Assume you are a high-ranking manager in a firm who has to discharge a middle-ranking employee. Plan how you would go about this task. Who are the other members of the organization whom you would involve?

What will be an ideal response?

Student answers may vary. When an employee is being told that he or she is being discharged, my main task, as a manager, is to be respectful but clear in letting the employee know that he or she has been terminated and provide a reason.

During the meeting, I need to be sure to describe all the relevant facts about the employee's dismissal and be prepared to explain how the employee violated the company's policies or failed to meet his or her job requirements, despite persistent attempts to help him or her do so.

A human resources professional should write a simple letter that outlines the employee's date of discharge, any contractual obligations owed to the employee, such as severance pay, continuing benefits, and so forth, and my name as the name of the manager who approved the discharge. The HR professional should then send copies of the letter to the discharged employee's immediate supervisor, payroll and benefits department, compliance officers, any labor organization to which the employee belongs, and to the employee.

Having discharged (or downsized) employees sign a severance agreement that includes a release stating that the departing employee gives up some or all of his or her rights to sue the company can reduce its risk of future litigation. Employee releases are used most often when a company does not have the proper documentation to fire an employee but wants to end the employment relationship with him or her and reduce the possibility of a lawsuit.