Terminating an employee is never pleasant, especially if you’re worried about a potential lawsuit. Be sure to review this checklist to best avoid unnecessary litigation and to help ensure you are prepared to defend against a claim for unlawful termination or unemployment compensation.
Review Any Applicable Employment Contracts. Under Illinois law, absent an agreement to the contrary, all employees are “at will,” meaning you are free to terminate an employee for any non-discriminatory reason. The at-will status, however, may be altered by a written or oral agreement. If you have an employment agreement with an employee, make sure your termination does not violate that agreement.
Review Your Employee Handbook. Your employee handbook may restrict your ability to terminate. Many employee handbooks set out an employer’s discipline practices. If your handbook sets forth a progressive disciplinary policy, make sure you’ve followed the policy. Also, check to see whether your handbook provides that certain offenses are not grounds for immediate termination.
Investigate Charges of Employee Misconduct. Don’t fire an employee before you find out what really happened. Make sure you or your manager perform a reasonable investigation. Obtain signed statements from all witnesses and listen to all sides of the story – including the employee’s – before you make a decision. To ensure fairness, make your decision to terminate calmly, not in the heat of the moment.
Document the File. Keep careful, detailed records of all employee misconduct, disciplinary actions and performance issues and reviews. Before you terminate, make sure the employee file has enough information to support termination, or make sure you can explain any lack of documentation.
Determine Whether the Employee Received Sufficient Warning. Before terminating, ask yourself the following questions: Is the employee familiar with company expectations and disciplinary policies? Has the employee received previous warnings based on the same or similar behavior? Should a reasonable employee know that this behavior would result in termination? If you answer “yes” to these questions, your employee should not be surprised about your decision to terminate, and your decision looks objectively reasonable. If you answer “no” to any of these questions, consider suspension instead of termination.
Get a Release. Gain peace of mind with a severance agreement and general release. A severance agreement provides an employee with a severance package (i.e. additional payment and/or benefits) in exchange for a release of claims, protecting you from a lawsuit. Severance agreements must be entered voluntarily, and the employee should be given a chance to review the agreement with an attorney before signing.
