Do it right. Late Friday used to be the preferred time to drop the bomb, but now experts recommend doing it early in the week. It's the law. You should be. And some of the advice here might surprise you.
State laws are a crazy quilt, with each state offering employees specific sets of protections.
There are plenty of ways to run afoul of state laws. From genetic tests to unionizing to safety complaints, each state individually defines reasons for letting someone go. You can be sued for not firing a worker who's a probable threat to co-workers. Courts have ruled that if you know an employee is a maniac, you can be found negligent for not protecting your people. Robert McGarvey and Babs S. Harrison avoid being fired by being self-employed in the San Franciso Bay area.