Termination Meeting Checklist Structure of the Meeting and Confidentiality z Two people should conduct the meeting on behalf of the dental office. z If the meeting is held in person, it should be conducted in a private office or room out of earshot of other individuals, and if possible, at the end of the workday. z If the meeting is held remotely, it should be conducted on a video call, such as Zoom or Teams. z If the employee is given working notice, the termination should not be communicated to others in the company until the parties have discussed and agreed upon what the team members will be advised. During the Meeting z Come prepared with a script of the information to relay to the employee and avoid straying from the script. z Be direct. Avoid trying to establish rapport by engaging in small talk. z Quickly get to the point of the meeting, then move directly into the specifics. z Clearly indicate the reasons for the decision (i.e., just cause, restructuring, business reasons). z Clearly communicate any proposal, package or settlement offer made, including the high-level details, and advise the employee that the full details are in the termination letter, which will be provided at the end of the meeting. Advise the employee to keep the details of the proposal, package or settlement confidential. The information provided is of a general nature only and should not be considered personalized legal, financial, accounting or tax advice. z Ensure that the information provided to the employee is consistent with the legal position the company will take for any potential wrongful dismissal claim. Get legal advice prior to the meeting, if necessary. z Do not get defensive or argumentative. z Do not threaten or imply that the employee will receive a negative reference or a lesser settlement if the employee indicated that they are taking legal action. z A termination letter setting out the information conveyed in the meeting (i.e., reasons for termination, exit package, deadlines to accept package, etc.) should be handed to or sent to the employee at the end of the meeting. z The meeting should be brief, only lasting 5 to 10 minutes. After the Meeting z The employee should be given an opportunity to remove personal effects after hours or over a weekend when other employees are not present. Offer the option for the office to pack up the employee’s belongings and send them to the employee’s home. z All company property, including keys and pass cards, should be returned immediately after the meeting before the employee leaves the workplace. Relevant log-on information and passwords should be changed immediately. z Make notes immediately following the meeting to ensure contemporaneous recollection of the content of the meeting. 29 Issue 6 | 2024 | SupportingYour Practice
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