NA - Terminating employees

sferguson524

sferguson524

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Messages
1,761
Location
Las Vegas
Display Name
FormerSocalFlyer
Home Airfield
VGT
It sucks, and never gets easier.. Having to let a guy go after 3 weeks, since he's not really fitting in and getting stuff done..
 
eman1200 said:
Better than if he was a long time guy. I guess.
Click to expand...

That I would agree with. At 3 weeks I have little relationship or emotion with the person, unless I knew them prior. That is still in their probationary period. Pull them aside and politely but honestly tell them, this just isn't working out.
 
It's never fun. If it is, I'd say there's something wrong with you. That said, if they're really not working out you're not doing them any long term favors by keeping them either.
 
It gets easier. Its like prison man.
Just go fire a few people for no reason so others will fear you.

"Hey Betsy! You forgot to refill the coffee pot! GTFO!!!!"

Really though most people that are getting fired aren't (and shouldn't) be surprised.
"Betsy, I think we both know this isn't working out and I don't think this company or this position is the right one for you. Maybe get a job at Starbucks for a couple years so you can LEARN TO REFILL THE COFFEE POT BETSY!!! NOW GTFO!!!"
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
It gets easier. Its like prison man.
Just go fire a few people for no reason so others will fear you.

"Hey Betsy! You forgot to refill the coffee pot! GTFO!!!!"

Really though most people that are getting fired aren't (and shouldn't) be surprised.
"Betsy, I think we both know this isn't working out and I don't think this company or this position is the right one for you. Maybe get a job at Starbucks for a couple years so you can LEARN TO REFILL THE COFFEE POT BETSY!!! NOW GTFO!!!"
Click to expand...

Assuming you have an employee named Betsy. (Just needed a disclaimer for the script...)
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
It gets easier. Its like prison man.
Just go fire a few people for no reason so others will fear you.

"Hey Betsy! You forgot to refill the coffee pot! GTFO!!!!"

Really though most people that are getting fired aren't (and shouldn't) be surprised.
"Betsy, I think we both know this isn't working out and I don't think this company or this position is the right one for you. Maybe get a job at Starbucks for a couple years so you can LEARN TO REFILL THE COFFEE POT BETSY!!! NOW GTFO!!!"
Click to expand...
You are what they refer to as a crappy boss. With that attitude I’m surprised anyone would work for you.
 
Agree with it does neither party any favors to postpone the inevitable. Having said that, depends on the type of job to make a determination in 3 weeks that it's not working unless the person is really bad. Any steps been taken to address the concerns? If yes and still no change then right call.
 
My biggest fear was one of my employees making a big purchase decision when I knew I was going to be letting them go... I become friends with most of my employees which is probably a mistake, but it makes work more enjoyable until you have to do something difficult like reprimand them or fire them.
 
My wife has 5 people in her team and she doesn't want to fire some of them.
I tell her:
1. Is their neck or yours, you pick.
2. You are working for the ineffective ones.

Looks like she will finally fire one this month
 
Sucks to fire people and sucks even more to be fired or be laid off.
 
No, it is not easy. The couple I have had let go I did so after lunch, then I took the rest of the day off.

On the other side of the desk..... I was 18 and fired from a job. The boss called me in first thing in the morning and told me, "We are letting you go. We will end your time card at 5pm."

I thought to myself, if they are paying me until 5pm, I will work until 5 then collect my stuff and go. I am betting they all had a good laugh at my expense.....
 
I will bend over backward to get someone up to speed. I had a very good worker who had grown up with zero responsibilities; as my job requires someone available 24/7, we switched off the "on duty" gigs among us. This guy twice failed to do the job required (which had been promised to our customers), and then when I fired him, he could hardly believe it. I believe it took him about three years to grow up and get another long term job. That was the easiest one to fire—he left egg on my face.
I've been fired for not committing fraud on the job; they replaced me with someone who would. I had the last laugh as the owner spent seven years in the pen.
 
I didn’t fire someone this week but had a peer fired. That sucks too because now I have all his work and employees.
 
Paulie D coming in hot. GTL man GTL
 
Unfortunately, I got pretty good at it. Set very detailed expectations and deadlines in writing with clear repercussions. Check in with them regularly, “How do you feel you are doing with XYZ metric? Is there anything I can do to help you?” They usually fire themselves.

Then there are folks that get busted stealing or some other ethical issue. I have no sympathy for them and just drop the hammer.
 
jsstevens said:
It's never fun. If it is, I'd say there's something wrong with you.
Click to expand...

There was once a guy who loved firing people so much, it became his catch phrase. Get this, they even gave him a show on television!

I'm not sure what happened to that guy, I'm sure he's around somewhere...
 
Rushie said:
sucks even more to be fired or be laid off.
Click to expand...
Not always.

Me: I quit. Here's my 2 weeks notice.
Them (5 days later): We're having a layoff.
Me (after checking out the package): I'd like to rescind my resignation.

True story.
 
Stingray Don said:
Then there are folks that get busted stealing or some other ethical issue.
Click to expand...

That is usually a no brainer and makes it easy. But still need to get ducks in a row first.

It just isn't advisable to fire people without legal guidance or at least a termination checklist, even "at will" employment.

Gone are the good ol' days when the boss could walk into the employee area and announce, "Everyone who's name starts with a Z is fired."
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
I didn’t fire someone this week but had a peer fired. That sucks too because now I have all his work and employees.
Click to expand...

Stingray Don said:
Then there are folks that get busted stealing or some other ethical issue. I have no sympathy for them and just drop the hammer.
Click to expand...

I had to get a peer fired for embezzlement. It was an awful situation, the woman was having financial troubles, and all kinds of other problems none of which were her fault. I felt very sorry for her, but I didn't feel sorry for that she was committing a crime. She was hurting the entire company and by extension me. I told the boss what I had observed and then he had me set her up so the next time she did it they caught the evidence. I felt awful doing that, like I was crushing someone who was already down. But wrong is wrong and she was wronging all the rest of us. She was fired but the company chose not to involve the police and press charges.

You can have sympathy for their situation, but I have no sympathy for them choosing to steal. She could have come to any of us for help and we would have gladly loaned or given her cash or helped her in any way to pull her through her situation. Instead she chose to deceive and steal. It was financially damaging to the company and emotionally damaging to all of us.
 
asicer said:
Not always.

Me: I quit. Here's my 2 weeks notice.
Them (5 days later): We're having a layoff.
Me (after checking out the package): I'd like to rescind my resignation.

True story.
Click to expand...

This is true. If you sense a split coming, its wise to check into all the differences between being fired, being laid off, quitting and resigning. The ramifications can be very different, for example, whether you qualify for unemployment, whether you get credit for vacation/sick time, severance (the "package"), what you can say when interviewing for new jobs and so on.
 
Zeldman said:
That is usually a no brainer and makes it easy. But still need to get ducks in a row first.

It just isn't advisable to fire people without legal guidance or at least a termination checklist, even "at will" employment.

Gone are the good ol' days when the boss could walk into the employee area and announce, "Everyone who's name starts with a Z is fired."
Click to expand...

For whom were those days good?
 
PaulS said:
Be more picky when you hire them.
Click to expand...

The places where I had sole discretion or nearly so in hiring, I rarely had to fire anyone. The places where HR was heavily involved in hiring, I ended up with quite a few that needed to go. It isn’t always up to you who to hire and even if HR lets you run the hiring process, they love controlling the firing process.
 
This was a case of the candidate interviewed well, but when he got into the environment, he couldn't keep up with our work pace. He said he came from a fast paced environment, and my other new guy ran circles around him
 
asicer said:
Not always.

Me: I quit. Here's my 2 weeks notice.
Them (5 days later): We're having a layoff.
Me (after checking out the package): I'd like to rescind my resignation.

True story.
Click to expand...

Yep, been there, done that, except my manager told me right as I tried to hand in my notice. Worked out great.
 
Having to layoff employees because of the corporation's finances is worse. You have to pick people who are good workers and have performed well. The first round isn't too bad as the are usually some not as high performers, but by the third round you have to get rid of some really good talent.
 
ColoPilot said:
Having to layoff employees because of the corporation's finances is worse. You have to pick people who are good workers and have performed well. The first round isn't too bad as the are usually some not as high performers, but by the third round you have to get rid of some really good talent.
Click to expand...
Those are painful indeed.
 
I leave the firing to my wife. She can be merciless while smiling to you all the way through.
 
weilke said:
I leave the firing to my wife. She can be merciless while smiling to you all the way through.
Click to expand...

lol, well my previous business partners left the axe job to me. In fact, on multiple occasions, they were supposed to be present but failed to show up for work and let me and HR address it.

Tim
 
Rushie said:
Sucks to fire people and sucks even more to be fired or be laid off.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. On firings for performance remembering that it also sucks to be doing someone else’s work helps. Do it for the team!
Stingray Don said:
Then there are folks that get busted stealing or some other ethical issue. I have no sympathy for them and just drop the hammer.
Click to expand...
I was in an office where stuff, little things mostly, started disappearing from people’s desk. The manager called an all-hands meeting. Once we all assembled he walked back into the open office space and found the culprit at work rifling through desks. Felt sorry for the guy since it became obvious he had developed a drug problem but I always thought the boss did a fine thing that day.
ColoPilot said:
Having to layoff employees because of the corporation's finances is worse. You have to pick people who are good workers and have performed well. The first round isn't too bad as the are usually some not as high performers, but by the third round you have to get rid of some really good talent.
Click to expand...
Seems like some financially healthy companies have a strategy of laying off older employees not just to save money, but to keep the tech skills fresh. I kind of get it since I found my own skills not aging so gracefully as I got up there in years. The loyalty and wisdom thing is real but so is the youth thing in some corners of tech. Seems wrong but may be smart.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
PaulS said:
Be more picky when you hire them.
Click to expand...

Heard an interview with a Tech CEO and was talking about assembling a good team. Regardless of the position, the question he always asked himself is "Could I work FOR this person?"...not necessarily from a leadership position but from an attitude perspective. That determined first and foremost if they were hired.
 
The first time I fired someone his co workers came up later and asked why I had waited so long. After that I was quicker when I needed to be but I also became much more demanding in the hiring process. Namely tough questions that I wanted reasonable answers to and at least two professional references. I got a few people whose references would not endorse them. Best people I got were referred by other employees or people I was familiar with.
 
I have fired around 30 people. (Former Manager of Ground Operations at an airline...needless to say high turnover and some real winners). It is never fun, but it does get easier. It is just business, and I am a firm believer in coaching and performance management. If the supervisors and or myself worked with the employee to improve, and they still don't respond, it should be no shock that they are fired. I always put the ball in their court. Think about it... They have the choice whether they want to succeed. And if they are just not a fit and the job just isn't for them they typically realize that after anyways. I have had some nasty ones though, when dealing with unstable people. It is never fun, and I do not miss that part of my old job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top