Hire slow but fire fast

The topic of today is “firing people”.

Task 1

Read the information below to get the general idea:

Firing people is always a nasty thing to do, but unfortunately an inevitable one. Yet, it can be a really traumatic experience both for the employer and the employee. However, it is the way it is. One day you are employed, the other you are made redundant. Although the reasons might be various, the company might be either downsizing, outsourcing or just going bankrupt, still it means that you will have to be “outplaced” pretty fast. Moreover, sacking clearly implies that the decision has been made by others, not by you. Despite the fact, that you might even be willing to keep your present post, you have been carefully selected to have your work contract terminated at once. Whether you like it or not, you have to face the reality – you have been let go.

What counts, though, is the method itself. Some companies prefer a traditional, old-fashioned, face-to-face interaction, while others implement modern techniques of dealing with unwanted staff, like, for instance, virtual lay-offs. They are believed to be much quicker, rather cheap, more effective and quite impersonal, but is that so?