Orthotown October 2017 - 28

If a departing team member is not a
positive contributor to the patients, team
or office, you may want to dismiss her once
they give the written "I quit" notice. If you
dismiss her on the spot, her final paycheck
and separate vacation paycheck can be written
and given at that time. Otherwise, you may
have from 48 hours until the next pay period
to deliver final payment, depending on city
and state employment laws.

Why people leave
A study by BambooHR found that 31
percent of new hires quit their job within
the first six months. The top five reasons
workers gave for leaving their new jobs were:
1. They changed their mind.
2. The work was different than expected.
3. The boss was a "jerk" or tyrant.
4. They didn't receive training.
5. The job wasn't fun.

Involuntary leave
Occasionally you may need to terminate
someone whose leave won't be voluntary.
This includes employees who are laid off
or fi red.
Layoffs: Be judicious about layoffs-
analyze, document and prepare. Take time to
complete annual reviews and let employees
know the reasons leading to their layoff
weeks or even months before the event.
Rank all employees on a scale of 1-10 in
several areas, and if layoffs are necessary,
target the lowest-scoring performers. Keep a
record of why each particular team member
was laid off, in case this information needs
to be presented or reviewed in the future.
After any layoff, take time to talk with
the remaining team members. This is an
important team-building moment. Be sure
to rally your remaining troops.
Firing: This can be the most difficult
decision that an employer or HR manager
will ever face. Own this decision! You made a
mistake in hiring, and now you're responsible
for making the departure as gentle as possible.

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OCTOBER 2017 // orthotown.com

Handle firing with extreme care. Termination is a serious action, the culmination of
a series of progressive disciplinary actions.
Before you take action, be sure to have
documentation of performance evaluations,
coaching sessions, warnings and failed
opportunities to improve.
Legal causes for termination include:
* Violation of code of conduct.
* Failure to follow policy.
* Insubordination.
* Harassment.
* Violence or threat of violence.
While HR managers want to be kind, an
employee's frequent absenteeism, disruptive
bad behavior or innate lack of ability to
perform a job can't be changed. If you don't
fire fast, the frustration of both parties could
go on indefinitely. Leadership must maintain
an excellent office work environment for the
patients, office and team. The doctor and
team who tolerate a difficult or disappointing
team member suffer at their own peril.

Wrongful termination
For dismissal to be "wrongful," it must
violate a specific law, statute, regulation or
constitutional provision.
Illegal causes for termination include:
* Discrimination.
* Complaints about what is legal, such
as overtime pay.
* Whistle-blowing of illegal activity of
the employer.
* Refusal to do something that is illegal.
* Lawful duty time off, such as serving
jury duty.
* Retaliation for asserting rights.

Termination exit checklist
Be prepared for employee exit. Your
documents should include:
1. A hard-copy fi nal paycheck.
2. A separate, hard-copy vacation
paycheck.
3. A signed fi nal paycheck acknowledgment form.

4. The employee's termination or
resignation letter, signed and dated.
5. Type of termination documented.
6. A checklist to follow when the
employee returns company property.
7. Rollover information for the
employee's 401(k) account.
8. An acknowledgment for the
employee to sign that she has
received the appropriate termination
documents.
9. An exit interview questionnaire.

Exit Interview
An exit interview gives the practice
valuable insight into what could be improved
in future HR management. Ask the departing team member for work environment
feedback. This is an excellent opportunity
to thank the departing team member, learn
new things and end on good terms.
Give a departing employee time to think
about the exit interview questions. Answers
may be personally delivered during the exit
interview or mailed back to the office.
Exit interview questions could include:
* Why have you decided to leave?
* What did you like or not like about
our office?
* What are your views about the
culture, management and leadership
at our office?
* How could we improve?
* Was there an employment problem
you would like us to know about?
If there is a toxic team member who is
causing team members to leave, you need to
know. If working conditions could be improved
for the better, do it. These answers will help
improve HR management and leadership.

Stay positive
It has been reported that 50 percent of
OSHA claims are instigated by employees
who are retaliating for their dismissal. At exit
interviews, let departing team members talk
to clear the air and end on a positive note.
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