Whatever your standards, you hold ALL your employees to them using escalating discipline. You can for the most part prove this lying with a few phone calls to academic institutions and former employers. The jobholder now knows the problem is serious and you're keeping papers in his or her file. This means talking with the jobholder accused of misbehavior and carrying out an investigation. o Threatening to go to the EEOC, government authorities, the press or upper management about company wrongdoing or to assert his or her lawful rights. Remember when writing your own notice, you must clearly express why you are sacking the jobholder. With an exit interview, you interview a recently separated worker about his experiences with the firm. No wrongdoing or inconclusive evidence - The worker goes back to work with counseling on how to stop the future appearance of wrongdoing.

Making your separation memorandum worker foolproof can be done if you prepare ahead of time. Please don't use use 'downsizing' as an excuse for firing problem employees, or creating a culture change in the department by replacing old workers with new ones. The worker now knows the problem is serious and you're keeping evidence in her or his file. The types of severance agreements you may offer your worker will have a lot to do with the grounds for lay off. The next chapter gives you a program for estimating your dismissal risk. o Reemployment rights (That is, you'll consider terminated worker before other applicants for openings.) Now that you have prepared your employee handbook, you need to be certain to follow through with it.