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What are the top 5 employees' termination reasons?
Hello! Thank you for your question about the top 5 reasons employees are terminated. The most useful sources I found to answer your question were Nolo.com and The Hartford. The short version is, the top 5 reasons employees are terminated are: 1) unethical conduct, 2) failing in job duties, 3) missed work days, 4) non-compliance with company rules, and 5) personality issues. Below you will find a deep dive into my research and findings.
I conducted advanced Internet searches using a variety of key words and query types. I sifted through information from trusted media sites, industry reports and company websites. I confined the results to within the last of 2 years unless otherwise noted.
After extensive searching, I found the top 5 reasons requested as well as other helpful information on employee terminations. I found consensus for the top reasons using three different sources: Smallbusiness.chron.com, TheHarford.com and PineappleHR.com. I used Smallbusiness.chron.com as the main source, and then compared it to the reasons given in the other two sources. The top 5 reasons I found are: 1) unethical conduct, 2) failing in job duties, 3) missed work days, 4) non-compliance with company rules, and 5) personality issues.
AT WILL EMPLOYMENT
At Will is the term used to mean that basically an employer can terminate an employee at any time and for any reason, even without notice. The only state where employees can’t be terminated without a good cause is Montana, as long as the worker has completed their probationary period. In other states, the only exception to being terminated for no reason is if the employee has a contract or letter that states they cannot be terminated without a good cause. People with this sort of documentation are not considered to be At Will. Therefore, the top reasons for being terminated many not necessarily apply to all At Will agreements, but they can.
TOP REASONS EMPLOYEES GET FIRED
1. Unethical Conduct – Examples of this behavior include slander, theft, fraud and dishonesty. Problems such as these can hurt relations with customers, damage the reputation of the company in the public’s eyes and impair internal functioning of the company
2. Failing in Job Duties – This is essentially the employee failing to honor his contractual obligations with the company by not performing the duties of his or her job but still accepting payment for it. The issue becomes even more severe if the worker fails to improve even after interventions such as mentorship and additional training.
3. Missed Work Days – This is also a contract-related issue. The business relies on a certain amount of output in a particular time frame. An employee’s failure to work the required number of days not only effects their own work output, but negatively impacts the team in terms of numbers not achieved and lower morale.
4. Non-Compliance with Company Rules – Common area of violation include dress codes, workplace conduct and harassment. The rules are in place for a reason; they keep the company functioning optimally and on a track of continuous improvement.
5. Personality Issues – If a job requires collaboration with others, and an employee is unwilling, unable or incapable of getting along with others, it can pose serious problems for other workers as well as the company. If the problem is not addressed, it can result in reduced employee productivity and possible confrontations with peer and other employees.
--Incompetence
--Insubordination
--Attendance Issues
--Theft or other criminal behavior
--Sexual Harassment
--Physical Violence
PineappleHR says the top reasons overall for involuntary termination (both termination and non-termination) are:
--Layoffs/Workforce Reduction
--Change to cost-effective alternatives
--Business Closing
--Firing – poor performance, tardiness/absences, violation of company policy, insubordination and misconduct.
--Death of the employee
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIOR
Monster.com discusses some examples of employee behavior that can be cause for termination, including some that relate to technology and social media. The article cautions about “sharing your life online” because of what can come from the misconception that, for example, it’s alright to post photos of anyone online through social media even if you have restricted the viewing to just friends or connections. Author of the article, Catherine Conlan, describes a situation where a celebrity came into a retail store and an employee took their picture and uploaded it to their Twitter feed. The employee was accused of violating the privacy of the customer. They were not fired, just warned, but this example shows the need for awareness of company policies by employees, and the need for employers to be proactive with their expectations. Other social media behaviors the article says must be avoided are saying bad things about your employer and “making fun of clients”.
Modern technology creates more possibilities for violation of company rules which can result in termination. Any sort of adult entertainment on company computers or other devices must be avoided. People who look for wiggle room or loopholes to allow for this behavior can quickly find themselves in line at the unemployment office. For example, an employee watches pornography on their company laptop while flying overseas, thinking that because they are in international air space, it’s acceptable. The article on Monster.com quotes Deborah Sweeny, MyCorporation.com’s CEO as saying “Email has become one of the quickest, and most surprising, reasons to be fired.” The truth is that company email is not private, and it’s no place to badmouth an employer, speak poorly of clients or run your personal life.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, the top 5 reasons employees are terminated are: 1) unethical conduct, 2) failing in job duties, 3) missed work days, 4) non-compliance with company rules, and 5) personality issues.
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