SEPARATION from an organisation, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, can be traumatic for many people; the human resources (HR) professional must therefore understand and treat the situation with much care and sensitivity.

In the event of involuntary separation, the HR manager must be satisfied that due process has been followed, that is, he/she must be satisfied that proper investigations were done and the appropriate disciplinary policies and procedures adhered to. Too often an instruction is given by the CEO to terminate the services of an employee for a trivial reason, disregarding the disciplinary procedure entirely. The HR manager feels duty-bound to carry out the directive and does so without conducting a fair and just inquiry. But it is the duty of the HR professional to advise the CEO and other managers that the employee has the right to have his “day in court” before any final decision is taken.

In the case of a summary dismissal, the process will be swifter, as long as the evidence is credible and not fabricated. For example, if an employee was caught on tape removing the company’s products without authorisation, such an act is clearly stated in the disciplinary code as cause for immediate dismissal.

Sometimes such a case, particularly in a unionised work environment, can become quite ‘sticky’, especially when the said employee denies the act and gets the support of his union which, in turn, stalls for time with meeting after meeting followed by industrial action. Eventually, the case ends up at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal, which hands down an award in favour of the company.

I challenge unions to declare to their constituents, that even at the risk of losing bargaining rights, they will not support employees who are thieves.

As companies regroup and reorganise, downsizing activities will take place, resulting in some redundancies. Remember it is not the employee that is made redundant, but the job he holds, and so the employee must not leave with the feeling that he was pushed out of the job. This exercise must be handled with care as in many instances the employee was not ready for the separation and is traumatised.

More enlightened employers are engaging the services of psychologists to aid in easing the pain experienced by these employees.

Separation from the organisation does not only affect the dismissed employee, but also his/her family, especially if he or she is the sole breadwinner. The truth is that the redundancy money, the unused vacation leave money and even the pension refund will run out if not put to good use; investments and savings plans must be priority.

Voluntary terminations

To the person who voluntarily terminates his or her service, do the honourable thing and give the required notice. It may prove the longest two weeks you ever spent at work, especially if the relationship is strained, but hang in there and give of your best up to the last hour. Never burn your bridges behind you; life is too short and the world too small to believe that your paths will never cross again. One of the greatest experiences you can have is to walk back into your former company and be warmly received.

Parting with an employer may not necessarily be a bad thing, like in the case of a bad marriage, for a peaceful and more meaningful life, you may have to go your separate ways. The important thing is that you maintain a cordial, respectful and professional attitude at all times.

Wayne Powell is a human resources professional of more than 10 years. He may be contacted at crisscounsellor@yahoo.com.