4) The employee has 21 days to consider the agreement. Dishonest employees are a danger to both the company and employee morale. As you know from Chapter 4, you give your standard discontinuance package for a low-risk separation. But, if he does, you must put him into escalating discipline. It doesn't matter how many witnesses saw the disgruntled individual receive your verbal warnings, you'll lose without evidence. Further, gross misconduct forms must also contain clear documentation by the boss that he or she spelled out the penalties for refusal to carry out the direct order. And it protects you and your small business from wrongful layoff lawsuits. For high risk dismissals (where the employee will sue and you'll lose), you never "officially" sack the jobholder, so you don't need a letter.

Have an extra witness for the company there when you give the employee the memorandum. An employee written warning is nothing more than a note to the worker to let him or her know that job productivity has been unsatisfactory. If the employee refuses to sign, then you must get a witness to sign. For a high-risk layoff, you don't use a separation letter, so the separation document is the only papers you must prepare. Be concise and direct about the missteps of the jobholder and the employee dismissal proceedings will be over within moments. If you manage a business of any size, you shouldn't terminate someone for an unlawful reason whenever possible. And, you should never express in your layoff letter that you feel bad for dimissing her or him — although I know that it seems kind.