It depends on the situation. Some things require immediate termination. That said, there are a few things as an owner you must look at. What is missing with your leadership that this happened? There is always a lesson to be learned. Then ask yourself, did I have a clearly written and communicated system or guideline that explained and dealt with the issue that just occurred? If not, put one in place. If so, what is missing that it is not being followed? As a rule of thumb, you should have an employee handbook, job descriptions, and clear systems employees know they have to follow. Start there. I recommend that you document everything that occurs with that employee, keep it written, and have her sign the warnings. Once it comes time to let someone go, be sure that you have a witness present during the conversation verifying what occurred. In any event, document everything and take the time to look at what happened, what can you learn, what was missing that you can add to the business to support this in the future and, most importantly, stand for what you value and move on.
— Steve Gomez is the manager of training for Milady (www.milady.cengage.com).