job elimination

T · February 2006

After conducting time studies on a certain position, I learned that an employee has been padding her work load and making herself look busy. We are going to eliminate her current position and combine it with another department. We will be giving her a two week notice on her job elimination. My question is, if there is another job opening in the building, do I have to offer it to her?

Thanks.
-t

pork1 · February 2006

T: Does she qualify, do you want to run the risk of her being able to continue her cover up? Do you have a system in place for her to apply and compete for the other position in another department? Are there any other issues that the company might be better off with a termination and lay off, verses a transfer and delay the obvious that the greater opinion is that she is not worthy of special consideration or is that a one person opinion?

PORK

TN HR · February 2006

How old is she and what are her demographics? I would strongly encourage you to offer a severance along with a release and covenant not to sue and agreement not to reemploy.

Otherwise, go to plan B and stand-by for the process servers to hand deliver you the wrath of god in the form of a title vii complaint.

T · February 2006

Wow, I didn't realize how difficult this could be.

Currently, her position is cancelling members from our mail service. The positions that are available are filing in our mail room, an entry level position. However, if we transfer her to filing and if ever a position opens in another dept. she would probably be the 1st one to apply, and with her knowledge of the company, we would almost be forced to give her the new position. I don't want to term her, we don't have enough written documentation to do that, it seems a job elimination would be the easiest route. Someone else could do her current job in about 8 hrs per week. I think what I will do is fill the positions that are open, then do her job elimination?

What do you think?

-t

jimbomt · February 2006

I don't think you would necessarily have to transfer her to another job. Depending on your policies, I would certainly let her apply along with all other employees, assuming you have an in-house job opening policy as your first recruitment avenue.

WT · February 2006

As employer, you have the prerogative to arrange the sequence of events as you wish. It sounds like the sequence will determine whether the person stays or goes out the door. A lay-off is not necessarily a bad thing and sometimes the unemployment is the best investment the employer could make. You must decide if you want this person or not. Some employees work well only under supervision. If supervised and required to work, they work well. On the other hand, if given a job with little or no supervision, they do as little as possible. Such folks are not self starters, but can be good and productive workers if properly supervised and managed. On the other hand, some employees just do not want to work and the work just cannot be gotten out of them. In those cases, the longer the person stays employed, the harder it is to get rid of them. A third party could say, "You have put up with this for 20 years, now keep doing so until the person can retire." Bottom line, it is your call.

T · February 2006

Thanks for the response. As of today we no longer have any positions available in other areas of the company. We will do a job reduction on said employees position. Hopefully, all will end well.

-t

job elimination

Comments