9 Ideas on What to Say and Not to Say When Someone Gets Fired

Most sacked employees often look up to friends or family to become their crying shoulders whenever such an incident happens. But, ask yourself, are you the right person to comfort someone who just got fired? If you are still thinking about your answer, read these tips on what to say and not to say to someone who just gets fired.

1. Look, this is hard for me and the company

Anyone can sense that you are already lying that it is hard for you or the company as a manager. If the company is in a financial crisis, such should have affected the whole board, not single out one person from the whole employees working in the company. Your words mean, “I am very sorry to fire you but your services are not required in this establishment.”

Do you even care about the employee who just got sacked? How will his family feel when they hear the news? The appropriate words are not used, but instead, the manager tried to save his face from getting implicated or exposing the truth.

Companies should always give detailed information on why an employee is sacked and their roles in the company development. No one deserves to get fired with no noticed or warning.

2. We need to improve the company status

Before saying this to an employee, a manager should have called a meeting and explained its weakness to the team and how they can improve it. Getting someone fired based on the company’s lack of communication or financial crises shouldn’t be blamed on one employee. Saying this means this employee was the company’s downfall, and the best thing to do is to let go of such an employee.

It will be advisable to hold a meeting or call the employee in question and tell them how they can improve on their own and help the company. You can say the right thing to help any employee before getting them fired or boost their morale to do more.

3. All company properties must be returned

This is the greatest defeat for any employee who is fired; if the employee in question just started with the company within the year and hasn’t achieved a lot within that period, it might spell them. Although it might be included in their work contract that all company properties will be collected back, at the same time, there are ways to compensate any employee who just got fired for them to regain their feet and think about their next move.

As a manager of a company, you are in a position of knowing the right words to say at the right time to prevent hurting an employee’s feelings or making them feel like a failure. A manager might feel it is the right thing to do by collecting the company assets when an employee is fired.

4. Ben was doing better than you

Before getting an employee fired, it is important to understand that using comparison as a justification won’t cut it. Try to avoid using another employee as a punishment method for others; you might think that is the best thing to do as a manager, but it is wrong and can cause many problems.

No employer should use fired an employee without reason; it will be advisable to lay off an employee without any means of comparison.

5. Here is why we fired you

Most employees are always ready to argue why they are being fired, and it is up to the manager to use the right words and calm the employee. Under no circumstance should an employer give no reasons why they sacked an employee.

You can make an employee feel great using the right words at a particular time, no one wants to create an argument or fight with anyone, but a good explanation on why they are fired is necessary.

6. You are a great employee, but we need to shorten the staffing

If you are truly shortening your company’s staffing, it will be advisable to leave out employee performance. No one wants to hear how they worked for a company, and in the end, they are being fired based on a mistake. This is one of the words that can destroy the emotions of an employee while getting fired. As a manager, it is your job to know the right words to say whenever you wish to fire an employee, but you have no reason to do so.

Of course, the company might need to shorten the staff, but it should be known to everyone at a conference before selecting who is to leave and who to stay.

7. We know your allegiance is aligned to another company

Most employees will be grateful for getting fired without blaming the manager for doing so; everyone will get to the stage of working with another boss or starting up their own business. As a manager, you can tell an employee that you wish them a great journey ahead and commend them for their past efforts. The employee will understand that they sympathize with them, and you will love them to work with you more than before.

No one wants to be called a loser or be unappreciated; saying the right words at a particular time can help the employee who is getting fired to feel loved and look forward to starting their new journey. You can fire an employee nicely without feeling bad about it, but it all depends on your choice of word.

8. Leave the premises within a few hours

As blunt as the words look, they can destroy the self-esteem of any employee. A manager asking employees to leave the company premises within a few hours seems like a stranger who has worked many years but doesn’t deserve the recognition. Everyone wants to be treated with love and respect, but an employee getting a harsh reply from a manager after so much dedication to a company is not proper.

There are ways to tell an employee to leave the company without them feeling bad. As a manager, you have the power to make an employee feel great despite being fired before leaving company premises. It might be hard to do, but at the same time, it will save a lot of time explaining why the company asked them to go.

9. If there is a way I can help you, please let me know

Employees might need your connection as a manager or letter of recommendation to start their new job at a different company. If you can ask this question as a manager, it will be useful for the employee to get a placement and be grateful for the help rendered. Getting fired from work should be seen as an avenue to get a better place than the one left behind, the feeling that the manager could not render help but instead use their connections to create job opportunities.

Remember that when firing an employee, it is not entirely about them but about you as a manager who decided to cut them off from the company.

What to say when terminating an employee during a probation period

Before terminating an employee during the probation period, it will be advisable to plan your speech well and deliver it without creating a problem. During the probation period, any employee understands that they are at a 50 – 50 chance, it is either they are getting sacked or rehired. But what can you say to an employee while terminating their appointment during the probation period?

• The company will love to commend your efforts, but we noticed that our transaction would stop.
• Don’t think of this as bad, but we have created a compensation plan to commend your efforts.
• The board has decided to let go of you; thank you for everything.
• A message has been sent to your email box that was the decision from the meeting held yesterday.
• We will always be here to help you out; good luck on your next journey.

In conclusion, as a manager, it is paramount for you to know the right word to say whenever you want to sack any employee; only the right words will soothe the mind and heart of someone angry for getting fired. There is a nice way to fire an employee without making them feel bad.

FAQ

1. What tells someone unfit before firing them?

Before sacking an employee who is not a good fit, it is important to understand what to say. It is appropriate to send them an official termination letter or hold a meeting. No one wants to hear that they cause the low company sales or someone else is doing better than them. As a manager, it is your job to know the right things to say before sacking someone.

2. How do you wish an employee who just got terminated well?

You can send your ex-employee a message wishing them well and how they have worked with your company in the past. It is compulsory for you to choose the right words to send and how the content must be. You can act as a great employer by using the right content, while otherwise, all this depends on how well you handle the message before being sent.

3. How to terminate an employee who is not a good fit?

As a manager, you can terminate an employee who is not a good fit by meeting with them or sending them an official message about firing them. It will be bad to fire an employee without good reason, so make sure you have a good reason before sacking an employee.