[skue]

It depends on the circumstance. I have a separate post that illustrates that this might not always be the case.

Also keep in mind that there's a difference between what you might say to the employee, and what you subsequently report to others. Fred talks about how you need to be sensitive to how the news affects others on the team. And so you might have a direct conversation with an employee who warrants firing, but you may prefer to tell other employees, investors, or the public that this person was "asked to leave."