The actions of this worker provide enough proof to support you if you document suitably. The layoff manager is on edge and is ill prepared, the employee in question may become angry and rumors fly around the workplace like wildfire. Once you have the employee's signature and your own on the notice, you should make a copy for the jobholder and one for your records. Other workforce, however, may merit such consideration, and a short notice of recommendation may take the edge off the unpleasant situation. You can object to what the jobholder presents, and he can object to your evidence. o Did the worker know what his boss expected of him?

o A separation document you expect the jobholder to sign when accepting an increased severance package - Typically, an employee has 3 weeks to sign-up for this package. The lackluster productivity could be from incompetence or lack of motivation. When you go to court, the judge will rule the agreement invalid and you manipulated the helpless employee. The notification should carefully make clear, with substantiation or evidence, the events that lead up to terminating the employee. o When you feel the employee could "go postal" (that is, leave and come back with a gun), you should hire a security guard for 2 weeks, have him wait in the lobby and have him look for the separated worker. These policies should include potential termination issues such as tardiness, absenteeism, drug and alcohol abuse both during and after work hours, as well as fraternizing, sexual harassment, stealing and abusing firm property. The firing notice must stick to the facts. Please don't use 'downsizing' as an excuse for separating insubordinate employees, or creating a culture change in the organization by replacing old personnel with new ones. Your employee manual should list disobedience as one of the infractions that can cause lay off.