There’s no easy way to firing an employee. Whatever you do, there’s bound to be ill feelings. But make sure you keep the damage to a minimum in order to prevent complications later. Irate former employees who have been wrongfully terminated can sue you and that can be a legal repercussion you don’t want to deal with.

It’s important to understand and follow the laws that govern firing an employee. Make sure you also avoid doing the following things:

1. Firing your employee through text or e-mail.

Nobody wants to be told they can’t go back to their workplace anymore via an informal message like a text. It’s not respectful and it’s hard to believe it if you are the employee being fired.

It’s important to soften the blow to your employee. Give your employee the respect that he or she deserves by talking to them personally and delivering the news. That way, they can also see your sincerity and you can explain your part as to why you arrive at such a decision.

2. Fire your underperforming employee without giving him/her a chance to improve first.

Try to give your employees a chance to get better. You can talk to your employee about their performance and give suggestions on how they can improve. That way, they won’t have a reason to begrudge the company for firing them. They will always be surprised but they can’t say that the company didn’t give them a chance first.

3. Talking to the employee alone.

It’s best to have someone else present while talking to the employee. Anyone can simply file a lawsuit and in case this happens, there is a witness who can also support you. You can call a manager or an HR staff when delivering the bad news.

4. Dragging the meeting.

It’s best to be straight to the point to give the employee time to absorb the information. However, make sure you don’t make it too abrupt that the employee might think you are in a hurry to dismiss him or her. It’s best to be respectful but succinct. Finish off the conversation by thanking the employee for his or her contribution to the company.

5. Make the employee think there is still hope

In your bid to soften the blow, don’t make the employee think that there is still hope for them to stop the termination. Be clear about the finality of your decision. Just make sure you approach the subject with absolute kindness.

If you have issues terminating an employee or you just want to avoid a legal problem in the future, it’s good to consult a Vancouver employment lawyer first. Many employers don’t consult an employment lawyer in Vancouver when it comes to their termination process.

Look for an experienced Vancouver employment lawyer to help you out. If you have problems with an employee who refuses termination, you can also talk to an employment lawyer in Vancouver from Lakes, Whyte LLP.

Nikolas Lowry is the author of this article. To know more about Personal Injury Law Firm in Vancouver please visit our website: https://lakeswhyte.com/services/employment/