Know the main precautions when dismissing an employee

Dismissal is a business process that frightens everyone, and no one is exempt from this situation. However, the manager can greatly soften the impact of an employee’s dismissal, making it less traumatizing, both for him and for the company.

Would you like to know how to deal well with dismissing an employee? In this article, we separate some suggestions that you can adopt.

1. Be sure of your decision

Dismissing an employee because he didn’t meet the deadline for a job, for example, and you got deeply irritated with him, would be unwise.

Another situation in which a dismissal would not be appropriate is hearing rumors about the poor quality of an employee’s services and not investigating whether the information is true.

Given these examples, it is clear that, in order to fire a worker, the manager needs to be based on concrete facts that lead him to a correct decision. Otherwise, it could give the dismissed employee a bad impression of the company and create a climate of insecurity in the entire team.

2. Assess the financial impacts of firing an employee

The entire dismissal process entails expenses for the company, so it is necessary to carefully analyze the financial impact that the institution will have with the dismissal.

To help with this decision, the manager can ask the company’s accounting department or a hired accountant for a preview of the costs of a termination.

With this information in hand, the leader can decide to postpone the dismissal or stipulate a day for the company’s budget to be able to cover the expenses of this procedure. Another care that the manager needs to take when assessing whether or not to dismiss is whether the country’s economy is going through a crisis.

3. Don’t surprise the collaborator

A practice that should be avoided is the sudden dismissal of a worker, as if his “floor” was unexpectedly removed. Instead, the manager must gradually prepare him for this possibility. But how to do it?

For example, it can alert you about your performance and the importance of increasing your productivity . If, after that, the employee does not improve, the leader can start signaling to him the risk of leaving the company.

This same attitude must be adopted if the company decides to cut employees: all workers who may be included in this layoff must be notified.

4. Communicate with respect

The way employees receive the news of their dismissal must be respectful and discreet. Like this? The employee must not be made aware of the termination via e-mail or telegram, nor be prevented from entering the company.

On the contrary, the worker should be discreetly called for a conversation with his manager, so that no other team member suspects anything.

5. Preserve employee dignity

There are two measures that a manager can take to avoid exposing the worker to embarrassing situations.

First, do not allow the decision to terminate an employee to be leaked to unauthorized persons. This attitude can prevent comments and gossip that depress or demean the employee.

The second way to show respect for an employee’s dignity is to prepare well for the layoff meeting. For this, it is necessary that the manager is ready for strong emotions on the part of the employee and thinks about how he can overcome them.

Something that usually works out very well is making a list of the employee’s qualities and a brief summary of their trajectory in the company. After reading this information to him, point out that at the time the company’s decision was to dispense with his services, but that, at another time, there may be an opportunity to return.

6. listen

After presenting your arguments, prepare to listen. At that point, it’s possible that the employee will bring up all the impressions he had about the company and dump it all on you.

So, be patient, even if the contributor fills you with questions that have already been answered. After a while, he will calm down and you can finish clearing up some misconceptions that have been presented.

7. Ensure that labor rights will be fulfilled

When the manager signals to the employee that their labor rights will be respected, it is easier to reassure them.

However, the leader needs to know what these rights are. For example, in case of unfair dismissal, talk about FGTS payment, proportional prior notice, unemployment insurance, etc.

On the other hand, if the dismissal is for just cause, remind the employee that he will receive the balance of unpaid wages, overdue vacations with an increase of 1/3, etc.

8. Document the meeting

After the conversation with the employee, it is important that the high points that were addressed in the meeting are documented. For this, the company can record the dialogue with the employee, an attitude that can preserve the legal security of the institution.

9. Communicate to the team

Before unfounded rumors start running around the company, gather your team and, without saying the real reason, tell about the employee’s dismissal. Make it clear to your workers that there was no injustice and everything was resolved with relative tranquility.

Take this opportunity to recall the company’s internal policy, emphasize that employees with excellent performance will always be highly appreciated in the institution.

Speak honestly that dismissal situations occur in any company, but that does not mean that the institution devalues ​​the services of its employees.

Indeed, the termination of an employee will never be a pleasant thing. Despite this, the manager can and should ensure that the professional who has dedicated several hours of his time to the company is treated in a dignified manner, so that he has the necessary emotional strength to get a new job.