No one comes to work wanting to fire or be fired.
Terminations happen in every industry, at all levels, in companies large and small. How they are handled reveals more about an organization's culture than almost anything else. Get it wrong, and you risk damaged morale, legal exposure, and a reputation that lingers into your next hiring round. Get it right, and even a painful moment is managed with dignity and respect for everyone.
After years of advising organizations through some of their most difficult people decisions, we've learned this: there is no "easy" termination, but there is always a right way to handle one. Here's what that looks like.
Most termination mistakes happen long before anyone sits down in a room together. The real work and risk lie in the weeks and months leading up to the final conversation.
Whether it's performance, redundancy, misconduct, or a structural restructure, you need a well-documented, clearly understood reason. Vague justifications like "it just wasn't working out" are not only unhelpful, but they can expose your organization to wrongful termination claims.
For performance-based terminations: Has the employee received clear, written feedback about what wasn't working? Were they given a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) with measurable goals and a reasonable timeline? Were their outcomes documented consistently over time?
Consider the case of a sales manager. Let's call her Aditi, whose numbers had been slipping for two quarters. Her manager had mentioned it casually a few times in passing, but there was no formal record, no written warning, and no structured plan for improvement. When the company decided to let her go, Aditi had grounds to dispute the termination. The company ended up paying a settlement that far exceeded any cost of proper documentation. A simple paper trail could have prevented the entire ordeal.
For redundancy or restructuring: Is the role genuinely no longer needed, or is this really a performance issue in disguise? Courts and employment tribunals can see through this, and so can your employees. Be honest with yourself before you're honest with anyone else.
This is not the time to wing it. HR should be looped in as soon as termination becomes a serious consideration, not the day before. Depending on your jurisdiction, there are specific legal requirements around notice periods, final pay, benefits continuation, non-compete clauses, and more. Your legal team or employment law advisor should review the situation before any decision is finalized.
Who will be in the room? Where will the meeting take place? What time of day is best? (Many HR professionals recommend mid-week mornings early enough that the employee can take action the same day, but not on a Friday, which leaves them stewing over the weekend with no resources available.) What will happen with their access to systems, email, and the building?
Think through every detail, including what you'll say if they break down, argue, or ask questions you weren't expecting.
This is the moment that defines everything. And the most important thing to know is this: keep it short, clear, and human.
Don't open with small talk. It's unkind, and most people will sense what's coming anyway, which makes the small talk feel cruel in retrospect. A straightforward opening sounds like this: "I've asked you here today because we've made the difficult decision to end your employment. I want to walk you through what happens next and answer any questions you have."
That's it. No lengthy preamble, no winding up to it, no softening it so much that the person isn't sure what just happened.
Explain the reason plainly. If it's performance, acknowledge that things didn't work out as hoped and briefly reference the documented feedback they've already received. If it's a restructure, say so clearly and don't pretend otherwise. People deserve the truth.
What you want to avoid is the infamous "compliment sandwich" approach, where you say something positive, deliver the news, then say something positive again. It's confusing, it dilutes the message, and it often leaves people more hurt when they eventually process what happened.
Example of what NOT to say: "You've been such a great cultural fit, and we really value your contributions, but we're moving in a different direction, which is so hard because you've brought so much to the team..."
Example of what works: "This decision is about the role, not about you as a person. The business has changed direction, and this position is no longer part of our structure going forward."
After delivering the news, pause. Let them react. Some people will be silent. Some will cry. Some will get angry. Your job is not to fill every silence or to manage their emotions; it's to be present and respectful. Don't rush them out the door. Don't over-explain in an attempt to make yourself feel better.
If they have questions about pay, references, their final day, or anything else, answer what you can, and be honest about what you don't know yet. Have a written summary of their severance package, benefits information, and next steps ready to hand them at the end of the meeting.
This seems obvious, but it bears saying: termination conversations must happen privately, with only the necessary people in the room (typically the direct manager and an HR representative). The employee should be able to leave without walking a gauntlet of curious colleagues. If possible, schedule the meeting at a time when foot traffic around the office is low.
The termination meeting is just one moment. What comes after it is where companies often drop the ball and where you have the most opportunity to demonstrate genuine integrity.
Your remaining employees will notice when a colleague disappears. If you say nothing, speculation fills the void, and speculation is almost always worse than the truth. You don't need to share private details, but you do need to acknowledge what happened.
A manager might say to the team: "I want to let you all know that [Name] is no longer with us. This was a difficult decision, and I'm not going to share the details out of respect for their privacy. If you have concerns about what this means for your own roles or our team's direction, I'm happy to speak with you individually."
Clear, brief, and respectful of everyone's dignity.
How you handle someone on their way out matters to them, and to every employee watching. A few practical things to get right:
Every termination is worth examining. Not as an exercise in guilt, but as genuine organizational learning. Ask yourself:
In one company we worked with, an audit of their terminations over 18 months revealed that nearly 60% were in the same two departments, and in both cases, the root cause wasn't employee performance. It was poor onboarding and unclear role definitions. That insight led to a complete overhaul of their hiring and induction process, dramatically reducing attrition over the following year.
Firing someone is one of the hardest things a manager has to do. It's uncomfortable, it's emotional, and there's rarely a moment that feels perfectly right.
But handling it well with honesty, preparation, and basic human decency is one of the most significant things a leader can do. It protects the individual's dignity. It protects your organization legally and culturally. And it sends a message to every employee still in the building: this is a place that treats people like people, even when things don't work out.
If you're unsure whether your current termination processes are up to standard or if a difficult situation is on the horizon, and you'd like guidance, reach out. This is exactly what we're here for.