do you have to lay somebody off proper earlier than Christmas? — Ask a Supervisor

A reader writes:

I’ve a really part-time admin employee who has been with us for about six months. We’re a small firm with a decent finances. Sadly, the previous few months have been tough and I have to make some cuts. I’ve been scuffling with getting this worker up-to-speed and it looks as if she just isn’t an excellent match for the function. I’ve made the choice to let her go. Nonetheless, Christmas is in a couple of weeks and I’m not positive if I ought to wait to let her go in January or let her go now.

Financially, protecting her by December will probably be doable, however I’m questioning if it could be higher for her to know that she goes to be let go and provides her an opportunity to search for a brand new job now. Her background is in retail, and it might in all probability be fairly straightforward for her to choose up a seasonal part-time job in retail now. Plus, she would possibly want to chop again on vacation spending if she knew she was going to be shedding the revenue from this job.

Ought to I let her go now within the hopes that she is going to have the ability to leap into one other job for the seasonal rush? Or, wait till January and don’t spoil the vacations? I’d additionally have the ability to pay her a severance of two weeks pay if I let her go now. However won’t if I wait to let her go. She does have one other job, so this isn’t her solely supply of revenue.

I reply this query — and three others — over at Inc. at the moment, the place I’m revisiting letters which have been buried within the archives right here from years in the past (and generally updating/increasing my solutions to them). You can learn it right here.

Different questions I’m answering there at the moment embody:

• Is it impolite to reply a voicemail with an electronic mail?
• Ought to I be the one to ensure my employees is aware of when individuals will probably be out?
• Mixing formal worker awards with extra enjoyable ones