Unfortunately, sometimes employment doesn’t work out, and you will need to terminate a contract of employment. You need to do this fairly, treating the person as you would expect to be treated yourself and in alignment with your culture and commitments to all employees.
Always keep in mind that even when you terminate a contract, in the worst possible conditions, you are still dealing with another human being–someone who deserves to be treated fairly and reasonably. You’re also not voting them off the island. You’re just removing them from your business. You will still see them in the local supermarket or restaurant, and you will want to know you did the right thing, no matter how uncomfortable the situation might have been. The rest of your team will also see them out and about. You want them to be able to talk about how they were treated on your watch without it becoming damaging to your reputation as a business leader and human being.
Put simply, when the going gets really tough is when a great leader can do the right thing.
There are a number of ways to terminate a contract of employment. These include:
