As an employer it is never something to look forward to, but there are times when someone needs to be dismissed from their job. To many businesses the rules of when and how an employee’s contract can be terminated can be confusing. This article tries to simplify this area of employment law.

There is a clear three-step procedure that should be followed that can eventually lead to someone being sacked from their job. They are a verbal warning, a written warning and a letter of dismissal. The verbal warning should be the first step to let an employee know that (s)he is not working or behaving as expected when at work. The aim of this is to change the employee’s behavior so they become a better asset to the company. Unfortunately, this change doesn’t always happen. This may lead to the employer wishing to issue a written warning, which can serve as a final warning to improve. If there is still no improvement then a contract can be terminated. This will involve a meeting and an official letter of dismissal.

There are only a few reasons why someone can be sacked, although many sub-reasons within each of these. These are outlined below.

Conduct of an employee – This covers the behaviour of an employee in the course of carrying out their job, whether directly impacting their own job or not. This can include not working the required hours (i.e. always getting to work late), an office worker spending half the day browsing the internet for non-work related websites, and inappropriately behaviour towards other employees. Read the rest of this entry »