Insufferably Cheery

We had to let a long time employee go today. Now when I say "long time", I mean someone who's been with us for two years.

A rethink on some business priorities forced the decision, and it really was tough, but for the long term future of the company and the survival of everyone elses jobs we need to make some changes. Life is a bit like that. Sometimes you have to make decisions that you'd rather avoid, either because you care about the impact your actions have on fellow human beings, or you're a complete wooss and can't face life's unpleasantries.

Either way, it's a dilemma people in management everywhere face. I don't think I've ever met anyone who enjoyed this part of running a business (or a department).

So how do you tell someone in their late fifties that they don't have a job with you any more? How do you deal with the expected emotion, and how do you offer the right sort of "support".

You sit them down, tell them that they have been loyal and hardworking, and then you somehow work the fact that you don't want them any more into the conversation. I've been on the receiving end a few times in my life, and I don't like it. I also know first hand how potentially devastating losing your job can be.

It had to be done...

But what I didn't expect was the insufferable cheeriness that greeted the news. Our employee was just too nice. She smiled a lot, and said words like "yes, I completely understand".

Ok. We gave her a nice little payout, and maybe she was thinking "wow, there's that Cruise to Alaska I've been saving up for". Or maybe she was just good at pretending, and I'd better look under the car before I turn the ignition key each morning.