How to Be A Fair Employer

One of the most uncomfortable experiences that a manager will have is firing an employee… but if they aren’t pulling their weight or making a positive contribution to the company, then they need to go!

There will be times when your efforts and excuses will not be enough, and a staff member shows persistent disrespect, a lack of motivation and a decrease in productivity. When the best approach is to stop spending your time trying to help out difficult employees, then it’s probably time to let them go. Here are some of the biggest tell-tale signs of when it’s time to fire your problem employees. Going through the firing process is never pleasant, but for the sake of the company, it is unavoidable at times.

Firing is the last option and before you get to this, you should always consider your employees' situation before you take action. It's important to speak with them and to make sure that they are happy in work, at home and everything that is going on with their lives.

Firing an individual can have huge repercussions, for example, if your employee is going through the British Naturalisation process, getting fired can lead to set backs and can negatively impact on your case.

Their behaviour is getting worse:

When you confront an employee about a behaviour or performance issue, it is not uncommon to thereafter track their progress and behaviour to see if this is a persistent issue. Most employees will react by taking the initiative to improve their performance and to, therefore, eradicate any ongoing issues. If you find that your efforts to help an employee are met with anger, or disinterest, or even worse behaviour, there should be a big red flag going off in your mind. The workplace can often be treated like a schoolyard, and employees will try and push the boundaries of what is acceptable if they are allowed to get away with it. If an employee questions your authority in this situation, this is a clear indication that the problem will not get any better.

Productivity is down on their end:

Productivity is one of the key indicators of whether or not you should fire somebody. If you are considering firing somebody, then the chances are that their productivity will be declining along with their attitude. As well as considering the employee’s productivity levels, it’s also important to see how they have affected their colleagues, management team and even yourself. If the person in question is constantly delegating, distracting others and excessively asking for help, then it may be time to consider their dismissal. It takes just one weak link within the company to be the cause of a company-wide dip in productivity. At some point, the employee causing this problem will have to be dealt with, and after so many times of helping and supporting them, other avenues need to be explored.

Office morale has been affected:

Again, one person has the ability to affect the morale of the whole company. If they are becoming a distraction or an annoyance, then this could have a negative influence on the overall morale of the company. In some high-pressure work environments, such as sales, it’s crucial for there to be a strong and motivational atmosphere, as this helps to keep people motivated. Keeping with the example of sales, it is often the case that employees begin their role with a happy and motivated attitude, but after facing rejection, they can often start to feel unmotivated and deflated. This negative attitude can begin to affect people within the office, and before you know it, every employee is experiencing this feeling to a certain degree.

If your team members are not able to fully focus on their own projects, or begin to feel a similar kind of feeling, then it’s important to nip the cause in the bud. At first, you could explore options such as having a documented chat with the employee in question, stating how their mood and attitude is influencing the overall morale of the company, and take action from there.

You are receiving complaints from clients and customers:

The end goal for every business is to make money, and to do so, we must all deliver a high-quality product or service. So when a client or customer is dissatisfied with a particular employee’s performance, then you have a big problem on your hands. If a client or customer is unhappy, then you could lose a lot of money. It’s unacceptable to have an employee who damages professional relationships and the reputation of your business, and if this behaviour is an ongoing issue for a particular employee, this is grounds to let them go.

They have had more than one chance:

As an employer, you will build rapport and have your own relationships with your employees, so it can often be difficult when you have to make the decision to let them go. If you have given somebody more than one opportunity to redeem themselves or to improve, but have found that no progress is being made, then you need to consider letting them go.