Termination with Notice???

mhaney

We have a new employee (teller) that has been working for about 3 months...she is a great person that everyone enjoys but just cannot grasp the teller job. The supervisor has given her extra training and she still cannot get it down. The manager would like to give her notice that she needs to start looking for another job and that it is just not working out. Because she is well known and liked and has really tried to understand the job he would like to let her have a chance to find another job before terminating her...he would move her into a receptionist type position while letting her have a few weeks to try to find employment....any thoughts on whether this is wise to do?

cnghr

I'm generally not a fan of this approach. These are some questions I would be asking the manager:

1. What happens if you put her in another position while she's trying to find another job and she does really poorly at that position? Do you just keep moving her around until she goes elsewhere?

2. What if she doesn't bother to look for another job? Will you be setting a time limit and if she doesn't have another job within "x" number of weeks, she'll be let go anyhow, or will it just be keeping her on the payroll indefinitely until she finds something else?

3. Is the receptionist position something that really needs filling, or is it just to give her someplace to work while she's job hunting?

4. And the biggest question, to me: what kind of precedent does this set? If you do this for her, are you prepared to do it for the next teller who doesn't work out? Just because somebody is well-known and well-liked doesn't mean that they warrant any special treatment that you wouldn't give to anyone else.

I understand the desire to try to do something nice (although sometimes I also think it comes from the fact that some managers don't want to look like the bad guy and fire somebody who isn't working out) but I've also seen that kind of niceness turn around and bite somebody, and personally I don't think it's worth the possible pitfalls.

Carolil

I agree with the above post. I would also be worried about the morale of someone who has been "demoted," even if it is for a charitable reason. Also, how is she going to look for a job if she's working for you? If that's your intent you would have to give her time off for interviews, etc. I would think that would have a negative impact on her co-workers.

If it is her solvency you are worried about you could give her pay in lieu of notice for the two to four weeks you would have kept her on, although that raises other questions including the issue of precedent -- would you do that for anyone you're letting go. Also, don't recall what state you're in but in Mass. this person would be eligible for unemployment.