Easy Small Business HR

Menu
  • HOME
  • ARTICLES BY TOPIC
    • All Articles
      • Background Checks
      • Dealing with Difficult Employees
      • Diversity
      • Employee Benefits
      • Employee Performance
      • Employee Retention & Engagement
      • Employee Theft
      • Employee Turnover
      • Employment Law
      • Fair Labor Standards/FLSA
      • Family Medical Leave/FMLA
      • Firing/Disciplinary Actions
      • Managing Employees
      • Pay and Salary
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Recruitment, Interviewing, Hiring
      • Supervisor Tips and Strategies
      • Workplace Safety
    • Close
  • RESOURCES
  • PODCAST
  • ABOUT US

October 13, 2010 by Dianne Shaddock Leave a Comment

Help– How Do I Fire My Employee?

Help

Sometimes the best way to understand a situation is to learn from similar experiences.

The following story is a hypothetical situation of an employer who needs to think about the best way to end a working relationship because of attendance issues.

Maybe this story can help you with your difficult employee issue.

Working on improving employee engagement?

EPIC is an Employee Engagement software that gives you the tools and insights to create a workplace culture that encourages engagement, loyalty, and trust.

TRY IT RISK FREE HERE

Terry has been working for Greenleaf Landscaping for ten months.  For 9 out of the 10 months, Terry has called in sick or has been a “no show” for at least one day out of the month.

Terry always has what sounds like a reasonable explanation.  One month, his mother was ill and he had to take her to the E.R.  Another time, he was in a car accident.  The car was totaled and he couldn't make it in.  In the most recent incident, he and his wife were closing on a house.

Marianne, Terry's supervisor,  shared these details with human resources:

“I want an employee that I can rely on and trust; and who really wants to work here.”   “Terry doesn't fit the bill.”   “I want to end Terry's employment with the company, but I'm so nervous about it.”  “I don't know how to begin to approach Terry about my concerns.” “How do you terminate an employee?” “Can I terminate an employee for being late for work or for being absent frequently?”

How would you respond in this situation?

You are in the best position to fire an employee if you have had clear discussions that have been documented over time.

In this case, Marianne should meet with Terry and share with him her concerns over his numerous absences.  It's important to reinforce that her concerns are not new and that she has expressed her concerns about his attendance over a period of time.

Marianne can then share with Terry what the impact that his repeated absences have on the business.  The manager should feel comfortable with the knowledge that she has coached Terry over time and that she has clearly communicated her concerns and gave Terry fair warning that the repeated absences could have negative consequences.

All excessive absenteeism situations are not always so cut and dry.  One thing to keep in mind when dealing with excessive absenteeism situations in the workplace is whether there are documented medical reasons for the absences.

If an employee indicates that there are medical reasons for the absence, consult with a human resources expert or employment lawyer.

Just because an employee indicates that they are absent due to medical reasons doesn't mean that they can't be terminated. What it does mean is that you should work with the employee in conjunction with human resources or an employment lawyer to determine whether the condition may warrant federally mandated Family Medical Leave, (FMLA), or whether there are any accommodations that should be made for the employee under the American with Disabilities Act, (ADA) before deciding whether termination is the best direction to take.

Remember that there are some circumstances, such as an employee's serious medical condition, or when the employee may be out caring for a sick family member, where frequent absences may be covered under the Family Medical Leave Act, (FMLA).   The key here is that the employee should make you aware of the situation so that you can work with them in conjunction with the law.

You should always consult with an employment attorney or the Department of Labor for your State to learn more about how to handle sick time absence cases if you don't have access to a human resources professional.

The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profile

Dianne Shaddock

President and Founder at Easy Small Business HR
Get more tips on interviewing, hiring, managing and engaging your employees. Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips and the author of the eGuides, "How To Supervise:  What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job", A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers and "How To Find and Hire the Best Employees".
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profile

Latest posts by Dianne Shaddock (see all)

  • Build the Best Team for Your Small Business - November 12, 2019
  • Cross Training Staff – Doing the Right Thing For the Wrong Reasons - January 18, 2019
  • Proactive Employee Management Really Boils Down To The Basics - December 21, 2015
  • Office Meetings Do Not Have To Be A Productivity Time Drain If Done Right - November 17, 2015
  • Proposed Changes To Employee Rights Laws: WAGE Act Bill - November 3, 2015

Filed Under: Dealing with Difficult Employees, Firing/Disciplinary Actions, Managing Employees, Policies and Procedures, Supervisor Tips and Strategies Tagged With: Firing Employees, help with problem employees, HR Tips, Management Best Practices, retention policy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Be Social, Let’s Connect!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on Reddit
Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on RedditFollow Us on iTunes

Recent Posts

  • Build the Best Team for Your Small Business
  • Cross Training Staff – Doing the Right Thing For the Wrong Reasons
  • Proactive Employee Management Really Boils Down To The Basics
  • Office Meetings Do Not Have To Be A Productivity Time Drain If Done Right
  • Proposed Changes To Employee Rights Laws: WAGE Act Bill

Recent Comments

  • Lucia on The Consequences for Supervisors Who Ignore Poor Employee Performance
  • Norma on 10 Helpful Tips When Dealing With Difficult Employees
  • Henry Killingsworth on Clearing Up Legal Misperception of Reference Checking
  • Nyangoma Rachel on Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions
  • Online Training on Workplace Negativity Is Contagious – Here’s How You Can Control an Outbreak
  • Kristofina Grace on Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions

Top 25 Online Influencers in Human Resources

HR Examiner Top 25

Copyright © 2025 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in