Provided below is a sample termination letter for use when firing a bad employee. This letter is general and like all general sample termination letters that you'll find on the 'Net, you are risking a wrongful termination suit unless you have a good understanding of employee termination law.

To minimize your risk of a wrongful termination suit, please check with an attorney before using this letter or any sample termination letter for that matter.

(Here's another more economical alternative for staying out of trouble when firing and includes a quality sample termination letter and other termination forms).

Sample Termination Letter For Firing Bad Employee

Mr. Thomas A Lasker
c/o Blank Company Inc.
76554 South Main St.
Anywhere, AnyState 99999

Dear Mr. T. A. Lasker,

Your employment with Blank Company Inc. is now over. The recent events and problems related to your work performance occurred when bookkeeping noticed miscalculations on your paperwork and money missing from the companies account. This has happened in the past, and no matter the repeat warnings, you cannot explain why the miscalculations happened, or why the money is missing. Therefore, we believe that you are not performing your job duties to our standard.

Blank Company Inc. would like to offer the following offer, which will help you in finding new employment elsewhere and reflects the years of service in which you have provided to us:

1) Blank Company Inc. will continue to pay you 100% of your salary for the next three months. If you secure employment elsewhere within that three month period, Blank Company Inc. will pay you a lump sum equal to 35% of the wages in which you would have accrued for the balance of the period.

2) All vacation hours and sick days will be paid in full within the next three months.

3) All benefits, including your health care, and dental care will be continued for six months, unless earned by a future employee during that time.

4) An outside employment counselor has been contacted for you. She will help you find future employment.

This offer is conditional on you accepting the following conditions:
1) All confidential information you received during your employment must remain confidential.

2) You must report any new employment to Blank Company Inc. within 3 days of gaining such employment for the next 3 months. Also, you must report any changes in benefits within this new employment for 6 months.

3) A signed copy of this letter must be returned to Blank Company Inc. no later then 5 days after the date above.

I would like to arrange a time in which to meet you and allow you to collect your personal belongings out of the office. To do this, I need you to return all keys, paperwork, and company property that may still be in your possession.

Please call me at (555) 555-3433 ext. 1000 if you have any questions about this agreement.
Sincerely,

Michael Fire
Head of Human Resources
Blank Company Inc.

Terminate without fear of making mistakes. Our recommended procedure.

*It should include the reason you are writing the letter. In the first paragraph, the letter should clearly state that this employee is being terminated. Your termination letter sample can make a general statement and leave room for you to include specific details later. The letter is a template so you will need to adapt it on a case-by-case basis. When you go to write a specific letter, remember: this will likely not come as a surprise to the employee. Don't present the facts as if it's the first time the employee has heard them. It's usually not. You might consider making some notes to this effect to include with your sample letter.

*In the following paragraphs, your termination letter sample should provide more details that back up the initial statement - the employee is being fired. You might explain issues with attendance, attitude, money or overall job performance. As long as you describe the reasons in detail, you are in good shape as an employer. In your termination letter sample, these details won't exist. Once again, it is a good idea to include some suggestions in the sample to help you complete these details later. The sample is more like a bare bones version. It guides you in creating the final letter.

*Complete the letter by offering either references for future jobs, or just the hope they find a job situation that suits them. How you close the letter will largely depend on the issues surrounding each particular firing. Sometimes you will want to offer some condolence, but other times this causes legal problems. You can include both options in your termination letter sample and decide in each instance what is best. Make sure you have your human resources department review any such statements.

*Finally, remember to keep the tone in your termination letter sample professional and unopinionated. This isn't the time to accuse the employee. And it is not the place to speculate about what caused their behavior. Keep a dispassionate but concerned tone, and your termination letter sample will be just fine.