Have you ever fired someone?

No, but I would be so good at it.

Did you do it on a Friday? They say to always fire on Fridays so they have the weekend to calm down about it.

Yes. I called the person in, told them I would not be renewing their contract. They asked me if I would reconsider a few times. I explained I wouldn’t and why I wouldn’t. They were upset but said I had been very kind and nice in the way I fired them. :-( So, it was very civil. I didn’t enjoy it at all and I hope I don’t have to do that very often.

Yes, I have, several times. The instances usually involved some brief, carefully chosen words and a box of Kleenex. Nothing out of the ordinary. But one time, one time…

Ah, it’s late. Bedtime. I’ll have to tell that one tomorrow.

Nope.

I had a temp worker from an employment agency who was showing videos of hate crimes on his phone to another worker. I reported him to the agency and cancelled his access card. So didn’t actually fire him in person.

I have fired people, but my sister has the best firing story I know.
She had counseled and mentored the person on several occasions and she just didn’t seem to get it. My sister explained that her passions and skills didn’t seem to be a match with the company and that the job was obviously not fulfilling to her. She asked her what her passion was and encouraged her to seek enployment in a field that she was better suited for and told her that this job needed someone different.
A week after she was fired she sent my sister flowers and thanked her for firing her.

I have fired people over the years for various reasons. The most memorable was one guy who thought he was God’s gift to our business, treated everyone poorly, made severe, costly mistakes, and thought many of his responsibilities were beneath him.

I counseled him for close to six months; finally I went to HR and said “this guy is never going to change, we need to let him go.” When I canned him the next day he said he was completely surprised and thought he’d been doing okay. He was clueless.

I have done it. I don’t like it.

it used to be my job, they called me the hatchet man.

Yes and I didn’t like it. When I was part of a mgt. team then we’d all sit together and call in whoever was to be let go. I felt like it was presented that way so the person would see all were in agreement (even if we weren’t) and there’d be less asking “why” to us as individuals later. If I was ever fired in that way, the letdown and humiliation would be huge, all those eyes on me. I really do feel for the people who @DrBill says are “hatchet men”.

I don’t @Neizvestnaya. I hope this isn’t @DrBill, but the hatchet men I have come across have been ruthless and power driven and have seemed quite okay with doing the work they were employed to do. I don’t think I could ever like telling someone they are no longer required, no matter why they are being let go. Like you, I don’t like it.

I had to fire a live-in housekeeper once, and it was very difficult. I had to give her time to find a new apartment, so the final week and a half were painful for us both.