with a warning notice.
Give them a probation period to fix the problems.
Depending on the termination cause, you may want to give the employee a probation period during which they can attempt to work on the issue(s) raised. Should the problem persist or not have been addressed adequately, you'll want to proceed with the termination of employment.
Set up a meeting and break the bad news.
Schedule a meeting with the employee.
Arrange a meeting with the employee in question and have someone from the human resources department or someone within management attend to act as a witness.
Keep it short and factual.
It is best not to procrastinate when it comes to firing and to get straight to the point. Keep the termination meeting short and stick to the facts. Be respectful, clear, and firm.
While providing a employe termination letter is not required by federal law, it is required in some states.
Ask for a release.
Incentivize the employee to sign a release form, releasing your company from any liability.
Final Thoughts:
In the end, terminating an employee is not going to be enjoyable, and you probably won't feel great about yourself afterward. That's just part of being human. If you've created a solid process around terminating employees, though, this will ultimately be a better situation for you and your coworkers.