The Devastating Consequences of an "At Will" Firing.

I got a call this week from a manager I know who was shocked to get called into a meeting with his boss last week and to be summarily fired from his job of six years.  No warnings.  No documentation.  And worst of all?  No reason. 

"This is an "At Will" state" he was told, "We don't need to give you a reason."  Then he was walked to his desk so he could pack up his belongings in full view of his team.  Then he was stripped of his badge and marched out the front door.

I'm always flabbergasted when a company makes a mistake like this.  Not only can you say it's deeply disrespectful to fire someone with no reason given, it's also incredibly damaging to the organization.  Here are some real life examples from this situation:

1. Other managers in the company have reacted with fear.  "If this happened to him, why can't it happen to me?  Will I be next?  Should I start looking?"  The grapevine is buzzing.

2. Some other managers in the company reacted with outrage.  They have begun speaking loudly about the lack of integrity of the leaders involved, as well as HR.  Reputations are being ruined, and trust is eroding.

3. The message being perceived by staff and management is "Be on notice everyone, you are disposable.  Once we're tired of you, you're yesterday's trash."

Now keep in mind, that there probably is a reason why this person was let go.  It may have been a very valid reason.  I'm not saying that the people who did the firing are bad, or bad intentioned.   But what is undeniable is that there is no "get out of jail free card" when it comes to terminations, especially for a long-term manager.  Whenever a termination is handled in this way, it hurts the company in all sorts of subtle but damaging ways.  I can imagine that the trust destroyed in this incident is going to take a lot of years to repair.

Enlightened Leaders - I hope you'll take this story as a reminder of how important it is to be aboveboard and respectful with the people you are letting go.  It isn't easy to fire someone, but do it badly, and the backlash can be terrible.  It is possible to let someone go without this kind of trauma.  We can do better. I know we can.

Comments

[Adi]

I agree, this is very poor management. All employees should know where they stand, and also how the company stands, so that nothing is then a surprise.

[michele]

And yet, companies get sued when they give the "real" reason a person is being let go. For small companies, this can be devastatingly expensive and the same reputation fallout happens. So what is the solution?

[Cheri]

Michelle,

I respectfully disagree that telling employees why they are being let go will increase the chances of a lawsuit. People sue when they are angry and feel wronged, and I believe that an honest and aboveboard termination is LESS likely to lead to those conditions.

If the "real" reason an employee is being let go is illegal, I can see why employers would hide it. There is an ethical concern there of course.

But in most cases, I think HR folks are taught to be afraid to be honest, because there is a perception that honesty is punished. I think this is too bad, because it's usually the reverse that is the case.

That's just my view of course, your mileage may vary. :)

Cheri