ESS Global Corporation provides Employee Termination Security in Tampa, Orlando and throughout Florida.
It’s that time of year. The holidays cause plenty of stress. It’s also the time of year many companies take a look at their budget. The vast majority of organizations run on a calendar year budget, and the year-end coincides with the need to achieve year-end numbers.
Firings and layoffs are always stressful. With workplace violence and aggression escalating, the stress of the holidays, and companies wanting to start the new year off fresh, it’s a recipe for a potential problem.

Most managers deal with the unpleasant task of terminating an employee at some point. Whether or not the employee is expecting the termination, there is always a chance of violence, aggression or retaliation from the terminated employee. Even employees who seem to handle the termination well may try to sabotage the company or individual staff members.  ESS Global recommends that you take the same precautions with every terminated employee to avoid unexpected problems.

These Employee Termination Security safety tips protect the physical workplace, the property of the company and the physical well-being of employees.

• Ask another manager or some other company representative, as well as professional security to stay in the room when the employee is terminated. This provides a level of security and can help diffuse anger toward the immediate supervisor.

• Call your building security to either accompany you or stay close on standby in case the termination turns threatening or violent. If your inclination is that the employee may react violently and you don’t have building security, consider hiring security personnel temporarily. It’s a small investment for safety on all sides. 

• Escort the employee to her desk or office to retrieve her personal belongings. Have a person in a supervisory role, preferably with security at all times, in order to ensure that they don’t steal or damage company property or threaten other employees. 

• Collect all items issued by the company that could give the employee access to the building, including items such as security badges, parking permits and keys/fobs. 

• Escort the employee to the door. Watch the employee leave the premises. If you have security people in the parking lot or inside the building, provide a description of the employee’s vehicle and personal appearance so they can watch for the employee if they attempt to return. If you hire temporary security, they will know to stick around for a bit. Most everyone cools off, the tinderbox is the day of the termination. In most cases of workplace violence, it happens the same day as the firing. 

• Announce the termination to other employees so they can be on alert if the terminated employee comes back to the building. Remind them not to share any company information with the terminated employee or any other people who aren’t currently employed by the company. Avoid going into the details if they aren’t relevant to the situation to protect the privacy of the employee.

While such an event is not easy on the individual being fired, it is also difficult on the employer having to fire that individual.  Unfortunately, this process often leads to a verbal, and in some cases, physical altercation.  We offer our services in an effort to prevent these altercations from happening and we ensure both parties part ways amicably.  We have operated in several different capacities during this process.  We can be in the room while the process takes place and ensure that there are no altercations between the parties, we can be in the room with the employee and conduct the business ourselves or we are there to escort the employees off property or to their vehicles to ensure safety for both sides.

Call ESS Global for a free consultation on Employee Termination Security

Phone: 727-940-7926

Email: info@essglobalcorp.com