Unfortunately, there will always be some employees who simply have a bad attitude about work. Having a bad attitude in itself is not always a problem. For some people, this is just a function of their personality. But when their bad attitude affects their work or that of their co-workers, it becomes a serious issue. Business owners should expect this problem and create a sample termination letter for a bad attitude employee in case they ever run into this problem. And chances are at some point, they will.

Most states invoke labor laws like employment at will which says the employer may terminate any employee at any time, for any reason. But relying on employment at will laws is dangerous. Every state has many laws passed by lower courts that reduce the employer's rights. An employee can still sue you for unlawful termination. If it goes to court, be aware that judges and juries are notorious for favoring the employee. Remember that this person has a bad attitude to begin with. He may be the kind of person who lives to aggravate others. In this case, a lawsuit in your business's future is likely.

Since you know this ahead of time, you should prepare. One way to do this is to document your problems with the employee. Another reliable method is to use a sample termination letter for a bad attitude worker.

Including Examples in Writing a Sample Termination Letter for a Bad Attitude

A sample termination letter for a bad attitude employee must include all the standard items in a general sample letter. But you need another section labeled "examples." The firing manager must include detailed examples of the bad behavior. He or she should pull this from their documentation which includes meetings with the employee as well as any warnings and reprimands they have written. Include dates.

Since termination is always an emotionally charged situation for both the manager and the employee, you might include some special instructions for the manager. The employee should not see these. Explain the "examples" section should not contain any derogatory references to the employee. And the firing manager is not to express any personal opinions about the employee or make any remarks that could be misread as discriminatory. Later, a court can use these against the company. Remind the firing manager to always use a professional tone and to stick to the facts. Termination letters should always keep a level of professionalism that paints the company in a favorable light.

Terminate without fear of making mistakes. Our recommended procedure.