Checklist for When You Should Fire an Employee
Firing an employee is never an easy thing to do. There are employers who feel uncomfortable whenever they have to do it, but even they know that they have to do the task if the employee has continually failed to meet company standards.You may also see printable employee checklist.
However, you cannot just fire an employee out of the blue; that would be a breach of the employment contract. You need to have ample reason for doing so, and that is exactly why you should have a checklist of offenses that merit employment termination. Listed below are some of the most common offenses: You may also see Checklist Samples.
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Checklist When Should You Fire an Employee Template
Damaging company property
A lot of employees think that breaking one or two things in the office is not a big deal. This is why you have to remind them that whatever they break is company property and there will be serious consequences for offenders. Whether these damages were intentional or not, you should definitely consider the severity of the damage and if it warrants the termination of the employee/employees at fault.
Drug or alcohol possession at work
Taking any kind of drugs or alcohol in the workplace is a big no-no as it can drastically interfere with an employee’s on-the-job performance report. There is also a possibility that your employees are taking illegal drugs. If there is any suspicion and if you have had your employee sign a drug testing consent form, then you can investigate the matter to see if the particular employee has indeed taken illegal drugs or not.
Insubordination
If your boss asks you to do something, then that means you have to do it. However, if an employee refuses to do the work he or she is assigned to do, disrespects his or her boss, or continues with unacceptable behavior, then that could be the basis for a termination. So, if you see an employee doing this, then that is definitely one thing you should factor into his or her firing.
A tip for employees: If you disagree with your manager’s request or policies, you can express it in a polite manner or you can go to Human Resources to help you out with your problem.
Falsifying records
This is a very big reason for firing an employee because not only is falsifying records unethical, it can also lead to long-term problems that you and the company would have to face in the future. You may also see writing an employee warning letter.
Poor performance
Now, this should not come as much of a surprise. If an employee continues to do horribly in the workplace, then why would you want to keep that person? Companies want all of their employees to do well, and if one of them cannot perform the duties outlined in their job description, or if the employee’s work continues failing to meet expectations, then even you should see where this is going. Just be ready for that termination letter and make sure that you are prepared to break the bad news to the employee.
Checklist for Firing an Employee Template
Misconduct
A lot of different things can fall into this category. This can be sexual harassment, bullying in the workplace, lying to superiors, and even criminal behavior. So, if you obtain any reports of employees that are under suspicion of committing any of these, then be sure that you investigate the matter thoroughly before handing down the verdict. You may also see employee warning notice templates.
Using company property for personal matters
If an employee uses things like the company printer to print out personal documents, one incident or two can be excused. However, if the employee pushes his luck and uses company property way too often, then that is something you definitely should not allow. If the employee does not need any of your warnings, then you have the right to fire that person. You may also see company warning letters.
Taking too much time off
If the employee is constantly late, takes too many sick leaves, or goes beyond the number of vacation days, then even you would definitely be able to see this. If an employee is not at the office, then there is no work done, and if there is no work done, then that will just pile up the number of things that need to be completed. If the employee continues to miss work regularly, then you have all the reasons to terminate that person. You may also see essentials of an employee warning letter.
Violating policies
The reason why company policies exist is so that everyone in it knows the rules and regulations that have been set. If a person were to break any of the policies, then he or she will be subjected to a punishment equal to the severity of the offense. You have to be sure that employees have no excuse when it comes to breaking rules by providing them a copy of all the policies of your company, guaranteeing that they should have at least read them before doing anything that could harm the company.
Stealing
Not only is this illegal, but this can put an employee on immediate grounds of termination. It does not matter how small the item may be; if you see that an employee has been taking company property, then you have to fire him or her as soon as possible. You may also see writing an employee warning letter.
Misuse of social media
Considering that just about everybody is on Facebook and Twitter these days, companies have to track how their employees act on these social media platforms. The reason for this is that some employees might just say a couple of things about the company that may just be a big no-no. Alternatively, the employees might do something on social media that would make them and the company look very bad, and that is a pretty good reason to have someone fired.
If you would like to learn how to write business documents such as a termination letter in Doc, be sure to read our other articles.
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