Termination: Whether we like it or not, everything comes to an end – and sometimes, sooner that we thought. Although no one likes the process of termination in the workplace, it is something that we will sooner or later have to face. Below are resources to make sure that any termination your organization has to put into practice is conducted in a respectful  (and legal) way.

Misconduct & Discipline

• Sample Employee First Warning Letter from Canada’s HR Council.
• Sample Employee Unauthorized Absence Warning Letter from Canada’s HR Council.

Termination

• Legal: Termination and Retaliation by Chris Jozwiak & Cassie Navarro of Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP and Penelope Phillips. Includes tips for documentation, employment & termination law, retaliation under the Whistleblower Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, contract claims, and termination best practices.
• Firing Checklist by Dan Wisniewski for HRMorning.com. Covers pre-, during, and post- termination, as well as the four biggest termination mistakes.
• Sample Termination Checklist by Canada’s HR Council.
• Reducing Risk During Layoffs by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center via the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. When downsizing is necessary, nonprofits can reduce their liability in the process of laying off one employee or several paid staff.
• How to Legally – and Humanely – Dismiss Nonprofit Employees by Alicia Abell for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Covers some legal aspects (in easy language), best practices for “doing the deed,” and recommendations to prevent problems.
• 10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Being Fired by Allison Green for US News & World Report. For individuals.

Exit Interviews

• Conducting Exit Interviews from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Includes a list of questions and considerations for managers to ask departing employees.
• Sample Exit Interview Questionnaire from the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
• Should You Be Honest in an Exit Interview? by Allison Green from AskAManager.com. A soon to be former employee asks whether it’s a good idea to voice concerns about workplace culture to an HR manager during an exit interview. Spoilers: it depends!
• Approach with Caution: How to Survive an Exit Interview by Nick Thompson for The Guardian. Includes good food for thought for individuals to consider to prepare for an exit interview.

Employee Alumni

• The Cavity in Nonprofits Human Capital by Anthony Parrish from the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities. Former employees can be great resources – how do you engage them?