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CONDUC TING A SAFE EMPLOYE E TERMINATION

JEFF SWEETIN, C PP, COOTHE ATHOS GROUP, LLC

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E M P L OY E E T E R M I N AT I O N• Every company’s reality

• Included in corporate Workplace Violence Policy and include Threat Assessment Team

• High Risk:

• Information indicates employee may react violently

• Insufficient information to predict employee’s response

• Scalable procedure

• “Hope” is a terrible strategy

• Hindsight is 20/20

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T E R M I N AT I O N : T H E W R O N G WAY

• HR calls Security: “can one of your guards stop by HR? We are about to terminate an employee and we are a bit nervous.”

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T E R M I N AT I O N O B J E C T I V E S

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Notify Employee of Termination

Maintain Employee

Dignity

Protect Employees

from Violence

Recover and Return

Property

Address Future

Contact

Protect Company’s

Position

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K E Y E L E M E N T S

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Recover Company Property

Return TermineeProperty

Preserve Evidence

Deploy Post-Termination Security

Brief Coworkers

Followup

Termination meeting

Exit from Premises

Transport Home

Advise & Exit

Assess Violence Probability

Plan Termination Operation

Plan & Assess

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A S I S / S H R M S TA N D A R D : W O R K P L A C E V I O L E N C E P R E V E N T I O N A N D I N T E R V E N T I O N ( W V P I . 1 - 2 0 1 1 )

• Multidisciplinary Involvement

• OSHA Workplace Typology:

• Type III- “…some form of employment relationship”

• Type IV- “…intimate partner of employee”

• 8.6.1.2 Ensuring a Safe Termination of Employment

• Termination Plan

• Employee Dignity

• Security measures during (and after) termination meeting

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I M P E D I M E N T S TO C O O P E R AT I V E P L A N N I N G :

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SECRECY HASTE SYMPATHY

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K E Y T E R M I N AT I O N P L A N N I N G C O N S I D E R AT I O N S

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• TERMINEE’S TIME TO PREPARE

• COWORKER EXPOSURE

• CONTACT WITH SUPERVISOR

• DURATION OF MEETING

• AGGRAVATING FACTORS

• ARGUMENT/DEBATE

MINIMIZE

• ONSITE SECURITY CAPACITY

• DIGNITY OF EMPLOYEE

• STAKEHOLDER COOPERATION

• TIME TO ASSESS & PLAN

MAXIMIZE

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1 0 P O I N T T E R M I N AT I O N O P E R AT I O N

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PRELIMINARY VIOLENCE

ASSESSMENTEVENT PLAN

TERMINATION ADVISEMENT

EMPLOYEE EXIT

TRANSPORT PROPERTY

RETURNACCESS

TERMINATIONEMPLOYEE

MESSAGING

FOLLOW-UPEVENT

DEBRIEFING

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1 . P R E L I M I N A R Y V I O L E N C E A S S E S S M E N T• Reason for termination

• Internal information (Intranet, HR records,

• Supervisor observation, Family members employed,

• External: arrests,

• Subject Specifics: Arrival time, transportation method,

• Use assessment instruments to determine probability of violence

• Is subject expecting termination? Will he be shocked?

• Collaborate with HR: who will be present? Severance?

• What is known about significant other?

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2 . T E R M I N AT I O N E V E N T P L A N

• Determine appropriate security presence for meeting (guards, cops, etc.)

• Pre-termination meeting/briefing of involved personnel and security

• Clarify event participants’ roles in advisement

• Brief participants re: argument, threats, violence

• Select venue of meeting based on assessment

• Determine room exit timing for supervisor, HR, and escorted terminee

• Determine list of property to be recovered (phone, vehicle, computer, etc.)

• Should coworkers remain onsite or be relieved for the day?

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3 . T E R M I N AT I O N A D V I S E M E N T M E E T I N G

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Security

• Confirm Employee Onsite

• Introduce Security

• Position Participant Seating

• Position Transportation

• Monitors or attends

Supervisor

• Instruct Employee to Join

• Advises of termination

• Departs to retrieve property

HR

• HR briefs benefits

• Advises Security will handle property return

• Queries personal property items (office/computer)

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4 . E M P L OY E E E X I T

• Company security representative advises that he will:

• Escort employee from premises

• Ensure employee property is handled properly and returned

• Serve as POC for disputed/unreturned property (provide contact info)

• Approve in advance any future visit to company property

• Arrange retrieval of company property not located at office

• Security escorts Employee from building to personal vehicle/ride home

• Least visible route

• No returns to work area

• During escort, security personnel assesses employee’s mental state toward HR, Supervisor, Coworkers and Company

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5 . T R A N S P O R TAT I O N O F E M P L OY E E O F F S I T E

• Pre-arranged, pre-paid taxi or limo waiting outside during meeting

• No transport by supervisor or coworkers

• If personal vehicle onsite, monitor until departs property

• Recover garage access/exit devices as vehicle exits

• Photograph vehicle for future security reference

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6 . P R O P E R T Y R E C O V E R Y A N D R E T U R N O F

• Office secured (prior to advisement, avoid coworkers assisting or pilfering)

• Supervisor and CorpSec to Process Property

• Photograph and Document office and contents prior to disruption

• Photograph and Document office and contents noting returned/retained

• Boxes transported via courier to employee’s address of choice (determined during termination meeting) and signed for receipt

• Does any data on IT systems need to be returned to employee (resume, personal contacts, photos)?

• “Employee Pack-up Procedures-many companies allow the terminee to pack their own office

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7 . A C C E S S T E R M I N AT I O N

• Confirm Building Access Deactivated

• Confirm IT access terminated

• Does Computer need to be secured for imaging or placed back into service?

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8 . R E C E P T I O N I S T A N D C O W O R K E R M E S S A G I N G

• Determine messaging detail for receptionist and instructions in case employee returns

• Provide photo of employee to receptionist/security personnel

• Determine messaging for coworkers (contact with employee, etc.)

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9 . F O L L O W U P

• Assess likelihood of retaliation

• Implement heightened security measures for reasonable duration

• Document incidents or statements made by terminee

• Temporary Restraining Order? (weigh pros and cons)

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1 0 . E V E N T D E B R I E F I N G

• Lessons learned

• Evaluate & update workplace violence and termination protocols if necessary

• Are additional stakeholders needed in future events?

• Did meeting participants feel safe?

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CONDUC TING A SAFE EMPLOYE E TERMINATION

J E F F S W E E T I N , C P P, C O OT H E AT H O S G R O U P, L L C

J S W E E T I N @ AT H O S G R O U P. C O M8 6 6 - 9 6 0 - 0 1 5 9