Employee termination for erratic behavior
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Employee termination for erratic behavior

Find out what is behind the change before you start the employee termination

Its not logical
Before you jump to into an employee termination, it helps to try to get a handle on this and realize it’s emotional, not logical. You also should attempt to understand the motivation of any employee. Figure out what is being rewarded, and what the motivation for change might be. If you want to know why an employee comes in late every day, look at what happens to him when he comes in late. Nothing. In that case, he’s going to keep coming in late. This is not complicated. It’s hard work and it’s constant.

There are four generations at work but the traditionalists and even some of the boomers are probably easier at this point to manage in many respects than the Generation Xers and certainly, the millennium generation. The millennials are really forcing us to do a better job of managing.

X’ers and Millennials make managers lead
They’re literally daring us, they are asking management, “What are your expectations? What do you want me to do?” and then to hold them accountable for those same things. Most people in management probably haven’t been held accountable much. So this is something new and different. And now, those supervisors understand about accountability because they’re working next to a great candidate for employee termination. And that puts pressure on managers and supervisors.

Think about an employee who starts calling in sick every Wednesday. They have over 30 days of paid sick leave built up, and they do a good job when they’re there. Now, could the supervisor choose to ignore it? Yes, they could.

There is no law against what may be bad management. What, you’re going to start employee termination process for excessive absenteeism? No, you can’t fire for excessive absenteeism. They have got over 30 days build up and they keep building up more days. And that’s where the creativity goes. “Okay look, this every Wednesday is an unproductive work pattern.” This matches the documentation with holding people accountable.

Everyone stays in an unproductive work pattern. If he continues not to show up on Wednesdays, it’s is going to jeopardize your job. “You continue not to show up on Wednesdays, we’ll put you on a performance improvement plan. If you don’t – if you miss one more Wednesday, you’re fired.”

Understand the questions behind the employee termination process
By understanding those two questions—what’s being rewarded and what’s the motivation for change—settles this in as managers. It helps determine what’s really going on behind the behavioral shift bend the potential employee termination.

These are the edited remarks from the Rapid Learning Institute webinar:
“Yes, You Can Fire Without Fear! What Every Supervisor Needs to Know” hosted by Hunter Lott, Esq. on September 22, 2008

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