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08 April 2011

I fired somebody for the first time, and today was his last day at work. [More:] We hugged and wished each other well.
I fired him about a month ago, but let him stay on while he found another job.
He was a nice guy, everybody, myself included, like him.
The firing was a rational decision, not an emotional one, so it felt strange to just watch him walk out, without being angry or sick of him, etc., just having decided that he should go.
It's not easy being the boss, I guess.
Reason why I'm not a boss. Sorry you had to deal with that.
posted by octothorpe 08 April | 23:21
Well done, you sound like you handled it as well as anyone could expect. I know not everyone has the ability to completely compartmentalize stuff like that the way I do, which is why it's absolutely vital that people like me are kept far, far away from power while people like you make the world a better place. =)
posted by Eideteker 08 April | 23:57
Sometimes it's not the wrong person for the job, it's the wrong job for the person.
I bet six months or five years down the road, he tells you that changing jobs was the best thing that he ever did.
More people could use a boss like you.
posted by hangashore 09 April | 00:11
I've found people tend to know when things don't fit. I've never fired someone who hadn't seen it coming. Still it's never a pleasant thing to do. It's great that he found something else.
posted by arse_hat 09 April | 00:31
Thanks everybody, for your kind words.
When I fired him, he did say that he'd expected it, but not for a few months, so it wasn't a complete shock. He's a designer, we're a small web dev shop, and he'd been chafing at the bit a lot about having his designs changed or rejected, etc. He wasn't happy, we weren't happy, and he asked for a raise.
Didn't really see any other way out.
posted by signal 09 April | 07:24
People know when it's not working. It stings, but unless it's a layoff, it's rarely a surprise. Even so, it is the worst part of being a boss.
posted by Miko 09 April | 08:27
I've fired four people in my career. It stays with you. It was the right decision each time, but it is never, ever easy.
posted by bearwife 09 April | 15:07
I've had to fire three people in the last couple of years, fortunately for my conscience, the reasons have been pretty clear-cut cases of malfeasance, to wit:

1. A driver who hocked his truck to a drug dealer for speed.

2. A driver who got in the face of a customer and cursed at them.

3. A driver who gambled away company money at a slot machine.


posted by pjern 09 April | 15:14
It's the Friday Night Question! || The Angel Statue in the center of Central Park

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