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Treat dismissal as a last resort. It can be expensive to replace employees and recruit and train new staff and there is no guarantee that the new staff will be better!
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Check the terms of the contract regarding termination.
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Check the law. There is legislation in place to protect workers from unfair dismissal. Ensure you are not in breach of this legislation. (Fair Work Act 2009)
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Notify the employee of his/her dismissal in writing, briefly stating the reasons.
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Where summary dismissal is a possibility, (e.g. for serious misconduct), fully investigate before making a decision.
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Notify any other parties affected by the termination. Only advise them that the employee is leaving/has left the job, not the reasons for it.
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Calculate the employee’s pay entitlements and prepare a detailed statement to issue to the employee.
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Arrange the return of any property (e.g. mobile telephone, laptop, business cards, office keys, security passes etc.).
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Update the employment records to include all details of the termination of the employee.
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Issue a Group Certificate to the relevant employee, within the required time period after employment ceases.
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If you are unsure about any of the above steps, seek professional advice.