How to Deal With Existing Employees After Terminating Another Employee
- 1). Meet with the remaining team members as a group in a private space, such as the manager's office or a conference room. Ideally, the meeting should take place as close to the termination as possible. Hold the meeting for as long as necessary without interruption.
- 2). Brief the team on only the "need-to-know" points of the decision such as length of service, title at time of termination and last day in the office. Remain neutral and, if appropriate, end on a positive note about the fired employee, such as, "we appreciate the contributions Joe has made during the past five years."
- 3). Refuse to answer any employee questions based on speculation or gossip. Managers can respond to loaded questions about the fired employee by saying, "I cannot answer that question out of respect to Joe's privacy."
- 4). Remember that once the shock has passed, employees will expect to hear about how the change impacts them. Explain transition details such as how the terminated employees work will be divided among the team.
- 5). Conclude by thanking employees for their time and patience during the transition. Remind employees to direct any future questions about the incident to you.
