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Firing an Employee: Making the Best of a Tough Situation

Firing an Employee: Making the Best of a Tough Situation
by Tonya Lanthier, CEO of DentalPost

 
Firing a team member face-to-face is one of the most difficult parts of running a practice. The only thing harder than deciding to fire an employee is actually breaking the bad news.

Managers at large companies often have the luxury of a human resources department and in-house legal counsel to perform or assist with this dreaded task, but dentists or office managers at small practices must often handle firing an employee themselves. It’s an uncomfortable thing to have to do, but these tips will help make the process a little easier.
 
Think through your decision.
Firing a team member should not be a spur-of-the-moment or emotional decision, but instead, the last step in a professional and structured process. This process includes: reviewing expectations, identifying sub-par performance, providing additional training or resources, setting targets and time lines for performance improvement, and following up if there is no improvement.

Document poor performance and interventions.
The reasons for an employee’s termination should be specific and supported with documentation. Ideally, a paper trail documenting the employee’s inadequate performance or inappropriate behavior and how it has been addressed at each step along the way will support your decision to terminate. Documentation protects your business from legal complaints and helps ensure the employee was given every chance to succeed. Letting a team member go should not be a surprise!

Create a transition plan.
Prior to the termination conversation, offices should prepare for the employee’s exit and what will happen in their absence. Who will take over the ex-employee’s responsibilities? How will their departure affect the other employees and ongoing projects? Consider implementing a transition plan for office managers or other employees who are responsible for large, ongoing projects. Have a temporary worker fill in for a hygienist so appointments won’t need to be cancelled. An employee’s dismissal should not disrupt your patients’ positive experience at your practice.

Prepare the exit strategy.
It is important to avoid having employees interact with patients after they have been terminated. Employers may want to hold the termination conversation at a time when the employee can collect their belongings and leave immediately following – such as the end of the day.

When breaking the news, choose a private place that ensures confidentiality and allows the employee to avoid public embarrassment. Of course, if you are worried about how the employee might react, it’s a good idea to have another person present for both legal and security reasons.

Bring the employee's final paycheck to the termination meeting, and make sure all the details are settled, like accrued vacation time and the end date for benefits, before starting the conversation.

Communicate simply, briefly, and with compassion.
Surveys show that the way an employee's termination is handled is often a motivating factor in that person's decision to sue a former employer. For that reason alone, it’s important to handle the situation with care.
 
When addressing the employee, be direct so the employee realizes the decision is final and not up for negotiation. Simply say, “you are being terminated,” briefly state the reasons for the termination (which by now should be clearly documented), and leave it at that.

While managers might be tempted to soften the blow by saying things like "it may be time for you to consider moving on," such euphemisms just lead to misunderstanding. Even soothing words like “I’m sorry it has to end this way” could come back to haunt the dental practice if the ex-employee files a lawsuit and the practice is forced to defend the decision.
 
Remember firing can be a gift.
While it may not feel like it at the time, letting a poor performing employee go is a gift. The employee is given the opportunity to find success in an environment where they fit. Whether it is the office culture or conflicting personalities, an employee that is not successful in your office will not suddenly change for the better.

It’s okay to be empathetic. Employers can acknowledge that the situation is difficult, uncomfortable, or awkward. The golden rule—treat others how you would like to be treated—applies here. Be courteous and respectful, but not spineless or apologetic. Focus on the facts, and avoid discussing the fairness of the decision or getting embroiled in an emotional debate.

And if you can, end on a positive note by shaking the employee’s hand and wishing them luck in their future endeavors.
 

Tonya Lanthier is the CEO of DentalPost, the leading online and mobile dental job board that has extensive career resources to help dental professionals connect and create teams that excel. DentalPost has more than 600,000 dental professionals and more than 36,000 dental offices registered. She began making introductions based on a networking database she created, connecting job seekers with employers. Ms. Lanthier saw the need for an easy-to-use, online and mobile employment platform for the dental field which uses data to make better hiring decisions. She started what is now DentalPost.net in 2005. Tonya began her career as a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in the Atlanta, Georgia in the mid-90s, and she still practices today.   Ms. Lanthier — a member of the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA), Entrepreneurs’’ Organization (EO) and a volunteer at several charitable organizations — speaks at popular dental conferences. She also speaks to dental hygienist students, and coaches job seekers in their careers.