[s_kilk]

> " I don't like using terms like "fire" or "terminate." To me they have too much emotion attached to them to be appropriate when splitting with an employee. I like to say that "fred was asked to leave the company" or "fred, we need you to leave the company." That works better for me and, I think, it also works better for the person who is being asked to leave the company. "

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Honestly, this seems a bit spineless. Don't describe it as "asking them to leave" if in actuality the employee has no choice. If you're telling them to leave and to not show up for work again, call it what it is, either a 'firing', 'redundancy' or 'letting go'. Anything else is just dishonest.

In my previous career path we eventually faced massive lay-offs/redundancy across the company. New tech had made our jobs practically obsolete and the layoffs represented an opportunity for me to move on to better things, which is fair enough.

However, it always annoyed me how the various communications from Head Office were phrased as 'we deeply regret asking you to leave', when it was so clear that they were delighted to be rid of us, and there was no 'asking' being done at any point.

[mb_72]

'Letting you go' is the best way to balance being direct, and also being (somewhat sensitive), I think. Although the appropriateness of any phrase is related to context. One place I worked I was aware some people were about to be fired, and I was staggered to see the boss taking one of these guys shopping for a new PC(!) The very next day - even before the PC arrived at our office - this guy was taken in for 'the talk'. He came out, sat at his (old) PC, and wrote the most blistering and blunt assessment of my boss, the company, and the rest of us. Quite reasonable too, given the circumstances. And I never worked out if my boss was intentionally being cruel, or if he just simply forgot this guy was about to be fired. As for the received email, I had just enough time to reply "If you put as much effort into the rest of your work as you did this email, you'd still be working here" before the guy left.

[FireBeyond]

"and also being (somewhat sensitive)"

"As for the received email, I had just enough time to reply "If you put as much effort into the rest of your work as you did this email, you'd still be working here" before the guy left."

One of these things is not like the other...

[Avenger42]

The boss needs to be sensitive. The email is from a coworker, who isn't held to the same standard.

That said, I wouldn't have sent the email myself.

[mturmon]

I think it should be said that the right strategy is very case-by-case.

Some people will know why things are not working out, and for them, you don't need to say anything about cause. It would, for example, just re-open a wound.

Others will press to know, and it's best to have something short and clear to say, say that thing, and then elaborate no more. You can't get in an argument or go into the fact-finding rabbit hole about it (the outcome is settled).

If you don't have a reason, you will look like a fool, and this will tend to lead to a bad outcome.