Termination Policy for Employees - Samples | FAQs

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Termination policy is a company policy under HR. Terminating employees has severe repercussions, so it pays your company to have an official termination policy. A termination policy states the grounds and process for terminating employees. In this article, we are going to give an overview of the termination of employment policy and procedure.

Termination policy

Although your state might not require it, having established guidelines and procedures has many benefits. If you are interested in growing a termination policy, learn to study what it ought to embody and why it is essential up to and including termination.

What is a termination policy?

A termination policy is an official document that lays out the grounds and process for firing employees. The company termination policy is a part of HR.

Most states do not require employers to have a termination policy, however, it’s nonetheless a good suggestion to develop one, irrespective of what number of employees you’ve.

“Almost across the country, employment is at will, which means employees and employers can terminate relationships anytime with or without notice,” Domenique Camacho Moran, a partner at Farrell Fritz, informed Business News Daily.

However, “employers can’t fire someone for unlawful reasons, including gender, religion, race, ethnicities and [in some states] political activities.”

Why must you develop a termination policy?

Employers all the time have great hopes for his or her new hires, however, generally, it would not work out. Whether you are terminating an employee due to an efficiency challenge, a downturn in your business, or another issue, you must deal with the employee with respect when it’s time for a separation. Having a termination policy helps you do this and provides you safety towards these two dangers:

Wrongful-termination lawsuits. Even when employment is at will, business house owners can nonetheless be vulnerable to lawsuits. Wrongful termination fits are plentiful within the U.S., and they are often very expensive for companies with employee exit policies, as well as employee separation policy and procedure.

If a business would not have an employee termination policy or documentation of the explanations for firing somebody, the company might face litigation from disgruntled employees or those that perceived the explanations for his or her firing have been nefarious.

“They can be sued for damages and back pay, pain and suffering, punitive damages, and sometimes attorney fees, not to mention the litigation expenses both on a time and money basis,” Camacho Moran stated.

Sinking morale. If employees are confirmed the door unceremoniously, it may trigger worry and resentment among the many present workforces.

That may result in low morale, diminished productiveness, and retention points. But in the event you documented the explanations for the termination and gave the employee possibilities to enhance, your remaining employees will likely be more understanding.

“Your people are your greatest assets in your business and your biggest risk factor for your business,” stated Charley Moore, founder, and CEO of Rocket Lawyer. “You have to hire wisely, communicate clearly and train your employees.”

Key takeaway: Having a termination policy reduces your threat of wrongful termination lawsuits and prevents diminished morale.

What should a termination policy Incorporate?

A termination policy ought to embody the next parts:

Explanation of terminations

The termination policy ought to clarify the variations between the kinds of terminations. Voluntary termination happens when the employee chooses to go away.

A firing happens when the employer terminates the employee. Involuntary termination occurs when people lose their jobs due to downsizing, facility closings, or the shuttering or promoting of a business.

The process for termination

Even in the event you can fireplace employees at will, it is a good suggestion to offer them an opportunity to enhance if it is a performance-related challenge. Your termination policy ought to spell out that process in order that employees know what to anticipate.

For instance, it is standard follow to challenge a verbal warning for the first offense and, if the issue persists, to comply with written notices. It might be one, two, or three written warnings, relying on the offense in termination and employee exit policy and procedure.

Offboarding procedures

Though it is by no means simple to terminate an employee, it’s particularly troublesome through the pandemic; some corporations have needed to fireplace employees through video convention as an alternative of getting these discussions in individual.

Regardless of the way you notify the employee, make certain to be trustworthy and empathetic, stated Lindsay Witcher, vice chairman of the following strategy at Randstad RiseSmart.

“It’s tempting to want to do group setting [terminations], inviting all the impacted employees to a Zoom [call] and playing a video or reading a message as a part of employee termination policy.

But it’s not the most empathetic way,” Witcher stated. “The positives from doing it one-on-one far outweigh the risk of rumors starting to spread. As far as the message itself, be transparent, detailed, and as clear as possible.”

Severance pay and assist

Consider how you will assist terminated employees. You may need to minimize ties, however, to guard your fame internally and externally, it is a good suggestion to offer some assistance, significantly through the COVID-19 pandemic, when discovering a brand new job could also be robustly terminated for violating company policy.

Depending on your budget and motive for termination, you’ll be able to supply severance based mostly on the employee’s years of service, outplacement advantages, COBRA, or all the above. You ought to put together a termination-of-benefits letter that outlines all the key information.

Other issues related to Termination policy

In addition to together with the aforementioned parts, hold these factors in thoughts when growing your termination policy:

Treat employees with dignity and respect. Firing employees is typically unavoidable, however, the way you deal with the termination process will have an effect on your backside line and your fame.

It’s essential to take the identical quantity of care whether or not you are terminating one particular person or 50. That’s significantly true for small companies, the place employees members are prone to know one another properly.

“To do a cold, generic approach doesn’t honor the service they’ve given to your company,” Witcher stated.

Include the policy within the employee handbook. Your employees should see your termination policy, which is why it must be included in your employee handbook.

“The employee handbook sets forth the rules of the road for the relationship between employers and employees and the business rules,” Moore stated. “Walk them through the employee handbook, and document that you explained those policies. That can be powerful evidence in the event there’s litigation with an employee.”

Key takeaway: All termination policies ought to embody descriptions of the termination sorts, the steps within the termination process, offboarding procedures, and information about severance assist, if relevant.

Termination policy FAQs

Does quitting rely on termination?

No, quitting would not rely on termination as a result of it refers back to the employee’s decision to go away from the company. By distinction, a termination happens when the employer decides to let go of the employee.

What does voluntary termination imply?

Voluntary termination means the employee chooses to end their employment with the business.

Can you terminate an employee without warning?

Every U.S. state follows the at-will employment rule, however, some states have exceptions. For instance, the general public policy exception rule prevents an employer from firing an employee if the company runs afoul of state or federal guidelines, and the implied contract exception prohibits an employer from firing an employee if the 2 events entered an implied settlement.

What must you not say when terminating an employee?

A termination is troublesome for all events concerned, however, it’s finest to be as clear and transparent as possible. Be direct and upfront in informing them they’re being terminated, after which clarify why.

Even if in case you have an HR staffer present through the termination, be sure to can be found to reply to any questions the employee might have. It’s essential to indicate compassion throughout this robust time.

It’s a good suggestion to talk to the remainder of the employees afterward to handle their issues before resentment or rumors start to fester.

You can Download the Termination Policy Template and customize your own.

Termination Policy for Employees – Samples | FAQs | Sections