You’re Trumped ♠

It’s time to implement considerate termination

AUTHOR ADRIENNE CROWDER

Donald Trump, The Man with the Toupee, who wanted to trademark the phrase “You’re Fired” from his reality TV show “The Apprentice,” has contributed another dubious phrase to the English language: “You’ve been Trumped.”

Being “Trumped” tends to look like this: an employee is asked to meet with his manager first thing on a Monday morning, and is told that his employment is terminated. The employee is quickly relieved of e-mail access and all mobile electronics supplied by the company. He is walked out the door, sometimes under escort. Depending on the organization, there may be an outplacement counsellor or someone from the HR Department to provide support to the employee.

Within hours, an e-mail message might be sent organization-wide, which says, “Joe Blow is no longer an employee of the X and Y Organization.” This message has the effect of putting the remaining employees into a state of shock and it kicks the rumour mill into high gear. Due to legal constraints, the ex-employee is generally not at liberty to discuss the termination so co-workers are left to speculate about the context and circumstances of their colleague’s departure. An aura of shame hangs over the process.

This practice of being “Trumped” occurs across all economic sectors and across all levels of organizational hierarchy. It is used whether an employee is terminated for cause or s/he is a blameless victim of circumstance. When the employee is a passive victim of a new business re-organization, being “Trumped” is an unnecessarily brutal act. It is the psychological equivalent of being hit by a car when crossing at a crosswalk. Out of nowhere, life changes in ways that can be devastating.

It goes without saying that today’s workforce has to be flexible to meet market conditions–organizations need to expand and contract their employee base as business cycles change. Just-in-time processes, which were originally developed to manage inventory and capital assets, are now commonly used to manage the labour force. In many non-unionized settings, current HR practices designed to “right-size” the workforce tend to focus on legal needs at the expense of ethical ones. This comes at a cost to employees, employers, and the organization as a whole.

Workplace culture also takes a hit after a sudden termination. Loyalties change as the remaining employees question their sense of belonging. Honest discussion is often sacrificed for politically correct exchanges. Everyone becomes much more conscious of organizational roles and hierarchical power. Creativity and a willingness to take risks take second place to conformity and keeping a low profile. A sense of organizational justice can be hard to restore if it has been suddenly lost.

So what are the alternatives to “Being Trumped”? How can organizations be responsive to business needs such as trimming budgets and releasing employees and yet still walk-the-talk regarding employees being their most valued asset? Are there ways to terminate a redundant employee and maintain everyone’s dignity and worth in the process?

The answer is “yes”–there are simple solutions that allow organizations to manage their workforce needs while minimizing the negative and traumatic impacts that often result from an unexpected termination.

The first thing is to recognize that termination doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all process. In the case where someone is being terminated for cause, or there is reason to question an employee’s mental or emotional stability, it may be necessary to walk someone out the door. But if a job role has become redundant, providing choice in how the employee leaves the organization offers more control and dignity. Leaving immediately may be the option selected, but having a couple of weeks to wind up a role, transition job responsibilities and to say goodbye to co-workers and customers is often the preferred solution.