Let me reiterate, I am not firing anyone. I appreciate the staff who are with me. They work hard and generally have great attitudes. I am simply ruminating about the Christian's perspective of terminating employees for consistently poor behavior or other acts/omissions that affect productivity. Christians are called to a higher standard, as both employers and employees.
What are the specifics of this “higher standard.” On one hand, grace is the central pillar of the New Covenant. On the other hand, both Testaments also indicate that it is entirely appropriate to excommunicate individuals from a group because of their behavior. Staying with Proverbs for the moment, at least two passages stand out in this regard:
“Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended” (Proverbs 22:10)
“Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes the material for the silversmith; remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness” (Proverbs 25:4-5)
Proverbs 22:10 makes plain that removing problematic individuals should reduce conflict. Digging a little deeper, the word translated here as “mocker” carries the connotation of “scorner” and “arrogant talker.” This is a person whose inflated sense of himself creates disputes and generally disrupts the work environment. The verse, it seems, gives us the green light to oust such people from our workplaces.
Proverbs 25:4-5 builds on this thought with a promise that goes beyond reducing conflict. “Dross” is the residue left behind after an ore has been purified by fire. Likewise, for a work group to be as productive as possible, its dross – its “wicked” and, by implication, its “mockers” – must also be separated out. What should be the natural result of this “purification” process? The proverb teaches that the king’s “throne will be established by righteousness.” In a modern business context, purging of these employees from the group can pave the way for effective, God-honoring leadership.
There is no doubt a tension in the Biblical text between forgiveness and discipline – a tension that lies at the heart of the Christian manager’s dilemma about discharge. Since the Bible appears to support two different and competing paths, what is God’s will in this area?
Three Practical Lessons from Scripture
First, we can interpret the tension in these teachings as a divine reminder that there is seldom a quick-and-easy answer for dysfunctional behavior. God shows us through His bi-fold teaching that the Christian manager should neither impetuously fire a subordinate, nor overlook every offense. Neither extreme satisfies the Biblical principles. Avoid hasty decisions about firing or retaining employees, opting instead for the more time-consuming path of circumspection and prudent reflection.
Second, the Bible instructs that the default attitude throughout our decision-making process must be one of patience and forgiveness. Of the two teachings that hang in tension with one another – essentially, law and grace – grace is clearly the superior one.
This does not imply that we can never fire an employee. Rather, for the decision-maker, grace must envelop law at every stage of this uncomfortable process. In practice, this would mean that the Christian manager should
(1) offer employees opportunities to correct problems,
(2) evaluate whether employee difficulties are really a function of poor management, and
(3) consider assisting employees who will be exited from the organization.
Lesson Three: Occasionally, it will be not only appropriate but actually advisable to drop an employee from the payroll. From a scriptural perspective, an individual who undermines one’s leadership, who arrogantly scorns others, who perpetually creates conflict, who is corrupt, or who cannot follow the work rules, is tantamount to “dross” that must be removed for the common good.
Termination Tips Based on Scriptural and Secular Realities
Even those who do not recognize God’s prescription to terminate with care often do so anyway. That’s largely because employee dismissal has evolved into risky business. One can hardly establish a personnel policy or make any employee-management decision without considering legal options. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employee discrimination charges rose about 120 percent during the decade of the 1990s.
In the U.S., the default condition, called “employment-at-will,” does not require an employer to have a performance-related reason or any “just cause” to dismiss an employee (this is not the case in many other industrialized countries, or in unionized environments). Rather, the only requirement is that the termination cannot be motivated by those criteria prohibited in anti-discrimination laws, common law, or contract.
First, it’s always a good idea to have the meeting in a private setting. Commentators are unanimous on this point and for good reason. Public or quasi-public dismissal is humiliating and engenders revenge.
Second, keep the meeting relatively short and to the point. Your criticisms should be honest and factual, avoiding subjective or unsupportable conclusions. Calmly explain your rationale for the decision and avoid arguing with the employee. You may find this difficult, especially if the employee throws the blame back on management or becomes verbally abusive. But arguing will only escalate an already tense situation, so permit the employee to vent without responding in kind. Remember, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).
Third, you may want to offer the employee a chance to resign in lieu of being fired. For some employees, this will seem like no choice at all, but for many others, it’s an opportunity to save face.
Fourth, and contrary to the conventional wisdom, dismissing early in the week reduces this festering effect because the employee can begin seeking employment the very next day.
Avoid marring the cause of Christ in this seemingly heavy-handed action. One way to do this, when appropriate, is to provide enough severance pay for the employee to transition to another job in a financially-seamless manner. The point is that we should maintain a servant’s heart in this process, since our Christian responsibility to love and serve our neighbors does not terminate along with the employment relation.
Next week, I will make a few points on humility.
Take care,
Mark
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