Employment Law Attorney in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Being “Nice” in a Termination Meeting

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So, think of discipline and discharge as much like being a good parent. No I don’t say that pejoratively ’cause you don’t want to act pejoratively towards your clients. But having said that, so it kind of goes like this, “Well, gee, Johnny, I told you you couldn’t go in the bedroom with the window open on the 15th floor when I’m not at home. Remember Johnny, I told you that?” “Yep. I remember, mom. I told you that.” And so, “Now what did you do? Did you go in the room?” “Yep. I went in the room.” “And now, so what do I have to do?” “Well, you probably have to punish me.”

I mean, if you think of discipline in that way, just being very straightforward. I asked you to do X, you didn’t do X. So, now I have to take consequences and guess what? It’s because of what you did. I didn’t choose this, you did.

Minneapolis and St. Cloud employment law attorney Sheila Engelmeier explains how good parenting techniques can teach employers how to have difficult termination meetings.

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