Sample Employee Termination Letter

Employers must use proper employment termination letters, so here are some sample employee termination letters to get you started.

Before you use these free employee termination letters, you must be aware that you must use proper dismissal procedures to ensure that you are fair, consistent, and legally proper. Employment law must be followed, otherwise you and your company is at real risk of disputes from disgruntled ex-employees and ensuing penalties. In all cases, refer to your local expert on employment law to ensure you are compliant and compassionate.

Employee termination is usually for one of three reasons; redundancy, gross mis-conduct and poor performance. Each "path" to dismissal is different, and again, must comply with local employment legislation. If at any point in the process you are unclear about what to do next, consult with your local expert. For example, it is important that you involve all interested parties such as trade unions, outline clearly the employee's rights to appeal against the dismissal, and provide at least the minimum statutory notice periods and re-numeration.

At all points during the dismissal, be factual and keep good, honest records which others can understand and use. It is easy to get sucked into an emotional black hole when dealing with dismissal, either compassion overload for redundancies or extreme irritation with poor performers, so it is important to remain objective at all times.

Again, it's important to state that employment termination letters should only come at the end of a structured process, so it is assumed that all appropriate steps have been taken before this point.

Free Sample Employee Termination Letter

Letter of resignation tips

When it's time to move on from your job you want to leave behind the best impression of yourself, and you can do that by writing a good resignation letter. However, it is both wise and useful for both the employee and employer to have a written record of the resignation. The common practice is to resign in person with a follow-up letter.

Tips on writing a letter of resignation:

• Begin by writing something positive or complimentary about the position / organization / company that you are leaving.
• State that you will be resigning, effective as of a specific date.
• In most cases, you need to give a reason for resigning.
• You may want to offer help to find or train your replacement if you are leaving in a friendly spirit.
• End the letter on a pleasant tone expressing appreciation for something.
• Do not use a letter of resignation as a dumping ground for complaints and anger.
• If you have been asked to resign or have been discharged, your letter should not refer to this.

Remember that your resignation letter goes into official records. In our highly litigious society, you will want to avoid anything in your letter to the employer that could be misconstrued or used against you later. It is normal protocol to give at least two weeks notice prior to your date of resignation, but check your company's policies and what terms you agreed to when you were hired.
Some companies will choose to terminate an employee immediately upon resignation (regardless of what you offer), so be prepared for this. The choice to resign may or may not be an easy decision, but once you have made this decision, understand the potential consequences.

The cover letter

The cover letter is the introduction to your resume. Studies indicate your cover letter has a life expectancy of about eight seconds, so it must be brief yet informative. The letter should have three recognizable parts: the opening, which explains why you are writing; the main body, which lists two or three of your major accomplishments and gives the reader a good reason to want to interview you; and the closing, which expresses a desire for future communication. Your letter should draw a connection between the needs of the current job opening and the skills you can bring to the job. A cover letter samples

An application letter

An application letter - accompanies a resume when a resume is mailed or faxed to a prospective employer. Even when an announcement says "Fax your resume," an application letter should accompany it. An application letter is necessary because of the nature of the resume: the resume provides an employer with a picture of your qualifications for a general kind of job or line of work. Applicants often send out the same resume to many different employers. The application letter, however, is written for a particular position with a particular organization that has advertised or announced an opening.
Your covering letter is as important as the CV or application form it accompanies. It’s your opportunity to sell yourself to the employer and say why your CV or application is worth reading. Use it to highlight your enthusiasm and suitability for the job and emphasise your strengths.
A writer must try in an application letter to highlight those qualifications that make him/her a particularly good candidate for a specific job with a specific organization and to demonstrate a real interest in becoming a member of the organization. The application letter is written, always keep in mind, from one real person to another, and an employer wants to know why an applicant is interested in working for him/her especially. So reasons for applying for a specific position at a particular organization should be included to specify and personalize the application.
There are a number of options students may take to fulfill this assignment. If a student is graduating within a quarter or two, then he/she may look for an appropriate entry-level job that might be of interest upon graduation. Students who are not near graduation must be realistic and find announcements for part-time or full-time work they are qualified for now, internships. Other options include applications/essays for graduate school and law school. If a student knows of an opening that is unannounced, a brief description of the position must be included with the application letter. Otherwise, students must include with their letters a copy of the announcement or a copy of the graduate school question to which they have responded.