Letting one employee go: a checklist for the day

1. Review the decision with counsel. Is it documented, and consistent with how similar situations were handled? Take extra care if the person recently raised a complaint, requested an accommodation, or took protected leave. A useful test: could you explain the decision to the person directly, and feel it was fair?
2. Think about the person, not just the process. If you know about something significant in their life right now, such as a recent loss or a major family event, consider whether the timing can be adjusted to avoid adding to it.
3. Prepare final pay. Deadlines vary by state. In California, for example, final wages are due immediately when an employee is let go.
4. Prepare any severance agreement. If it includes a release of age discrimination claims, employees 40 and older must have at least 21 days to consider it and 7 days to change their mind after signing. Federal and state rules also limit some confidentiality and non-disparagement terms, so have counsel review the agreement.
5. Gather benefits information. If your company has 20 or more employees, federal COBRA rules generally apply: you must notify the plan within 30 days, and the person gets at least 60 days to decide whether to continue coverage. Many states have their own continuation rules, too.
6. Check your state's separation notices. More than half of states require a notice or unemployment information at separation. California requires form DE 2320, and New York requires form IA 12.3. Beyond the form, tell the person plainly that they may be able to apply for unemployment benefits. Many people don't know.
7. Plan access and equipment. Agree on the exact time access will change, and how laptops, badges and other equipment will be returned.
8. Decide how others will hear. Who tells the team, what they will say, and who covers clients or projects.
9. Line up support. Know who the person can talk to about what comes next, starting that same day. Pay, benefits and paperwork matter, but so does having a real person to call.

1. Confirm the room or video link. Private, quiet, and booked for longer than you expect to need. If the person needs an interpreter or another accommodation, have it arranged.
2. Have the documents ready. The letter, final pay details, benefits information and any state notices, printed or ready to send.
3. Align with HR and IT. Everyone knows the time, their role, and when access changes.
4. Clear the hour after. The manager and HR should be available for questions once the conversation ends.
5. Treat them normally until then. Don't cancel their meetings, cut their access early, or tell anyone else first. Learning the news from a locked laptop or a colleague's look is a cruelty no one intends and no one forgets.

Say the news in the first minute, using their name and looking at them. Explain what is happening, briefly why, when it takes effect, and what support is in place. Then give the person room to react, and let silence happen. Thank them sincerely for their work. Hand over the paperwork, but don't ask them to sign anything in the meeting.

For a full walkthrough, including what not to say and how to handle the conversation on video, see our guide on how to prepare for a layoff conversation.

1. Change access as planned. After the conversation, never before or during it.
2. Walk them out yourself. Unless there is a genuine safety concern, the manager or HR partner should walk with them, not security. Make sure they are okay to get home, and arrange a ride if they are shaken. If they work remotely, stay on the call until they are ready to end it.
3. Handle belongings with dignity. Offer a choice: pack up now, come back at a quieter time, or have items shipped. For remote employees, send a prepaid return kit for equipment.
4. Let them say goodbye if appropriate. Where it fits the situation, ask how they would like colleagues to be told.
5. Tell the team simply and respectfully. Share that the person is leaving and who covers their work. Keep the reasons private, and speak about them the way you would want to be spoken about.
6. Hand off clients and projects. Make sure nothing the person was responsible for is left hanging.
7. Write it down. HR records what was said, what was provided, and any follow-ups promised.

1. Confirm final pay was received on time under your state's rules.
2. Send benefits paperwork. Make sure the COBRA election notice is on its way, along with any retirement plan information.
3. Reach out personally. A short call or note a few days later, simply to check in, means more than most managers expect. Keep it about them, not the decision.
4. Follow up on anything you promised, such as answers to questions you couldn't answer in the room.
5. Be clear about references. Tell the person what your company will confirm to future employers.
6. Check in with the team and with the manager who delivered the news.