When is it okay to fire high-performing employees? - Comparably | Comparably

When is it okay to fire high-performing employees?

Office Culture

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60 Answers

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    Top Employee Response

    Depends on attitude and if a team player.

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    Only if the are breaking company rules

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    When there is evidence of their stealing.

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    If their behavior has a negative impact on others performance

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    When there is an ethical breech of company policy. Period

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    Being a 'high-performer' shouldn't make any difference when discussing termination of employment. If the person did something worth firing anyone else over, then fire the person. Harassment, theft, breach of contract, whatever. Of course there should be gray areas and circumstances taken into account, but if you'd fire someone of lower status for it, for this 'high-performance' person. If you don't, not only will it set a bad precident and leave other employees feeling frustrated, it will also build the 'high-performer's ego and they might do something worse later on.

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    They are not living up to the standards set for us, behaviorally and in terms of standards besides performance.

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    Attendance

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    Never okay for the said employee; if you want to save a buck, go ahead.

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    Only if they’re stealing, belittling, harassing other employees or milking the clock excessively.

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    When they intentionally break workplace rules.

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    Never

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    When they are breaking rules. Showing up late or not at all. Causing unnecessary strife in the workplace.

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    If there are no other options. H With the exception of HR related issues, high performing employees should be kept at all costs. Including moving them to another area and eliminating other employees.

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    When they create a hostile environment.

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    When the employee is a cancer to the team

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    whats the reason.?if he or she has high performance?! perhaps does not have mentor?!

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    According to FTD the time is when you have a friend that needs the position.

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    If there is a serious violation of company rules,multiple violations, harassment concerns, etc.

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    I don't think that would be a good idea since they have knowledge that can be transferred to other employees creating more competitive teams. as a company with high quality, Globant should retain the talent to keep generating great products and great teams.

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    Poor integrity, arrogance, disruptive, mean, disloyalty

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    Never, they´ll go anyway

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    When they violate policies or the damage they cause is higher than what they bring

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    When they do something unethical.

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    When their actions are well outside the company's stated standards of employee conduct in how to treat fellow coworkers, or in a situation of deliberate disregard for company's published policies - even after repeated warnings of overstepping those policies. Regardless of high performance, treating others in a demeaning, condescending manner should always be unacceptable.

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    When they have crossed a certain line that cannot be excused

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    When they cheat, steal or act immoral

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    When there are HR violations or a really bad culture fit. Also if they cause revenue loss somehow.

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    When they are causing issues in the workplace like conflict, negative attitude, hostile environment

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    When they can no longer complete their tasks or just don't care.

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    When there is theft or any unlawful things happening

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    If the employee is consistently insubordinate

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    Attendance, Stealing, Violence, Drugs...there's a million reasons.

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    Only if they have comitted a crime or serious breach of company policy. Another situation it would okay is if they are creating a negative environment that they are negatively affect other employees performance and there are no other options to stop this.

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    Almost never.

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    If they become unethical

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    Racism, sexism, bigotry, misogyny, theft, threatening, attacking or running off other employees or customers, anything illegal.

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    It's not unless they are doing something wrong or it's out of your hands and you absolutely have to fire people.

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    When they’ve been late or absent

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    Yes if the firing is warranted. High performing people that cause issues in the work place can be just as toxic as low performers.

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    Lacks morale or humility; employee non adaptable

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    Never

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    If they are disruptive of other's performance.

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    When the project ends and there is no work.

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    Never

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    When they show up for work when they want to show up.

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    For HR or behavioral issues (behaving badly at work in a way that hurts the morale of the team or company), or when they stop performing

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    When a company can’t afford to take more losses or when a full product line or function is being shut down

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    The board, executives, managers, and HR all have an obligation to remove toxicity and abuse from the workplace. So called High-performers need to be removed when they are toxic or abusive and at any level in the organization. It is particularly important to terminate the corporate psychopaths, sociopaths, and narcissists since they are often responsible for destroying shareholder value, customer relationships, and the careers and well being of good employees. Abusers tend to rise in organizations due to their glib charm, lack of scruples, and expert ability to lie and manipulate. Every organization has them.

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    when they think they are above the company and co-workers

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    Companies today are constantly looking for cost cutting measures to improve their bottom lines, which includes salaries. Not taking an employee’s performance into consideration is often a mistake employers make that is sometimes hard to recover from. In addition, should conditions improve, it may end up costing the employer more to retain current or hire new employees.

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    When they do something unethical or untowards another employee

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    It's never OK to fire high-performing employees. You're shooting yourself in the foot for firing those employees that does work to move projects forward.

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    When they’re extremely negative to the team making it impossible for others to work in good intelligence

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    theft, .....& also possibly if not a team member but only cares for themself! inappropriate language,sexual harassment,etc

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    When you cant afford to pay them

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    When they are creating a toxic environment or when they think they are above the rules.

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    latter half of a 90 day performance improvement plan if output is the problem immediately for civil or criminal offenses to employees or customers

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    When they create a toxic work environment.

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    After evaluating all of the facts while keeping in mind that subjective or objective perspectives can be flawed and that private or public workplaces are not actually a court of law. Anyone putting themselves, others, or the company in danger should warrant such actions. Physical, psychological or emotional torment in the work place should not be tolerated by anyone.