Grangerlaw.ca

1. Schedule the Dismissal Meeting early in the week to permit the dismissed employee adequate time to: connect with an outplacement counselor; apply for Employment Insurance benefits; and review any severance arrangements with legal or other advisors.

2. If possible, convene the Dismissal Meeting at the end of the work day in order that the dismissed employee may leave the meeting in privacy and immediately meet with family or friends for emotional support.

3. It is prudent to have a third party present at the Dismissal Meeting to take notes of what is said both to the employee and by the employee, and to confirm that the termination letter/package has been presented to the dismissed employee.

4. The Dismissal Meeting should be held in a neutral location (such as a boardroom, or the employee's own office—if it is private) to reduce the chance that the employee may feel intimidated or demoralized being called to a meeting in the office of the Human Resources Manager in plain sight of the other employees.

5. A letter of reference should be ready and given to the employee at the Dismissal Meeting. It should be honest and truthful in its content and need not contain qualitative assessments of the employee's performance.

6. The employee's duly completed Record of Employment should be ready to present to the employee at the Dismissal Meeting, and will permit the employee to apply for Employment Insurance benefits without delay. The reason given on the ROE for the “interruption in earnings” should be consistent with the reason for dismissal given at the Dismissal Meeting.

7. If the employee is being offered a termination package which is conditional upon the signing of a Release, the employee should not be pressed to sign the Release at the Dismissal Meeting, and he/she should be actively discouraged from doing so without taking reasonable time to review it carefully.

8. If the employer is offering relocation counseling services as part of the employee's termination package, it makes good sense to have the relocation counselor present at the workplace to meet with the employee after the Dismissal Meeting. If this is impossible, the business card and contact information for the relocation counselor should be given to the employee during the Dismissal Meeting.

9. If the employer is terminating the employee's employment for “just cause”, the employer should provide the employee with a detailed summary of the all allegations/incidents upon which the employer is relying in dismissing the employee without notice or pay in lieu of notice. If the employer is dismissing the employee without just cause (and with notice or pay in lieu of notice), it is prudent for the employer to advise the employee of the general reason for the termination of his/her employment.

10. At the conclusion of the Dismissal Meeting, arrangements should be made with the employee for the return to the employer of any of the employer's property currently in the employee's possession, and for the return to the employee of any of his/her personal property currently located at the employer's premises

Note: The information contained in this article is issued to provide general information only. It is not intended to provide legal advice and should not be acted upon without consultation with professional advisors.