The Tribune

By IAN R FERGUSON

MANY employers struggle with the decision of whether or not to terminate employees who have proven themselves as liabilities rather than assets. The struggle is perhaps closely tied to a number of factors, including the size of the talent pool, concern for the individual’s well being and economic state, and the image and reputation a leader gets when they are forced to sever ties with employees.

Seriously, where do you find the next talented employee when you release this one, and what convinces you they are of greater quality? Additionally, how do you take bread out of that person’s mouth and place their families in the lurch by removing the opportunity to earn an income from the person who just might be the sole provider? It is true that the person who has to say to the employee, ‘your services are no longer required’, is viewed either as the ruthless leader or the weak, incompetent manager who is threatened by the individual, or unable to retain the employee due to a deficiency in talent management skills.

The result, then, is a workplace filled with individuals who are not performing near standard and should have been released a long time ago. If you work in the civil service or in many private organisations throughout our country, much of what we are sharing resonates with you.

We understand that the business of termination goes both ways. Employees FIRE their employers all the time. They walk off the job, tender their letters of resignation or, in a worse case scenario, they stay on the job physically but check out cognitively and emotionally.

While there are some companies who have no issues in terminating failing employees, we still seemingly have embraced a culture where releasing unproductive employees is unpopular. In fact ,there is a compelling view and argument that employees who are released for insubordination, lack of productivity, failing work ethics or any other major infractions are unfairly dismissed, as there are seldom any established standards presented to these wayward employees or clear consequences outlined by the company for blatant disregard of the standards.

Economists tell us that frictional unemployment is good for the economy. It celebrates the individual who leaves a job that is not a good fit for their passion and skills. It praises the organisation who says to an employee that your season in this company has come to an end for THESE VALID reasons. Most times, releasing an employee who is not thriving in one garden forces them to locate to another where they are better suited.

Actually, this is nature’s lesson to us. You trim the struggling tree to ensure its health, you sever the infected limb to save the body, and you remove and disguard the rotten apple from the bag to rescue the bunch. Our conversation today, as uncomfortable as it may be to many, serves to encourage the business community to secure the health of their organisations and to terminate responsibly. Here are some basic tips:

• Ensure that the circumstances surrounding the termination of the employee fall within the confines of the labour laws of the Bahamas.

• Ensure that the employee leaves with an exit survey or some form of dialogue; a two-way conversation communicating displeasures on both ends

• Ensure that every feasible company resource has been exhausted in training, motivating, coaching and developing the team member before the decision to terminate is made

• Ensure that you have been able to demonstrate measurably the inefficiencies and incompetence of the employee. These decisions cannot, and should not, be made subjectively.

• Get the POLITRICKS, bias and ‘hear say’ out of the equation. Personality must not be the driving force behind these critical decisions. We are all different with different views, but certainly amid our differences we can learn to work together in harmony. That is what makes us a civil, intelligent and progressive society.

NB: Ian R. Ferguson was educated locally, regionally and internationally, having earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Miami. During the course of his nearly 20 years in education, talent management and human resources, he has served both the public and private sector in senior management roles. He currently serves as manager of the Chamber Institute, and as a local consultant in the field, having assisted hundreds of local and regional businesses in improving business and service excellence through their human capital.