What do I do if an Employee Becomes Very Emotional, Or Even Threatening, When I Terminate Her?
The responses run the gamut from tears to shouts to threats of violence. If you have reason to believe that an employee might become emotional or even violent, you may want to arrange to have a mental health professional—perhaps a member of your company’s Employee Assistance Program—or a security person present, depending on the reaction you suspect. This person should be nearby but not in the room with you when you communicate the news to the employee. In most cases, it would prove counterproductive to have these individuals present during the termination interview. Their presence may further anger or disrupt a potentially volatile employee.
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Increasingly, I hear about companies that escort terminated employees immediately out, whatever the cause of termination—from lay-off to poor performance to a rule infraction. When it isn’t called for, don’t do it. Not only is this not always necessary, but it is likely to embarrass the fired worker and to unsettle coworkers who may be demoralized by the bum’s rush being given a former colleague. Further, such behavior may so anger the terminated employee that she may institute a charge against the company, with or without cause, due to your firm’s final treatment of her. She may not win but the cost in wasted time may be significant.