How should an employer terminate a remote employee?

Most HR professionals agree in-person terminations are preferred. However, with the number of remote and global employees on the rise, in-person terminations are not always feasible. The cost of an employee coming into the office or having a representative travel to that employee’s work location for a termination meeting must be considered. Also, when immediate action is necessary, travel coordination presents a challenge. Many employers are forced to look at alternative ways to communicate terminations.

Terminations by video-conferencing or phone are the next best options. Videoconferencing allows for all parties to see and understand nonverbal gestures, which is important when discussing such emotional topics as employment status. Videoconferencing or phone terminations allow the employer to convey critical information and empathy, while giving the employee an opportunity to ask questions and share his or her thoughts. An employer still needs to keep the following considerations in mind when using either one of these options:

• As with face-to-face terminations, employers must consider the day and time to deliver the termination. Remote and global employees may live in different time zones. For workers outside the United States, employers should check the country and local laws to ensure they meet requirements for notice prior to termination date.

• Many countries and states have specific provisions regarding payment at the time of termination and severance pay. Although not meeting face to face, employers must still adhere to these laws by either overnighting paychecks or paying by direct deposit.

• When possible, employers should have another organization representative present to witness the conversation. The employee should be told who is participating on the videoconference or call.

• Employers should be prepared to provide appropriate information to the employee (such as termination date, final paycheck and benefits) and to answer the employee’s questions.

• During the videoconference or call, employers should discuss issues such as work project briefings (e.g., project status), return of contact lists and return of organization equipment (e.g., laptop and cellphone).

• Employers should tell the employee they will follow up with appropriate documents by mail. (Overnight package or same-day delivery are the preferred options.)

• Organizations should discuss with the IT department technology-related issues such as shutting down the server, database and intranet access at the appropriate time.

The least desirable option for a remote termination is to use e-mail to deliver news of an employment separation. Unlike videoconferencing or phone, e-mail does not allow for a real-time, two-way conversation; it is impersonal, leaves an employee feeling disrespected or insignificant and could provoke the terminated employee into a negative emotional reaction. In addition, e-mail termination presents other risks, including delaying the receipt of the termination notice, accidentally deleting the notice, sending information to the wrong e-mail address and forgetting to include important information or attachments. Employers should use e-mail as a last resort when communicating a change in employment status.

Termination is a challenging task, and it can be even more complicated when organizations have remote and global employees. When travel expense or time restricts an employer’s ability to perform in-person terminations, the organization may need to rely on alternative methods, understanding that some alternative methods do not allow for synchronous two-way conversation. Also, employers should consider consultation with legal counsel to assess and reduce liability risk.