What Alternatives do I Have to Termination?
If you think the worker is worth saving, you may want to place the person on probation, place him on suspension, or demote him. If a newcomer has failed to meet your expectations or a long-term employee is not able to handle the needs of a changing job, you may want to ask the employee to leave voluntarily.
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If the employee has the potential to turn around, then you may want to put her on probation—during which she is denied certain benefits. For instance, she may not have the right to work flexible hours or attend company-sponsored events until her work performance improves. A typical probation period lasts from one to three months. During this time, the worker’s performance is monitored strictly to make sure that there is no repetition of the problem.
The employee is told that this is her chance to save her job and that she will be evaluated at the end of the probation period. An employee who violates the terms of the probation and is subsequently fired will be hard-pressed to prove to a judge or jury that she was treated unfairly.
Probation is often used when an employee has shown some aberrant behavior, such as drug or alcohol abuse. The employee agrees to seek help, and an agreement is formulated in which the employer agrees to keep the worker on as an employee and the employee agrees to reform her behavior.
When an employee is suspended from work, with or without pay, he is expected to formulate a revised work plan or set specific new goals. It also gives a company the chance to investigate further charges against an employee. A worker who fails to come up with a reasonable plan to improve or correct his improper behavior will be fired at once. Termination will also result if the investigation identifies him as guilty of a major violation of company rules.
Suspension is a fairly drastic measure, one step short of termination for misconduct, and it can be tricky. Some employees enjoy the paid vacation it sometimes offers. Those suspended without pay return to work broke and angry. And their coworkers aren’t that thrilled, either—they had to pick up the slack during the employee’s suspension.
Demotion may salvage an employee who has failed to do the job but has the right job attitude and interest to want to keep on staff. Maybe the employee was promoted beyond his ability or maybe he needs an opportunity to grow further before he is promoted. Whatever the reason, putting him in a position with fewer responsibilities and less pay may actually be a relief. This transfer may work out for both the employee and the company but it’s important that you make clear how and why the performance in the original position was deficient if you choose this as an option.
Yes, you can ask an employee to leave voluntarily, assuming that the worker and job are incompatible (there is no overt wrongdoing or negligence involved), and you want to address the situation quickly. For the employee to quit voluntarily, you usually have to give him reason to leave—like a reasonable, even generous, severance. The employee saves face, and you are spared the time you would have had to spend in counseling an employee whom you believe would not fit in anyway.
Sometimes, companies agree to keep such employees on staff until they land a new job, but this may be tricky in a tight labor market. A clean, quick break is much better.