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Terminations Anger Safety

I am going to be terminating an employee whose performance is below par. He has a very bad temper, and I am slightly concerned that he could have one of his outbursts when I fire him. What is the best way to do this?



When an employee has a very bad temper, some very bad things can happen when you terminate him. However, before you terminate any employee, regardless of his or her temper, there are a few important steps that can help protect you and your company.

In the first place, it is important to document your employee's performance and be sure that problematic behaviors are written-up and included in his file. Any such write-up should include specific steps that he needs to take in order to improve his performance, along with a clear statement indicating that continued problems will lead to serious disciplinary action, up to and including termination. He should then sign this document. If you have already taken steps to help and coach this individual, they too should be noted in his file.

With this in place, you should have at least one other person in the office with you when you terminate this individual, and you should seriously consider having professional security nearby.

Any employee who has a "very bad temper" poses a major risk to himself and to others in the workplace. Although you are not terminating him because of his temper, you should review your decision to ignore behaviors that should be looked over instead of overlooked.



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