With the growing volatility of the business environment, more and more companies are using temporary employees. Likewise, the availability and quality of temporary employees is increasing. Temporary employment agencies, in an effort to attract the best candidates, are increasingly offering benefits. Performance related terminations inevitably arise because some employees cannot fulfill the requirements of their job. These situations can be treacherous.
Employees sometimes react irrationally and lawsuits are a risk.
A progressive discipline policy is a must. Focus on the performance issues and avoid getting sucked into the employee's personal life. If you suspect the employee is having personal problems and your company sponsors an EAP , you may wish to utilize this resource. Don't try to diagnose the employee. In about half of the cases, the employee's performance will improve to an acceptable level once they are put on notice.