Article 2

Executions Corporate Style

The title “Executions Corporate Style”, grabs the reader’s attention right off. The author shows the correlation between capital punishment and terminating employees which I consider a different way to consider the importance of terminating employees in a gentle and respectful manner. He captures the reader’s attention by stating that when it comes to capital punishment in the workplace, terminated employees deserves at least the same amount of consideration as cold-blooded killers. He further states that even if the discharge is perfectly justified, when its execution is flawed, legal rights and emotional sympathies will shift from employers to employees.

Terminating employees is one of the most difficult activities a manager will face in any organization during his or her career. Jonathan Segal, in his article shares some legal and practical considerations for employers to consider when terminating problem employees. He poses a series of seventeen questions and common sense solutions for his readers to contemplate. He initially addresses the question, is prior notice required? He explains that “at-will” employees are not legally entitled to advance notice of their discharge; they can be discharged at any time, for any or no reason at all, with or without prior notice. However, there are two exceptions where employees may be entitled to prior notice which is individual employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements. He also speaks about written notices and justifications. He mentions that employers usually have no legal obligation to tell employees why they are being terminated; it is often in their self-interest to do so.

The author also addresses questions such as: Who should terminate? Where to terminate? When to terminate? Who should witness the discharge of the problem employee? He states