Firing a Remote Employee? Wait a Sec!
Firing a Remote Employee? Wait a Sec!
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to remote workers, not the least of which is what happens when you want to fire them. I found a couple of good articles (links below) that talk about what to consider before you do this. But they gloss over a few things — make sure you don’t — so here are some more tips:
The key is to be prepared and have everything in place — I’s dotted, T’s crossed — before you set out to terminate the employee — the same goes for a voluntary separation.
We have all been in a position of awkwardness about how to invite an employee to their own termination meeting. It’s always entertaining trying to chase them down that day to have a conversation with you and HR. Be direct and straightforward with your communication. This includes sending a calendar invite, as well as the way you deliver the message, “Today is your last day …” Getting those words out is always the toughest part. (Check out “Don’t Let a Bad Seed Grow: Terminating an Underperformer” for some guidance.)
After all is said and done, know how you are going to collect their IT equipment and other company property. If you allow the employee to keep anything, then do you have a protocol for IT to wipe a computer clean? How about all the company data they may have on their smartphone?
It can be even more complicated to fire a remote employee than it was to hire them. But missing things can get expensive in many ways. Call me first, so we can make sure to keep you in compliance no matter what you do — and where you do it.
“The Downside to Digital Work: How to Terminate a Remote Employee”