Employee Separations: How much can you tell?

Giants Junkie · June 2004

Even though we are a $2 Billion, national company, our various field locations are very autonomous and "family" oriented. Thus, managers tend to want to share information regarding an employee's decision to leave the company, ie. when they are relocating, choosing to stay home with children, moving on to new opportunities, etc., so other employees may wish them well. In some cases they've thrown parties for the departing employee.

The problem is when managers don't say anything at all, it is assumed the employee was terminated. Therefore, I want to provide them with guidelines on what is appropriate to communicate. Should there be a difference in what is communicated interdepartmentally vs. company-wide? Should we have a standard communication piece?

I will certainly appreciate your guidance.

POPEYE · June 2004

Should we have a standard communication piece?
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Yes. XXXXX no longer works here.

Don D · June 2004

If there are employees in the organization who have a need to know because they must deal now with someone else, for example for benefits or payroll, an intraoffice memo would suffice. Henry is no longer with ACME. All payroll issues should be taken up with Lana and benefits questions should be directed to Montel.

If the departed ee has a base of customers or some other clientele group, a notification should be sent internally and externally alerting people as to whom they should deal with effective X date.

In other words, if there is a business need to communicate the departure, do so, giving only business information.

You will never stop people from assuming someone got fired when mum's the word. Usually the assumptions are accurate.

Giants Junkie · June 2004

Thanks Don. It seems like a no-brainer, but I concur and appreciate the reinforcement.

Giants Junkie

Don D · June 2004

Go Braves!

clc · June 2004

Hi,
Whether I fired someone or they quit I simply ask them, "What would you like me to say to others?" or "Would you like to tell them that you're leaving? email? in person?" If you give perople choices it shows that you are trying to help them maintain their dignity. Respect by the company for other EE feelings is always noticed. Unless they work for you until they die they too will be in this position someday. By the way.... so will you. We all move on in life one way or another.

Don D · June 2004

But, do you honor their request? Short of saying, "Tell them I was terminated" or "Tell them I quit," what if they say, "Tell them I've suddenly taken ill", or "Tell them I'm going to Nevada to be with my sister," or "Tell them I took another job and will miss everyone." Chances are every request they make of you, other than the actual truth, will ask that you lie. Preserving their dignity should not include telling a gentle falsehood about the employee who has disappeared. The best option is to always say, "Hatchetman is no longer with us."

HR Beginner · April 2005

I look to the Forum for answers ;;)
With a quick search I found this thread :DD
I'm always able to count on you all x:D
To provide the brains for my head! O=*

Working with a very close-knit, interdisciplinary team (consisting of nurses, social workers, chaplains, and more) who depend on each other to care for mutual patients, it's VERY difficult to "share the news" when someone is terminated! Sure, they know all about privacy when it comes to their patients, but when it's a co-worker, they want to, expect to, and certainly think they need to know the "why".

Two ee's have been termed in the last week. To inform everyone that their co-worker is gone, I distribute a standard memo to all 80 employees that says, " is no longer an employee of our agency." We've had grumbling that this is upsetting to the staff (i.e. Will I be next?) and that it's a very cold way to handle the news.

How do others handle sharing the news of an ee "no longer with the company" with the rest of the team? I'd love to hear how you handle it! x:7

Thank you for your help!

Crout · April 2005

You're never going to prevent people from reading between the lines. They are always going to see a difference between someone who leaves on good terms and someone who shows up for work at 8:00, is pulled into a meeting, and suddenly disappears for good by 8:20.

hrbanker · April 2005

When someone is leaving voluntarily, they usually will tell their co-workers and give some notice.

When we terminate someone, they are GONE.

I put the same message out about everyone, which is the same as Don's message... Susie is no longer an employee of our bank. We e-mail the information for security reasons. We don't want an ex-employee going into a remote location and asking to use the computer system, even if they left on the best of terms.

Dasher · April 2005

Gee, I sorta envy you who have to put out a memo, etc. Usually, people know (almost) before I do. Actually, I am thinking of starting a "Stop the gossip" team. LOL

Gillian3 · April 2005

HR should also inform managers that gossip about a terminated employee, especially when the termination is one of the juicy ones that encourage gossip (did you know John was let go because he was caught in the closet with Susy), sometimes leads to defamation lawsuits.

Don D · April 2005

If it is true that John was caught in the closet with Susy (sic), who is it that might be defamed if that were to be revealed?

hhaynal · April 2005

Susy.....if it was really Merry in the closet with John. Susy, being the pillar of the community that she is, lost her chair seat of the woman's auxilliary, also lost her job and her husband is on the brink of divorcing her. Her kids heard about it at school and won't even talk with her. And the dog even turns tale and runs every time she walks into the house!

Shadowfax · April 2005

I'm not sure whether your concern is 'doing the right thing - for the ee' or 'doing the legal thing' ormaybe a bit of both. If the legal issue is what has you concerned, I think you will find employers enjoy a 'qualified immunity' from defamation so long as they do not do something intentional or malicious to harm the ee. And even doing the right thing for the ee may not always be the best thing for the employer. So those who said to keep your eye on the ligitimate business interest of the er have it right - and those business interests may change with the ee, the position, the reason for leaving, etc. Generally, the less said the better is probably a good rule with which to start - but I have had situations where I felt it was imperative to explain what was happening.

JudyT929 · April 2005

I always send out an email when someone turns in a resignation or is terminated. If they are resigning and give a reason in their resignation letter, I ask if they would like the reason stated in the email. When someone is terminated or resigns w/o notice I put out an email simply stating that so and so left the Society on such and such a date. At the end of all the emails I include the same sentence "please join me in wishing so and so the best of luck in their future endeavors". Some people will gossip no matter what, you just have to ignore them.

Employee Separations: How much can you tell?

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