{"id":1608,"date":"2022-01-13T16:28:41","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T16:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bfvlaw.com\/terminating-an-employee-dont-make-this-mistake\/"},"modified":"2023-09-26T11:39:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T15:39:29","slug":"terminating-an-employee-dont-make-this-mistake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bfvlaw.com\/terminating-an-employee-dont-make-this-mistake\/","title":{"rendered":"Terminating an Employee: Don\u2019t Make this Mistake"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

There were once again NFL head coach terminations<\/a> on \u201cBlack Monday\u201d \u2013 the Monday following the end of the regular professional football season. \u00a0It is common for NFL teams to fire under-performing coaches after the end of the regular season and this year is no different. This news cycle, however, brings awareness to the importance of the termination process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Avoid the Blindside<\/strong>
The head coaches let go on this year\u2019s day of reckoning include Chicago Bears Head Coach Matt Nagey; Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores; and Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nagey and Zimmer\u2019s terminations were expected, but the Dolphins decision to terminate Coach Flores was somewhat surprising.\u00a0 The Dolphins won eight of their last 9 games and the team seemed to be moving in the right direction, despite not making the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As I reflect on Brian Flores\u2019 termination, I wonder whether he saw it coming.\u00a0 There is a particular reason why I ask this question as an employment attorney: Blindsiding employees is the most common mistake I see employers make when terminating an employee.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If management does its job properly, an employee should never be surprised for being terminated for lack of performance\/being a poor performer.\u00a0 The employee will almost always disagree with the decision, but that does not mean that the termination should come out of nowhere.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Blocking and Tackling<\/strong>
Fundamentals are important in football.\u00a0 They are also important in Human Resources.\u00a0 There is a simple, but essential process employers should follow before terminating an employee for lack of performance.\u00a0 Here are the 5 key steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

#1<\/strong> Notify the employee that the employee is not meeting expectations;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

#2<\/strong> Clearly explain the employer\u2019s expectations going forward;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

#3<\/strong> Clearly inform the employee what the consequences will be if the employee fails to meet these expectations;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

#4<\/strong> Provide the employee a fair opportunity to improve and meet these expectations; and \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

#5<\/strong> Follow any employer policies dealing with performance and discipline. For example, if the employer has a policy to place an employee on a Performance Improvement Plan before terminating an employee, it should do so consistently.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Employees deserve to be treated fairly \u2013 even bad employees. Following this game plan is an effective way to ensure a fair process and minimize litigation and liability.\u00a0 Employees are more likely to sue their employers when they feel they have been singled out and\/or treated unfairly. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

By following these steps an employer will avoid a surprise termination that could motivate the employee to seek an attorney for wrongful termination.\u00a0 Based on my experiences, even when employees vociferously disagree with the decision, they typically do not pursue a claim if they feel they were afforded some sort of due process. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Additional Resources<\/strong>
For additional human resources lessons learned from the NFL\u2019s Black Monday, please visit prior blog posts I have shared that discuss employment agreements<\/a>, how to evaluate performance<\/a> and handle terminations<\/a>, including a termination checklist<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As always, please let me know<\/a> if I can help.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There were once again NFL head coach terminations on \u201cBlack Monday\u201d \u2013 the Monday following the end of the regular professional football season. \u00a0It is common for NFL teams to fire under-performing coaches after the end of the regular season and this year is no different. This news cycle, however, brings awareness to the importance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mo_disable_npp":"no","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,10],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTerminating an Employee: Don\u2019t Make this Mistake - Berman Fink Van Horn P.C.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u00a0It is common for NFL teams to fire under-performing coaches after the end of the regular season and this year is no different.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bfvlaw.com\/terminating-an-employee-dont-make-this-mistake\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Terminating an Employee: Don\u2019t Make this Mistake - 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