Remote work requires an organized, purposeful approach to the employee experience — including how you let workers go.
The world has changed. Remote work is no longer an occasional perk — it’s a permanent fixture. But remote work isn’t just lift and shift from the corporate office to the home office. Employers who use remote or hybrid work models have had to make adjustments in the way they do things. Even with the help of technology, working with people in different locations presents unique challenges.
How to let employees go in a remote workplace
Similar to hiring, interviewing and onboarding employees to a remote workplace, terminating an employee remotely requires extra measures and preparation. Here are a few tips to handle this scenario with empathy, respect and clarity
1. Set up a meeting with the remote employee
When terminating an employee in person, you would usually set up a meeting, telling him or her you have something important to talk about. You would never simply end a conversation with, “By the way, you’re fired.”
2. Be open and honest
When talking with the person, be up front about the reasons for the termination. The news will most likely not be entirely unexpected if it is job-performance related because it will be the final step in a process. The person should be well aware of the issues that led to this point.
You also need to inform other employees about the termination and be ready to answer questions about the impact on them and the company.
You also need to inform other employees about the termination and be ready to answer questions about the impact on them and the company.
3. Be ready for questions
The employee will probably have a number of questions about their termination, questions related to administrative details such as severance pay and benefits. You may want to have someone from your human resources department sit in on the meeting to answer these types of questions. The employee will also probably have questions surrounding the reasons for the termination.
Again, it is important to be open and honest about the situation. This should help to maintain an amicable relationship with the employee, and he or she deserves no less.
You should prepare for these questions in advance. Put together written notes about everything that is likely to be discussed. This is a good precautionary measure to take in the event that the employee decides to take any legal action against the company.
4. Be aware of the legal requirements
A remote employee could be in a location far away from the company, and the laws where they’re located could be different from those where the company is located. As a result, the manager needs to be aware of the different legal requirements that may affect the termination.
5. Determine how equipment will be returned
Often companies supply remote employees with equipment to enable them to do their job and communicate with coworkers. If you are terminating a person, you need to work out a way for the equipment to be returned. This can usually be accomplished by having the employee ship it back, with the company covering the cost.
It is important to plan ahead to work out the details and prepare for different possible outcomes.
6. Cut off the employee’s electronic connections
Remote employees have access to a company’s digital information from their home. To protect this information, you need to cut off their access to all company information immediately after their termination.
You may also want to make backups for any information available to the person and change passwords.
Find help filling open positions at your company
If you’ve had to let someone go and need a replacement quickly – even if the person worked remotely – contact the Helpmates branch nearest you. We have many terrific temporary specialists ready to get to work quickly, even remotely!
