Employee Termination Case: Harry vs. Sally

Scenario: Your company has suffered a large loss of revenue over the past year, resulting in the need to downsize. You are the executive in charge of making the decision on which employees are terminated.There are two candidates on the table:

Harry, who has been with the company over 20 years, has provided optimal productivity and even saved the company $20,000 per year when he presented an efficiency plan. He has two children in college and his wife is scheduled for critical surgery to repair her spine so their family will be dependent on his income over the next three months.

Sally, who has been with the company 15 years has also saved the company thousands of dollars in revenue over the years, and has been a loyal and exemplary employee. Sally is also close to your family. She has watched your children grow up and has played a consultative role when the company was in crisis. She is also your child's sports coach.

You must choose either Harry or Sally. Please answer the following questions:

1. Who do you let go and why? 2. How do you let them know they will no longer have a job with your company? 3. What steps do you take so you feel good about your decision?