Is it time to fire your problem employee?

[This article was written by Alice Porter.]

Is it time to fire your problem employee?

One of the most uncomfortable experiences that you will have as a manager is taking the initiative to fire your first employee. You may weigh up the options and find that there is no better outcome or way to deal with a problem employee than to let them go. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly and lots of consideration should be put into the task before you go ahead with it.

There are times when your efforts and excuses for an employee will go to waste and if an employee shows you constant disrespect, then there is no option other than to let them go from the company. Your time can be put to better use than to help somebody who is a lost cause. Here are some of the biggest tell tale signs that it’s time to fire your problem employee…

Their behavior deteriorates:

One of the key reasons to let an employee go is if their behavior has deteriorated and is worsening. When you confront an employee, the best thing to do is to track their behavior to see if it improves. In most instances, the employee will show improvements straight away, as having a sit down talk can put the fear into them and can also make them feel a little bit embarrassed.

In the worst possible case, you will find that your employee does not take any notice of your warning and continues to misbehave, like a naughty school child. There needs to be a repercussion for this level of disrespect and it may be time to consider letting this individual go.

Their productivity is down:

Productivity is one of the key indicators of whether or your you should fire your employee. If their productivity is down then you will often be spending more money keeping them employed, than the money they are making for the company. This is business 101 and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

If an employee isn’t performing well for the team, then it may be time to think about letting them go. This doesn’t mean that if your employee is working hard, but their sales are coming in slowly for the month that they should be fired. This is something that should be reserved for employees who are deliberately dragging their feet and who are intentionally doing as little work as possible.

Office morale has taken a hit:

One person has the ability to affect the whole office morale. Low morale means low productivity which can be a nightmare for your business. If you have noticed that one individual is making others unhappy, distracting them, or that their negative attitude is making people feel less motivated, then it’s time to think about what you can do to fix the issue.

Firstly, explore non-permanent options, like speaking with the individual who is causing all of the trouble. Failing this, it’s time to start getting serious about the well-being of your business. The employee needs to go if they are not making a positive contribution to the workplace and have now gone on to affect others.

Author Bio:

A serial entrepreneur, Alice Porter has been at the conception of a number of start up projects. She has conducted research with many dispute resolution lawyers across the world and the US to compile the best US practices for US business owners. Her aim is to create a standard practice of business management in America.