Earlier this month, a human resources story made national headlines when a B.C. esthetician learned that she had been fired from her job through a private message on Facebook, the social networking website.
 
Of course, this is not the first time that an employee has been let go in such a manner.
 
One of the more well-known examples of delivering an electronic pink slip occurred a couple of years ago when U.S. retail chain Radio Shack told 400 workers that they were being laid off in a mass emailing.
 
This raises an interesting issue about the ethics of what the most recent news story termed "cyber sacking."
 
In a high-tech world where the efficiencies of email and instant messaging have replaced more traditional and personal means of communicating, has the etiquette of job termination changed?
 
The short answer is, of course, no.
 
Having to end someone’s employment, whether they have been working for an organization for two weeks or 22 years, is neither an easy nor a pleasant task. Undoubtedly, some employers see the lure of cyberspace as a way to do the deed without having to deliver the message face to face.
 
Yet with layoffs increasing in many sectors, it is more important than ever for companies to treat employees with the personal courtesy, consideration and dignity they deserve. This includes handling such notifications respectfully — and in person.
 
When it is necessary to let an employee go, here are some important things for managers to remember when preparing for the dismissal:

• The person being let go is not a bad person; in fact, they likely made a sincere effort to do a good job but either fell short of expectations or fell victim to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.
• Don’t spring the dismissal on the employee; if possible, give them warnings so that they have an opportunity to change the behaviour being reprimanded. Make sure that these formal warnings are noted in their employee record.
• Get to the point quickly. Experts suggest that since there is no easy way to soften the blow, it is best to be upfront and tell the employee what the situation is within the first three minutes of your meeting. This does not mean being abrupt or insensitive, however.
• Bring compassion into the conversation by expressing your personal regret at having to make such a difficult decision. It is also important to give the employee time and any personal space they may need to react emotionally.
• Offer constructive feedback to the employee as to the reasons they are being let go. If your organization has a policy not to reveal too many specifics for legal reasons, adhere to protocol while giving helpful advice that may help the employee succeed in their next endeavour.
• Don’t make promises to the employee (such as helping them find a new position) unless you can really deliver.
• Friday at 4 p.m. is not the time to tell someone that they are being let go. Instead, inform them of your decision early in the day in the middle of the work week so that they can process the news, have an opportunity to ask questions, make human resources inquiries and even begin looking for a new job.
• Unless the circumstances of the termination are related to security matters, give the employee a reasonable amount of time to pack their desk and to say goodbye to their co-workers. Contrary to belief, this rarely causes more damage to the morale of remaining employees while a sudden or mysterious firing can shake peoples’ confidence in management.

Lastly, and although it should go without saying, managers should never dodge their duty by terminating someone via memo, a phone call at home, email or text message.
 
Losing one’s job is often painful and embarrassing enough without having had the message delivered in such a dehumanizing way.
 

— With reporting by Barbara Chabai

John McFerran , PhD, CMC, C. Psych., F. CHRP, is founder and president of People First HR Services Ltd. For more information, visit www. peoplefirsthr.com.
 

RESEARCH:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=a627fa6e-8eca-4a84-8c8245a693d4473d
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/have-heart-you-have-fire/story.aspx?guid=%7BE86775ED-5EBC-40FB-990CF57866453EAC%7D
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0918/p13s02wmgn.html