Practical Tips For Maintaining Dignity During Termination Meetings: Everybody Wins

This past week, the nation was shocked with yet another senseless act of violence in the workplace. On Monday, a disgruntled former employee, walked into his former employer's job site and killed 5 of his former co-workers before taking his own life. No one would suggest that the employer could have done something differently to prevent this kind of violence. However, these events underscore the importance of having strong practices and procedures in place to handle events surrounding the employment termination. These steps allow employers do everything they can to deescalate and defuse these, admittedly, difficult situations. In addition, these steps can serve to protect employers, from a legal perspective, in case the former employee later raises claims relating to the termination or the reasons supporting the termination.