Yes, There Is a Right Way to Fire Remote Employees
Nobody likes firing someone — or laying them off. Yet if you’re in a leadership position, at some point in your career, it is likely you will need to let someone go. Terminate employment. Lay them off. Fire them. Give them the pink slip.
No matter how you say it, it hurts.
With so many companies cutting back on staff, it’s time we have a frank conversation about the right — and wrong — way to fire remote or virtual employees.
So managers, if you have remote workers on your team and suddenly hear from the powers that be that you have to let someone go, here’s my advice (based on 15 years of remote management and leadership, and over 20 years of management experience.)
The Right Way to Handle Layoffs and Firings Remotely
I’ll assume that you’ve already spoken with your human resources department and they’ve provided you with the reason for the employment termination and the effective date of termination as well as the list of benefits or resources available to the employee post-meeting. And, I’ll assume you are the direct manager.
- Schedule a video conference or a phone call with the employee. Yes, it is uncomfortable. It’s very uncomfortable. But it’s humane and kind and professional to look someone in the eye when you’re about to crack their world right open, so don’t wimp out on this step.
- Clear your calendar and don’t rush the meeting.
- Include the appropriate human resources person on the call to guide the conversation and answer any benefits-related questions the employee may have.
- Be ready for an emotional outburst. Some people may be angry or cry. Others are stoic. Be strong enough to receive their emotions but not internalize them.
- Allow the other person to ask questions, and clearly articulate the reasons for employment termination as guided by your corporate HR representative.
- If the termination is solely based on economic necessity, restructuring, or similar non-performance related circumstance, offer to serve as a reference for the employee.
- Alert them that any company-issued technology, such as laptops, must either be returned or wiped by corporate IT if they are allowed to keep it.
- Provide details on how the employee may access continuing benefits or initiate post-termination benefits.
- Make sure they understand the date of termination and when they will lose access to company equipment. (Your company may elect to lock people out of systems prior to the termination meeting.)
I’ve been on the management side of the desk and it’s no fun. It’s no fun either when you’re a remote employee, contractor, or consultant and get a notice of termination in a mass email. I’ve received that too when a “content mill” I’d written for over the years suddenly let go 20+ writers, editors and content creators. We were a close-knit team of virtual content creators that had grown into ever-increasing areas of responsiblity. But the latest Google update had disrupted the company’s income stream, forcing them to quickly let go of 75% of their content creators, and I was one of them. Four months prior, I had celebrated a hefty holiday bonus by buying new end tables for my living room, and then there I was, steam coming out of my ears at the cold, impersonal email that hit my inbox.
I wish that company had let me know differently — through a phone call from my immediate supervisor, an employee of the corporation — and given me more warning. I wish they’d allowed time for me to say goodbye to the writers on my team. Fortunately, most of us were already connected through social media, but there are some I lost contact with over the years, and I regret not being able to follow up with them, at least to say goodbye.
Just because someone works remotely or as a freelancer doesn’t mean they are indifferent to their working arrangement. Actually, the opposite may be true. Their interactions with your team, albeit through a modem and monitor, may feel even more real because it could be their only workplace interactions in a given day if they work from home.
So be kind, and don’t just lock people out and send a cold, mass email. Do like Hubspot did this week — they laid off 7% of their workforce, but according to screenshot making the rounds on LinkedIn, they did so with compassion and foresight, making it easy for released workers to continue to pay their rent and receive healthcare coverage for several months post-layoff. That eases the sting a bit.
As a passionate advocate for both remote work and great leadership skills, remember: kindness counts. Be fair, be clear, work with your HR department to ensure all legal workplace requirements are met, and treat others as you wish to be treated if you are forced to release remote workers from their jobs.
