In any workplace, it can be necessary to fire a member of staff if they have not performed to the standard required, despite warnings being issued. They may be dragging the morale of the team down and their way of working may not be conducive to an excellent working culture within the practice. Therefore, you may have no option but to fire the employee. Here are some do’s and don’t when it comes to firing a member of staff, according to dental jobs website Dent Reps.
Table of Contents
Don’t
Don’t be vague – Don’t “beat around the bush”. Say directly to the member of staff that their services are no longer wanted or needed. If they leave your office thinking that they will still be working there, you could open yourself to some problems. Although, it is important not to be rude when giving the news, as this could make the employee angry.
Don’t apologize – Yes, you may feel rather empathetic to the employee, especially if you have got on well with them when they have worked with you. Although, the business must come first. Just make sure you don’t say something like “I don’t want to have to say this…”.
Don’t be defensive – Tensions will be running high during the meeting, and sometimes threats can be thrown towards you about unfair dismissal. You need to defend yourself by saying all protocol has been followed. Try not to engage too much if the issue of legal action is discussed. The last thing you want to do is to make them angrier.
Do
Do ensure final payments are issued – Before they leave the business, it is important to double check that they have been paid what they are due for their last month of work. If all payments are processed on the last day of the month, make sure you make it clear their final payment will be made as usual at the end of the month.
Do communicate your thanks for their efforts – Even though you feel the need to fire the employee, make sure you say that you are thankful for their efforts. Wish them well and say you’d be able to provide a reference if they need it.
Do inform the rest of the team — Call the team together to make them aware that the employee has left the business. You don’t want to let rumours develop as to what has happened. This can upset team morale, especially if they were all close to the employee who has left.
If you need to advertise a vacant position as a result of firing an employee, you may wish to advertise on the job board of Dent Reps – https://www.dentreps.com/cm/clients/advertise_jobs.