Always investigate where the employee is with open projects and identify someone to take over these responsibilities immediately after termination. As soon as possible after releasing the employee, contact the vendors, clients and departments who worked with the employee and let them know what's going on so they don't worry about the stability of your organization, Ebert advises. Prepare to lock down the network. One serious risk when firing an IT staffer is the potential for network sabotage or theft of data while the person is on the way out the door. On the day of termination, back up your network, check the backups to make sure they work, and scan for viruses or any other unusual activity.
Timing is critical.
Make sure these changes take place at the moment you fire the person, not before and not after. Execute the conversation. When the time comes to have your meeting, choose a private space and give the task at hand your full attention. Arrange to have an outplacement counselor or human resources representative available to answer questions, explain any release agreements or severance packages, and help the person exit the building. Design a very succinct script that has been reviewed with HR, and then stick to it.