Discipline & Termination

A solid worker has a less-than-solid résumé?

May 1, 2006

You’d hate to lose a good worker, but you know you can’t ignore the deception. Your organization doesn’t have a specific policy on this issue. What should you do?

What to do–always–before you fire someone

April 1, 2006

It’s hard, but necessary, to terminate employees who commit misdeeds or who just aren’t performing, because they keep everyone else from performing as well. But it’s equally necessary to make sure that you approach each potential termination systematically and fairly, to stay out of legal danger.

Combat tardiness with progressive discipline

September 1, 2005

Q. Some of our assistants are good employees, but they’re constantly late. What can we do to get them to come to work on time? —A.A., Virginia

When a key employee leaves

February 1, 2005

When you work in an enterprise to which every position and every person is vital, the loss of any employee interferes with the workflow. It’s important to close the gap as quickly as you can with minimum disruption.

A termination primer for managers

June 1, 2004

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done as a manager? Whether you’re a novice team leader or the CEO, odds are the answer is “Letting someone go.” Here’s some practical advice to guide you when termination seems the only solution to a performance problem:

Manager’s Checkup: Are you too quick to discipline?

January 1, 2004

Changing an employee’s problem behavior is always a challenge, but it’s almost impossible if we resort to disciplinary action before understanding the problem. Take this quiz and find out how quickly you turn to discipline — and if that’s too quickly.

He broke a rule? What to say

August 1, 2003

No one likes to discipline team members, but eventually you’ll face a gut-wrenching moment when you have to enforce the organization’s rules.

Debunked: 3 myths about workplace bullies

November 1, 2001

Much of what you think you know about office bullies may be wrong. For example, there’s a common belief that bullies are insecure and lack self-esteem. In fact, they’re often popular and have an inflated sense of self. Here are some other myths about bullies.