Getting fired is always a horrible and awkward experience; there are few feelings worse in life than being rejected by people who found that you simply weren’t good enough. And unless the person giving the bad news is particularly sadistic it can be very difficult for them too; what kind of person enjoys looking someone in the eye and telling them that they are now unemployed?
But business is business, and there is little place for sentimentality in this dog-eat-dog world. So the boss needs to do the right thing – take the doomed employee to one side and respectfully and professionally tell it as it is.
Image credits: Robin Hastings (not the actual photo)
Some bad bosses can’t hack it, though. They might feel guilty for treating the employee unfairly, or maybe they had developed such a good relationship that this might feel like a horrible way to end it. Or perhaps they are just spineless cowards who don’t like to experience the consequences of their unethical behavior.
So when this anonymous employee took to Quora looking for advice on how to deal with a boss who fired them via business email, they found sympathy with the occasional hilarious and often savage response.
Some people, on the other hand, thought that the method of communication is irrelevant; it is only the message that counts.
The conversation divided people, with some expressing the desire for revenge in best responses possible while others urged for restraint and to remain the ‘bigger person.’
So how do you get someone laid off respectfully and ethically? Mike Kappel from Forbes has some tips on how to do it the right way.
“When you meet with an employee to tell them they are being fired, you need to tell them as soon as the meeting starts,” Mike writes. “If you were getting fired, you wouldn’t want to talk about the weather or last night’s football game before hearing the news. Answer any questions relating to the employee’s last paycheck, collecting unemployment benefits, and health insurance.”
As well as being clear and honest with the employee, it is important to do it discretely as not to humiliate the employee. Employment termination isn’t just bad for that individual— it’s also bad for the other employees.
“Other employees don’t know if or when they’re going to be on the chopping block. And, your employees could have relationships with the fired employee,” he continues. “If you fire an employee in front of everyone, you risk draining the morale out of the other employees.”
“Consider firing the employee after your other employees leave. That way, the terminated employee does not need to leave your office (or wherever you fire them) in front of their co-workers.”
Finally, you want to be completely sure that your actions in terminating the employee’s contract are fully legal. “Did you have your employee sign a contract when you hired them?” Mike asks. “If not, they are employed at-will, meaning you can terminate their employment at any time. Don’t fire an employee as an act of discrimination. And, you can’t fire an employee for taking medical leave. You might want to consult a lawyer before you fire an employee.”
“If your employee has a contract with your business, you cannot fire them for reasons not listed in the contract. The contract should state reasons you can end a worker’s employment at your business. If they don’t violate the listed reasons, don’t break the contract.”
All pretty common sense stuff really isn’t it? But we all know plenty of bosses that are lacking in that! Don’t make it any harder for yourself than it already is!
People jumped in with their own experiences of getting fired remotely
This is hilarious and sad at the same time, but this happened to me today as well !!!! :(( I have just received an email and that was it, I am officially jobless. Reading this post actually helped me a lot. I can not say this often, but this time, I really know how it feels !!!!
I am sorry to hear that. I most sincerely hope that you will find a new job as soon as possible, and that it will suit you more in all aspect (more rewarding, more suited for you,better working conditions, better paid and with great working environment). Hang in there ❤
Load More Replies...I personally believe the reason this is such a popular post is because how disappointingly this email reflects humanity. It's easy to move on and get a new job. It's hard to think about how this seems to reflect the future becoming less feely than it already is. Why is it so hard for humans to be friendly and open with each other :( I don't want to move on from accepting this new version of reality. I wanna go back to a time when we had the courtesy to tell hard things like this to each other's faces rather than hide behind a "professional" screen!
Load More Replies...If a company has a legitimate reason to fire someone, the better way to do it is face to face—-without being so blunt that you’re cruel about it. That way, if the employee wants details as to why they’re being fired, the boss (who should be prepared for this) can let them know, but again, in a kind manner, possibly with some low key advice for the future about what led to their firing. Being fired, unless the employee can sense it’s about to happen and make other plans (I’ve experienced a lay-off that I saw coming, and already had another job lined up when the ax fell—-5 minutes before I was going to hand in my notice, so I quite happily took the lay-off, costing the company 6 weeks severance pay instead of two final weeks’ work, and started the new job two weeks later), can be an extremely fraught situation, and it’s up to the boss to soften the blow as much as possible. However, there are too many a******s in management positions, who either insult employees they’re firing or do it remotely, like the spineless coward of a boss in the article.
I agree, Kathy. I'm sure this person had an idea that there was a problem but it's important to for the boss to communicate what was the last straw. It could even prevent a lawsuit.
Load More Replies...This is hilarious and sad at the same time, but this happened to me today as well !!!! :(( I have just received an email and that was it, I am officially jobless. Reading this post actually helped me a lot. I can not say this often, but this time, I really know how it feels !!!!
I am sorry to hear that. I most sincerely hope that you will find a new job as soon as possible, and that it will suit you more in all aspect (more rewarding, more suited for you,better working conditions, better paid and with great working environment). Hang in there ❤
Load More Replies...I personally believe the reason this is such a popular post is because how disappointingly this email reflects humanity. It's easy to move on and get a new job. It's hard to think about how this seems to reflect the future becoming less feely than it already is. Why is it so hard for humans to be friendly and open with each other :( I don't want to move on from accepting this new version of reality. I wanna go back to a time when we had the courtesy to tell hard things like this to each other's faces rather than hide behind a "professional" screen!
Load More Replies...If a company has a legitimate reason to fire someone, the better way to do it is face to face—-without being so blunt that you’re cruel about it. That way, if the employee wants details as to why they’re being fired, the boss (who should be prepared for this) can let them know, but again, in a kind manner, possibly with some low key advice for the future about what led to their firing. Being fired, unless the employee can sense it’s about to happen and make other plans (I’ve experienced a lay-off that I saw coming, and already had another job lined up when the ax fell—-5 minutes before I was going to hand in my notice, so I quite happily took the lay-off, costing the company 6 weeks severance pay instead of two final weeks’ work, and started the new job two weeks later), can be an extremely fraught situation, and it’s up to the boss to soften the blow as much as possible. However, there are too many a******s in management positions, who either insult employees they’re firing or do it remotely, like the spineless coward of a boss in the article.
I agree, Kathy. I'm sure this person had an idea that there was a problem but it's important to for the boss to communicate what was the last straw. It could even prevent a lawsuit.
Load More Replies...
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