Owning a business means making difficult decisions. Few decisions can match the unpleasant exercise of firing someone. Terminating someone’s employment, unfortunately, is part of the business. Even among Christian business owners.
It is a decision not taken lightly. Halting someone’s means to feed a family is a serious matter. It could have emotional, physical, and spiritual implications if done wrong.
If you are forced into a decision to fire someone, then you must see to it that you are doing more than the proper protocol, you are doing the right thing before God. He is, after all, your boss.
1. Pray about it.
Taking someone’s livelihood and their ability to feed their family is a serious matter. The consequences could be spiritual as well as physical. That’s why you need God behind you before you make a decision.
A decision that is according to God’s will should bring you peace. God, our Provider, will take care of the person. You are not the provider. God is only using your business to give livelihood. If God so chooses to bring that person somewhere else, then your conscience should be clear.
2. Do it legally.
Avoid even the sliver of a chance that a lawsuit will boomerang on you. Study and review what the law says in your jurisdiction. Consult with an attorney on the matter.
3. Follow the manual.
Any grounds for termination should be stated clearly in your company manual. Review if due process was followed.
This person must have been placed in a position to succeed by training and equipping. You must be able to clearly show that the worker failed numerous times to perform to expectations despite the effort of management to gainfully employ this person.
4. Must be based on performance, attitude, and retrenchment.
There must be no traces of discrimination when you fire someone. It should either be based on the performance, attitude, and layoffs.
Be sure that the person has been given the training, equipment, and experience to learn the job. You must be able to demonstrate this should he fail, and after at least three chances to improve.
But the best performers in the world should also be screened for attitude. Bad attitude foments conflicts, disrupts work, and destroys employee morale.
Again, you must be able to show that this bad behavior was addressed several times without any improvements.
When letting go of employees due to fiscal tightening, it’s usually the last one first out. More senior employees have more experienced and contributed more to the company. They also have the most benefits and families to support.
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5. Document everything.
All employee files must be complete and safely stored. Gather all the memos and evaluations on the employee that you are about to let go of.
Make it evident that due process was followed and that he was given the chance to succeed. Produce proof of sub-par performance or bad behavior.
All things considered and if the scales still tip in favor of termination, that’s when you move with finality.
6. Keep it to short and to the point.
Having a sit-down meeting with the person can be nerve-wracking for most people. It is best to keep it short and to the point. Not more than 15 minutes.
Prepare a list of offenses and resolutions applied by the company leading up to the termination.
Avoid making this into a negotiation. You are not there to reason or debate with the employee.
Explain what would happen next including turnover of reports, equipment, clearances, the final day at work, and release of benefits. Afterwhich thank the employee for his service and conclude the meeting.
7. Let him resign instead of fired.
A termination will negatively impact the prospects of getting a job. Offer the worker the chance to file a resignation. Prepare the resignation letter in advance that can be signed right on the spot.
You can do this if the reason is nothing serious like theft, fighting, vandalism, or gross insubordination. This way the employee is able to quickly move on and stop thinking about a lawsuit.
8. Get the benefits ready.
The law entitles certain employees to benefits and severance when terminated under certain circumstances. Review what the law allows and be ready to provide these immediately.
Forms that need filing and signing should be on hand.
Can the company continue the health insurance for a certain period and transition this eventually to the employee? Will there be severance and how much? Will you not challenge any unemployment claims?
Present these items during the termination meeting for a bright spot in an otherwise dark situation.
9. Do it on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Discussions among HR persons on LinkedIn are in favor of termination meetings on Tuesdays. It gives the worker time to quickly hunt for the next job, reach out to their network, and see the employment prospects.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are other options. Mondays will upset the worker thinking it’s the worst start for the week. Fridays will set him up to spend the night drinking at a bar and then simmer over the weekend plotting his revenge.
10. Avoid humiliating the employee in front of his colleagues.
Don’t do it like in the movies where the employee is escorted out of the building while colleagues awkwardly pretend not to notice. It’s best to fire someone when few people are around such as at lunchtime or after office hours.
When you fire someone, it’s usually best that the employee immediately leaves the premises and surrenders any access to facilities or equipment. He can return to retrieve personal items or file some forms but as a company guest.
11. Help if possible.
The worker should not feel it’s the end of the world but rather an opportunity for a fresh start. You can have him on a placement service. Even a referral highlighting a few of his good qualities. It may be that the position was just a bad fit for him.
12. Talk to his pastor.
The worker will need emotional and spiritual support. A support system will help him start over again and move on with his life. A spiritual mentor will help him make sense of things.
There are a lot of Biblical verses and stories that could help if someone will be able to point him where to look in the Bible. Someone should be praying for this person which his pastor will appreciate the opportunity to minister in a time of need.
Final Thought
Even Christian business owners need to terminate an employee if there is no other choice. As God’s stewards, we are to take care of the business. Keeping an unproductive or rebellious worker is not being a very good steward. It also poisons the company culture.
Christian business owners are just worried at the thought of the person going hungry. But it is God who provides not you. As long as you did what was according to His will then God will provide for all.
