Terminating a high level employee can be intimidating if you are a small business owner or a Human Resources Manager. If you are a small business owner, terminating a high level employee may also be emotionally challenging because you have likely formed a close relationship with that person. Nonetheless, you may need to terminate the high level employee for the survival of your business.

Steps to Follow when Terminating a High Level Employee

In many ways, terminating a high level employee is no different from terminating any other employee. It involves gaining proper documentation and having discussions with the employee about his or her poor performance. In addition, you must draft an employee termination letter and conduct an exit interview.

Terminating a high level employee presents its own set of challenges. For example, you will likely need to draft a severance package for the employee. You might also need to negotiate whether you will provide the employee with support in finding a new position. If the termination is amicable, you can also discuss the potential for rehire. You must document all of this information in your employee termination letter.

The Impact of Terminating a High Level Employee

Terminating a high level employee garners much attention from other employees. After all, this may be their boss you are firing! You will need to assure workers that business will continue to run as usual after terminating this person. While you obviously cannot discuss the reasons for the termination with your other employees, you should call them together in a meeting and explain the high level employee will no longer be working for the company. During this discussion, make it clear who their direct supervisor will be and whether that person is permanently or temporarily in charge.

Your employees will likely have a mixture of feelings about the termination of the high level employee. More than likely, some will be happy to see that person go while others will feel disappointed. Regardless of their personal feelings, all will be nervous about working with the new supervisor. You must work to make this transition go as smoothly as possible. You can do this by formally introducing the new supervisor to the employees, if the supervisor is new to them. Then explain why you have such confidence in that person’s abilities. By seeing your confidence in the new high level employee, the rest of your employees should feel more confident too.

Guide to terminating an employee at any level.