Canadian Safety Reporter

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 CSR | May 2014 | News Consider your safety in terminations In wake of shocking stabbing spree, an HR professional and police officer discuss ways to minimize risk BY LAUREN CHESNEY AND RON CHESNEY IF YOU'RE like me, you prob- ably bend over backwards when preparing for an employee ter- mination to ensure the package is fair and the paperwork is com- plete, the employee's manager is prepared — he knows what to say, what not to say and when and how to make a graceful exit — and you've planned the meet- ing in such a way as to reduce the discomfort of the departing em- ployee as much as possible. If you're like me, you've stud- ied the termination package to ensure you can answer any ques- tions the employee may have. You've probably tried not to think too much about how the meeting could go wrong. And you're probably dreading what you are about to do. But you haven't done your due diligence if you haven't also considered your safety. Employees at any organiza- tion represent society so we can expect them to reflect both the good and the bad in society. We can expect that sometimes good people will make bad decisions, we can expect some people may struggle to control their emo- tions when under pressure and we can expect there may be people whose reaction to losing their job may be unpredictable and possibly violent. The most dangerous thing you could do in planning a ter- mination is to underestimate the possibility of a violent inci- dent occurring. Is it statistically unlikely? Sure. But it only has to happen once in your career. Taking the time to consider these possibili- ties and take some simple pre- cautions is a small investment. Being fearful isn't helpful but being prepared is smart. Before the termination When preparing for a termina- tion, you should be alert to pos- sible employee behaviour red flags and seek any information you can to unearth them. Learn as much as you can about the departing employee: Read the employee file thor- oughly, review the coaching notes or employee relations files and talk to the manager. You are trying to build up a picture of how the de- parting employee may react. Does he have a history of aggressive or unpredictable be- haviour? Are there any known stressors at home such as fi- nancial issues or relationship break- downs that may make the employee experience the loss of income or work iden- tity more acutely? Has progressive discipline or ongoing performance support led to a tense or strained rela- tionship with his manager? Depending on the informa- tion you uncover, form a strategy to manage any identified risks. If the employee has a history of aggression or interpersonal dif- ficulties, consider having secu- rity posted outside the meeting room while it takes place — or, in extreme cases, discuss with legal counsel the possibility of conducting the meeting over the phone with paperwork to follow via courier. Regardless of the information gathered, the nature of the meet- ing dictates a level of heightened alert during the termination dis- cussion — you don't know how an employee will react, despite your research. Plan the logistics of the meet- ing thoughtfully, with caution and common sense. Attempt to balance discretion, on behalf of the departing employee, with your own safety. Find a balance between a pri- vate location and one that's de- serted. If possible, conduct the termination in a meeting room near the rest of your HR team or at least where there is some foot traffic. Though we typically try to conduct terminations either in the morning or later in the day, this shouldn't be taken to the extreme; there is absolutely no reason to conduct a termina- tion so early or so late that no one else is in the building. Similarly, there is no reason to keep the planned exit en- tirely confidential to the extent of endangering yourself or the employee's manager. Ensure a trusted member of the HR team is aware you will be conducting a termination, the location and the time it is planned to com- mence (often another member of the HR team will already be aware the termination is planned). If possible, have her walk past the meeting room periodically to listen for evidence of a dete- riorating situation. If there is on-site security, it is a sensible precaution to inform them of a planned exit shortly before it commences. And seri- ously consider arranging for an outplacement consultant to be on-site during the termination and have her wait in the next room. Not only will she will be an additional person who can as- sist or seek assistance if things start to deteriorate, but after the meeting she will be able to help the employee start to work through his emotions before he has to "face" the world. Something as simple as help- ing the employee figure out how he is going to communicate the news to his family can have a huge impact in defusing nega- tive emotions. In preparing for the meeting, take the cautious approach one step further — visit the meet- ing room in advance and use the space to enhance your safety. Take advantage of the barriers furniture provides. Plan where everyone is going to sit. Typically there are three people present during a termi- nation: the departing employee, his manager and the HR repre- sentative. You should never find yourself in the situation of hav- ing the departing employee po- sitioned to block your exit. Similarly, there should never be anyone sitting directly be- hind the employee. This causes stress and could exacerbate the negative emotions the employee will be feeling. Sit across the table from the employee and close to the door. Inform the manager in advance of where you recommend she sit during the meeting. Also, if pos- sible, choose chairs with safety in mind. Switch them around or grab some from a neighbouring room to ensure you and the manager have swivel chairs on wheels to allow you to jump up PREPARE > pg. 8 Credit: Sanjay Deva/Shutterstock.com

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