It’s Most Important to Have the Conversation

After 5 years with the same company, an employee makes the difficult decision to take a new opportunity.  This decision is not made lightly; there are many factors to consider.  The time spent at the current organization has been great; however, there is no room for growth.  After talking with his family, this employee accepts the new offer and provides notice to his employer. 

Here’s where things get sticky.  In response to the employee’s notice of resignation, his direct supervisor completely shuts down.  She won’t look him in the eye, she makes passive aggressive comments to others in the company about this employee…she even dis-invites him to a co-worker’s birthday lunch.  When he emails her to request a meeting to discuss his final pay and the return of company property, she forwards the email to HR and tells them to handle it.  She completely ignores him during his notice period, causing an awkward and uncomfortable exit for this employee. 

This is a horrible situation for many reasons.  I would love to say that I made this up but sadly no – this is a true story. 

I get it – as an employer/supervisor, you just want to run your operations and move on.  You are desperate for employees to come to work, do their jobs, and head home with little to no hiccups. 

I’m here to tell you it doesn’t work that way.  People are people.  They bring their entire selves with them to work each and every day.  And as an owner/leader/manager, you have to communicate. 

Having conversations with employees is not always easy.  Sometimes it downright sucks.  It can be awkward, uncomfortable, and nerve wracking.  But it is extremely important.   

When it comes to issues or problems with employees – don’t just focus on the documentation; it’s not only about dotting I’s and crossing T’s.  You have to have those crucial conversations with your employees.  If something is being done incorrectly or you have concerns, let the employee know.  Be direct and up front.  From a legality standpoint, this is known as due diligence.  You won’t win an unemployment claim or wrongful termination suit without it. 

HR is not a curtain or a door for management to hide behind.  That’s not how this works.  Put yourself in their shoes – would you want to be disciplined by someone who is not your supervisor?  Would you want the owner of the business you’ve worked for to avoid you and force you to communicate through a third party?  Absolutely not!  Employees deserve respect, regardless of circumstances.  And when an employee makes the decision to leave, you handle it with integrity.  The exit process needs to be just as graceful and dignified as the onboarding/orientation process.