Give the original copy of the employee lay off letter to the employee while keeping a copy for your records. If a suit is filed, this wastes more firm resources. In Chapters 6 and 7, you'll learn how to document the firing Chapter 6 shows you how to use progressive discipline to build your case against a worker with a performance problem or minor misconduct. But there's a danger for you and your small business when you write a letter of recommendation.

Besides having a chance to explain of matter, the employer should allow the accused worker to have a person to support her or him at the meetings. If you have done your evidence right, the information here should come as no surprise to the worker. This documentation should show what the jobholder did, when the worker did it, and what you did to help them. In a recent Cornell University study, researchers found that how the company sacked the worker was a major factor in any resulting lawsuit. Therefore employee dismissal for alcohol abuse is bias, and you'll find yourself at the losing end of a court case if you are not careful. Don't dismiss a probationary worker for an unlawful, unfair, stupid or "no" reason. Tactful language and providing a way of leaving the business with dignity in front of other employees are conditions for making the termination method less painful for everyone involved. If an employer is considering separating and worker for something not outlined in a contract, they may find this a more difficult procedure. A worker who you layoff could potentially have a case for illegal separation if you dismiss him or her on impulse with no prior signs his or her job was in jeopardy. Don't give a false reason to soften the blow, such as the "company is down, we just have to let you go," when the real reason is poor job productivity with three written warnings as evidence. If you have a Human resources department, make sure you involve them well before the dismissal meeting. And worse yet, by telling the jobholder you disagree with the "higher-ups," he can use your comment to prove illegal separation.