Termination of employment

Hy Resnick

Supervisors in child care agencies – whether they are new to the job or have been around a while – dread that moment when they have to sit down with a staff member to inform them that they are being fired. Even when there is reason to believe that it is the right thing to do (for the agency as well as for the staff member involved) it is still difficult. There is very little that will make the meeting easy but there are some things that can be done to make it more humane and professional (i.e. to help the worker as much as possible and to protect you and the agency).

Assuming that this is a dismissal with cause, and that there have been a number of meetings and communications between the worker and the supervisor there are a number of steps to take before this meeting.

They are as follows:

A. Talk to the management team and the human resource rep (if there is one) about the upcoming meeting with the worker who is being fired. There are a number of payoffs for you for doing so, such as obtaining:

1. any information they may have to fine tune your information and of course confirm that this is the correct decision. They will also have information about state regulations on employee terminations which may be relevant
2. their organizational support for taking this step. Since it is a legal as well as a professional/ organizational/possibly union decision, it is imperative that top management be included.
3. their social emotional support – since this decision has hurtful implications for the worker involved and has a wide range of emotional implications for you – the support of your management coworkers can be helpful to you.
4. clarification of any agency policies or state policies or regulations that you need to know re: dismissals. and/or suggestions they may have for handling this difficult meeting.
5. information about the role of the union (if there is one) in dismissal situations.

B. Review your notes so as to be ready to explain and affirm this decision to the employee.

C. Send an e-mail to the worker to let them know that you want to discuss a serious matter with him or her. (A letter, because it’s too formal, or a phone call, because it’s too casual, are not recommended) and suggest a date or two for the meeting.

D. At the meeting itself, you need to:

open the meeting by stating clearly and firmly the reason for the meeting and the reasons for the dismissal.
provide information in detail to the worker about the reason for dismissal.
allow time for discussion and hearing the worker’s perspective.
paraphrase points raised by the worker to ensure that their thoughts and opinions are being heard.
indicate to the worker, if applicable, what assistance the agency can offer by way of retraining, referrals to counseling (if appropriate) and even other jobs in the agency which might more closely fit the worker’s style and interest than the current position which is clearly not working out.
either at the meeting or immediately after draft a letter to the employee outlining what the employee needs to complete or hand in, before leaving.

E. After the meeting, record detailed notes about the meeting, including the worker’s response and send a summary of the meeting, especially decisions taken, to all relevant parties.

To sum up: Managers/supervisors have a serious responsibility in these situations. Taking actions which indicate your concern for doing it right – for the worker and the agency – will help the worker, you, the management team and the remaining staff to move on.