Terminating employees is undoubtedly an unpleasant task, but it’s a necessary part of running a business. While there might only be a small chance of violence or retaliation from the employee that’s being terminated, the possibility is always there.
Here are some key measures to adopt to ensure the best possible outcome during an employee dismissal.
- Get security involved ahead of time. It’s rare for someone to be separated on the spur of the moment. More often, dismissals are planned in advance. Make sure to include your security team in the planning process.
- Get security to stay with the person until they leave the premises. Terminated employees should not linger unaccompanied in the building. That gives them an opportunity to cause harm to other employees, the work facility, or the business itself. It’s best if a trained security guard escorts them out of the building and ensures the person has completely left the premises.
- Remove company access. Collect all items that could give the employee access to the building, including name tags, security badges, swipe cards, parking permits, and keys to other facilities.
- Change all necessary passwords. Change passwords to servers and other devices that can be accessed remotely. And change codes to doors and security alarms.
At SFM Security, one thing we know for sure is that you never really know for certain how employees will react when they’re dismissed. The benefit of well-trained security team cannot be overstated.