Terminations require carefully navigating a variety of regulations, including the WARN Act (related to notifications for mass layoffs), unemployment claims rules and legal requirements related to separation agreements. In addition, poorly executed terminations have a higher potential for litigation and even workplace violence.
For all of these reasons, it is important to understand the legal risks and best practices for performance management (see our separate toolkit) and to be informed about the appropriate way to conduct an employee termination.
The following resources will help employers through this difficult process:
- Catapult’s Termination FAQ and Step-by-Step Guide walks you through the termination process.
- NC DES Unemployment FAQ
- Catapult’s Reduction in Force Guide gives more detailed information on reductions in force, downsizings, lay-offs and furloughs.
- Federal WARN Act Employer Guide – Most employers with under 100 employees will not need to be concerned with WARN; review state “mini-WARN” Acts as well.
- Catapult’s Fundamentals of Reductions in Force/Layoffs provides a step-by-step guide on thinking about and implementing layoffs.
Catapult provides the following templates and notices if you need a starting point for your own tools:
- Catapult’s Termination Letter Template
- Catapult’s Lay-off Policy and Sample Letters – This packet was originally established for Covid-19 but can be customized for any type of downsizing or work slowdown.
- Catapult’s Individual Separation and Release Guide for North Carolina – Always have an attorney (or the attorneys on Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan) review your final agreement if you make material changes.
- Catapult’s Individual Separation and Release Agreement for North Carolina – Always have an attorney (or the attorneys on Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan) review your final agreement if you make material changes.
- Catapult’s Group Separation and Release Guide for North Carolina – Always have an attorney (or the attorneys on Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan) review your final agreement if you make material changes.
- Catapult’s Group Separation and Release Agreement for North Carolina – Always have an attorney (or the attorneys on Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan) review your final agreement if you make material changes.
- Catapult’s Individual Separation and Release Agreement for South Carolina – Always have an attorney (or the attorneys on Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan) review your final agreement if you make material changes.
- Catapult’s Group Separation and Release Agreement for South Carolina – Always have an attorney (or the attorneys on Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan) review your final agreement if you make material changes.
Want to explore more information related to terminations?
- EEOC Charge Type Statistics
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Data – Turnover
- Review your state law for mini-WARN Acts by using Catapult’s state law tool.
