Discipline & Termination

Thorough and accurate HR documentation is what wins lawsuits.

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure that none of your people behave in a way that diminishes the sense of mutual respect and dignity in your unit. That’s what insensitive racial remarks do.

If you decide that demotion is a viable alternative to terminating a particular employee, knowing how to execute the demotion properly is essential to making it work.

If you’re faced with an employee who isn’t a good fit with his or her current job, is termination the answer or is demotion a better alternative? The answer is, of course, it depends.

Terminations are probably the hardest things HR professionals have to handle—and probably the most legally dangerous. One wrong word can trigger a lawsuit. You need to keep calm and communicate your message without escalating the tension. Here’s a 10-step process to follow.

Managers should make documentation of employee performance, behavior and discipline a regular habit. HR can help limit the organization’s legal liability by counseling ­managers to keep three basic principles in mind when documenting discipline.