Letting an Employee Go: Legalities and Sensitivities All Managers Must Know

Gain the tips and strategies you'll need when deciding on an employee's termination.

Employee terminations are always difficult but many also present difficult risk management issues if the employee is on any medical leave or part of any protected classification. In addition, many employees emotionally identify with their jobs and that can make terminations extremely unpredictable for human resources as an employee's reaction is many times unpredictable. One of the most common concerns employers have when terminating an employee is 'are we at risk for a lawsuit if we do?' This topic will discuss the best way to analyze the situation and facts present when an employee needs to be terminated but is on medical leave or presents a risk of an unpredictable emotional reaction to the termination. In addition, the topic will discuss when it may be appropriate to offer a severance agreement to a departing employee in order to prevent the employee from bringing any sort of lawsuit against the organization. Failure to fully analyze the termination decision with a view to risk management issues is one major mistake often made by human resources and employers. This information is essential for employers who want to make sure that they are fully analyzing each termination situation for essential risk management issues to prevent potential problems and lawsuits.