and how to "take care" of the worker after her lay off. If you decide to separate for off-duty conduct, this is a high risk termination. Also, you may want to consult with a legal counsellor before using a layoff notice. Instead of agreeing to the implied question, you should say, "Unquestionably I want to assist you; this is why we've provided you a severance. After all, this may be their supervisor you're firing! You also need to prepare for the severance terms you're willing to offer and prepare the layoff letter and separation agreement. Carry out the communication plan including letting other departments, customers and suppliers know about the lay off. If you dismissed the employee for misbehavior, you must back this up with evidence. But by taking a few precautions, following method and documenting the procedure, you can deal with the problem efficiently and effectively while avoiding future lawsuits.

(Certainly, when the company already has policies and methods about dismissals, these supersede the list below.) Check with your Hr department. Although no firm is completely safe, there are ways to protect the business and to discourage attorneys-at-law from taking on your worker's legal action. In the next chapter, we cover mass dismissals which are often easier for you than dealing with one insubordinate individual. Finding a reason to lay off the employee is the easy part, but you must be careful how you do it. A voluntary package program usually means poor to average-performing workforce are the only ones left.