You have to fire employees who don’t contribute or make life difficult for every one else. That’s a given.
But you don’t want to fire an employee because you feel like it. You better have a valid reason or be on the receiving end of a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Make sure your employees can always see you before things take a turn for the worse. If you can avoid having to fire, things might still look up.
If not, you can say you tried everything and this was the means of last resort for the company.
A valid reason?
How's this for a valid reason: "Because I determined that's what's best for my business."
Do you live in the Northeast? California? Where does such collectivist nonsense come from? Only in socialist strongholds does such ridiculous policy exist. Such notions are alien to those of us who live in Free states.
Employees enjoy their status at the pleasure of the employer, and barring a formal contract which restricts the employer in some way, an employer can fire any employee for any reason, or for no reason. That's how it works in a free environment. A job is not an entitlement, it's a privilege which is enjoyed at the whim of the employer.
Anything else is communist bullshit.
“If not, you can say you tried everything and this was the means of last resort for the company.”
I don’t think you need to try everything before you fire an employee. If the employee is not working out, and you think it can be fixed by the company, then you do it. If you think it can be fixed by the employee, you say “hey this has to improve, and soon.” If it does not, he’s gone. If it does, well you don’t have to pay severance and go through the whole hiring process again.
But really, its a two way street. An employee has to want to do a good job. Most do, but some are just in it for the paycheck and make everyone else frustrated by their poor effort.
Large companies that use the Welch method typically offer generous severance pay. In order to receive this pay, you have to sign an agreement not to sue. Nearly everyone does sign.
This makes it doubly stupid, because you’re forking out substantial money to get your ‘low performers’ to leave, without a guarantee that their placements will be any better.
many places are at-will employers that don’t need a specific reason to let you go.
I think it is better not to give them a reason for the firing.