By allowing the former employee to do this, it lowers the chances that they will file a lawsuit, return to destroy business property or defame the business's good name. As a reminder, when you layoff the jobholder due to "firm needs," you can't refill the position for at least a year, or you risk the worker bringing a wrongful lay off suit. By leaving the laid off employee their dignity, a business can succeed in doing away with the poor employee and keeping the firm morale intact. Dan was a valuable member of our senior management team. Lastly, the small business may already have a progressive discipline policy. Explain the problem or how the employee violated firm policy. Now and then, an at will worker will refuse to sign this documentation. To do this, you'll need to coin an at will worker termination notice that details the reason for separation and the effective date of lay off. In your planning, don't fail to consider the worker's character and personality and prepare to handle any situation that may arise. If you take the time to sit the worker down, and draw them into a conversation that is not accusatory or confrontational, then they may divulge what is going on with them outside work. And, by allowing the problem employee to get away with her or his behavior, you are setting a precedent that tells your other workforce it is OK to behave in a problematic way. Even without your weekly meetings, everyone knows a layoff will happen except the most clueless.

Every firm from the smallest home based business to large corporations should have one. Even though the small business has a lay off notice template, there is still room for mistakes. Don't get emotionally involved and don't levy blame.