First Termination Letter HELP!

mrsbowden · February 2004

Hello all...once again I need some advice. I am writing a termination letter effective immediately for an employee who will be terminated for

"Actions damaging the good reputation or well-being of the X company and its employees" --STATED in our handbook

I would like some suggestions for structure, information etc. that should be included in a termination letter. If any of you have an example termination letters that you have used and are willing to share that would be great too! Thanks again...My email address is:

[email]casseybowden@ucwv.edu[/email]

Gillian3 · February 2004

The introductory paragraph should just state the purpose of the letter. That follows with the reason which is what you stated in your question. You should follow the statement with something like "In particular, you spit on the your supervisors shoes", or whatever the person did to warrant the termination. You should also include information about previous incidents and warning notices.

The final paragraphs should be about what the person does to check out - pay, benefits,etc and since you are in the public sector, information about appeal rights, if they exist.

mrsbowden · February 2004

Thanks Gillian3 but I meant to state..we are private.

SDDCHR · February 2004

I will forward you an example...let me know if they will work or not.

CM_D · February 2004

Are termination letters required when terminating employees?
While there are no federal laws requiring employers to send termination letters, many states do have such requirements. Depending on your state, employers may have to provide terminated employees with notices of separation or service letters that outline:
Their dates of employment;
Job titles; and
Reasons for separation.
Service-letter mandates require employers to only provide accurate and truthful statements about the nature of the person's employment and circumstances related to his termination. Be sure and check your state's service-letter requirements.
In addition to providing termination letters to former employees, many states require employers to provide the state department of labor with a notice of separation. Like the termination letter, the notice outlines dates of employment and reasons for termination. States with this requirement may use the letter for unemployment benefits purposes. Termination letters can ensure companies comply with state blacklisting mandates, which prohibit employers from publishing or disclosing lists of terminated or current employees with the intent of preventing employees from securing other employment.
Employers operating in states with employment-at-will laws may not be subject to a service letter mandate and may terminate employees with or without notice as long as it doesn't constitute a discriminatory or retaliatory discharge. Therefore, even if your state doesn't require you to provide former employers with a termination notice, it's a good idea to send termination letters for documentation purposes. Remember to keep copies for your files because the letters could be useful should you need to verify information regarding the former employee's termination.

I usually like to include the specific policies that were violated and a copy of the disciplinary report.

LV · February 2004

Whatever your right make sure it is extremely accurate and stick to the facts. You don't want to get hit with a defamation suit. Make sure your communication around the termination is limited to those who have a need to know basis such as the person being terminated, you, and maybe the head boss.

Carey · February 2004

Ours is a change of status letter and we only include the termination code description with no details (reduction in force, unsatisfactory job performance, absenteeism, etc.) along with dates and a reminder of the agreements (confidentiality) they signed when hired.

Shadowfax · February 2004

Unless there is some requirement you give an employee a reson he is being term'd, I don't do it. "Your position with XYS is terminated effective today..your last play, benes etc are as follows". As someone posted above, if you are going to give a reason, make sure it is subject to proof, and don't tell anyone about it who doesn't need to know. Emp/ees at will don't need to be given a reason. If the reason is misconduct, AND, you believe it is sufficient to avoid unemployment comp, then fire away.

sonny · February 2004

I agree with Shadowfax. At my former place of employment, his " is identical to what we wrote. This on the advice of our labor attorney and for the reasons already noted. we put a lot more in letters here and frankly, it makes me nervous.

mwild31 · February 2004

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 02-25-04 AT 03:48PM (CST)[/font][br][br]I just sent our letter to your email address. I only send letters when the ee has clearly violated a company policy & then I state the policy - as you will see on your letter. It's simple & to the point. Mainly the recipients of the letters are ee's that were no call/no show's - this way they know not to come in. Let me know if it works for you.

mrsbowden · February 2004

Thank you all you have been a great help...FYI this ee did CLEARLY violate a writen company policy.

First Termination Letter HELP!

Comments