Reasons to Fire an Employee
As an employer, maybe you hired an employee, and you are pleased with such an employee. With time, the employee started misbehaving and showing negative energy at work. As a result of such a scenario, you went ahead and organized job training, and seminars, and you even went further to reprimand the employee but all your efforts were abortive. The only option left is to terminate the employee’s appointment.
Firing an employee is not a fascinating experience at all because it can be very expensive to hire a new employee. As an employer, firing an employee is very complicated, and it requires careful resolution and documentation to avoid any lawsuit. Protecting your business reputation, employees and office morale are very paramount. If you are in a dilemma looking for the right reason to fire an employee; here are some tips on the reasons you should fire an employee:
- Poor Job Performance
- Theft or misusage of the company’s property
- Heinous Behavior
- Excessive Absenteeism at Work
- Infringement of Organizational Codes of Conduct
- Falsified Job Application
- Obliterating Company’s Properties
- Possession of Alcohol or Drugs at Work
- Organizational Financial Constraint
- Sexual harassment, Discrimination, and Bullying
Poor Job Performance
This is one of the most legal reasons to fire an employee. If an employee’s output at work is very low and he/she is not willing to improve or cannot improve, then such employee should be fired. For instance, if an employee is lackadaisical towards his job and after yearly/monthly assessments, the company discovered that he is not adding value to the organization as expected as the only option left is to fire such employee. Firing an employee for poor job performance promptly is not the best; give the employee like two to three queries when you notice his overall job performance is poor. After you issued the queries; if there is no improvement then fire such an employee.
Theft or Misusage of Company’s Property
Theft in a work environment is illegal and a criminal offense. If an employee should steal something as little as a rubber band from the company; this is very illegal. Theft in the workplace should not be condoned at all, so fire any employee that indulges in such an offense.
Forgiving an employee’s misfit may not be a bad idea. If an employee should steal something as little as a pen or rubber band from the company; you can forgive such misfits because these items are not expensive. Reprimand employees that indulge in such acts but if they don’t change from such attitude, then fire them.
In addition, misusing company properties such as telephones, computers, and other gadgets during company hours for personal use is a violation. Employees that are caught in the act should be terminated with immediate effect.
Heinous Behavior
Unethical behaviors are manifestations of employees that bring about negative energy at work. Unethical behaviors can be Lying, Disobedience, Quarrels, Malice, Falsifying company records, and hiding vital information that can destroy the company’s image. Any employee exhibiting unethical behavior is not a credible employee and can put the company into jeopardy, fire such an employee with immediate effect to protect your company’s reputation.
Excessive Absenteeism at Work
Employees that forfeit work throughout some days of the week or are regularly absent from work should be fired. If an employee is not sick or on a vacation but forfeits work, and arrives very late often; such an employee is showing a lackadaisical attitude towards work and his appointment should be terminated. Employees that show an absenteeism attitude at work may secretly be working with another organization to earn extra income and so disengage them without thinking twice. Excessive Absenteeism can prevent your company from achieving goals and meeting deadlines.
Infringement of Organizational Codes and Conduct
Every organization has codes or conduct it operates with. If an employee should bridge these codes of conduct, warn such an employee sternly but if such employee does not change then terminate him/ her. For instance, if your organizational conduct does not permit employees to go for lunch during office hours except for lunch break. If you discover that an employee is not adhering to that, you can reprimand such an employee but if there is no improvement then fire the employee. As an employer, you have to be very cautious about firing employees for infringing organizational codes of conduct, make sure you always give a warning or query first.
Falsified Job Application
This is not so common but such a scenario can occur; if you discover that an employee falsifies his documents or resume to work with your organization then fire such an employee without thinking twice. There are a lot of people that tell lies on their C.V to get hired; do not permit such deception in your organization but do what is required. Do not allow any employee to build his career based on deception in your organization.
Obliterating Company’s Properties
If an employee damages a company’s machinery, computers, and office gadgets; that is a huge loss for the company and you can fire them. There is another option to this, you can ask the employee to pay for damages, and if he refuses; terminate his appointment.
Possession of Alcohol and Drugs at Work
Employees that are caught with drugs and alcohol at work should be fired. If an employee is intoxicated; it can hamper his overall job performance, and it can also be dangerous for coworkers, so let should attitude be prohibited. Some employees take drugs to perform better at work or some take it because it is their lifestyle; disengage such an employee.
There may be a scenario where an employee may not possess alcohol at work, but he is intoxicated at work, and fire such an employee.
Organizational Financial Constraints
If your company is facing a serious financial crisis due to the harsh economy, and you cannot afford to pay all your workers; you can dismiss them. Dismissing some of your employees because of economic crises is very legal and you can hire them back if the situation gets better.
Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Bullying
Employees that are undisciplined at work and harass other employees sexually should be disengaged immediately. Employees that also discriminate against other employees because of race, social status, and qualification should also be fired.
In addition, bullying is also a serious offense; it makes the work environment very uncomfortable. Employees that bully other employees should be fired. Sexual Harassment, discrimination, and bullying make the work environment unsafe and so the culprits should be terminated.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, employees are great assets to an organization, and as an employer, fire your employees for a genuine reason. A redundant, lackadaisical, arrogant, and heinous employee is a threat to your organization’s progress and so fire such an employee to keep your organization’s reputation. Follow the tips accentuate above to fire your employees for the right reasons.
