The Ethics of Job Dismissal
Marshall Loeb, from MarketWatch, wrote an article on how managers should treat people when they are fired. Horror stories abound and it leads us to wonder whether there is humanity left in some people. Following are some do’s and don’ts:
Don’t:
- Don’t let it come as a surprise. Give warnings to the employee so he/ she can change.
- Don’t let others do what you should be the one doing, meaning that if you’re the one who made the decision to fire the employee, you should be the one letting that person know as opposed to letting HR do the job for you.
- If the company has a protocol regarding job dismissals, don’t ignore it.
- Don’t tell the employee you fired that you’ll help him/ her unless you really can.
Do:
- Be kind. Even if it goes beyond what company protocol requires you to do.
- Give constructive feedback. Nowadays, some companies have policies not to reveal the reason(s) why employees are let go because of the risks of a lawsuit. If that is the case, do the best that you can while staying within company parameters.
- Have the money ready in case the employee is in a money crunch.
The job dismissal process is not over when the person is let go. The people who remain are also affected by the process. That is something to keep in mind.
Have a Heart When Firing Employees, MarketWatch