I advise that you don't use a heavy-handed sales approach, but stress the fairness of the package and how much the worker will lose if he doesn't sign. Will the business suspend the jobholder, will it dock pay, or will it fire the worker? A voluntary package program generally means poor to average-performing personnel are the only ones left. But after this triggering event, you decide the worker is wrong for the organization. As a manager, you must know not only what an employee firing letter is but also what it should include. If the employee comes back and files an improper lay off suit, like so many do, the memorandum suddenly becomes your business's legal document. For you, the boss, it means happier and more productive workers. If you terminate a worker for "cause," a clear, well-written statement of the grounds for the layoff will inhibit any future legal action by the employee. An problem worker can cause a breakdown in the chain of command. He and his attorney need to convince the jury you dismissed him for a bad reason. For example, the supervisor may think the jobholder has some insights into the department's declining esprit de corps and can help you devise a question to get this information.

Do not back down from your decision, and use the firing memorandum to guide you through the exit interview procedure. Now and then, an at will employee will refuse to sign this documentation. Considering the large number of suits that employees file each year, it is important for you to document thoroughly all decisions. In the old days, the worker went to an unemployment office, waited in line and filed, and this is still true in some states. And it'll make the employee angry with you, instead of at herself where the fault of the firing normally lies.