Get All Access for $5/mo

How to Fire Someone Without Getting Sued (Infographic) Dismissals can sometimes backfire, leading to taxing legal clashes. That's why it's crucial to have your bases covered.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Firing employees can be a sticky business -- and one that most leaders would hope to avoid at all costs (unless you're Barbara Corcoran).

Dismissals themselves can backfire and lead to cost-prohibitive and stress-inducing legal clashes. That's why it's crucial to have your bases covered from the outset.

The infographic below, compiled by Louisville, Ky.-based social media marketing company NowSourcing, breaks down how to fire underperformers -- without being sued in the process.

From providing ample warning to detailing what to say -- and when to say it -- read on for pro-tips that can help to defuse what often amounts to a fraught and trying interaction.

Related: How Hiring and Firing Employees Is Just Like Poker

Related: 4 Secrets to Firing Your First Employee

Geoff Weiss

Staff Writer. Frequently covers digital media.

Geoff Weiss is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com who frequently covers digital media.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Business News

How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Transformed a Graphics Card Company Into an AI Giant: 'One of the Most Remarkable Business Pivots in History'

Here's how Nvidia pivoted its business to explore an emerging technology a decade in advance.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Want to Start a Business? Skip the MBA, Says Bestselling Author

Entrepreneur Josh Kaufman says that the average person with an idea can go from working a job to earning $10,000 a month running their own business — no MBA required.

Leadership

Why Hearing a 'No' is the Best 'Yes' for an Entrepreneur

Throughout the years, I have discovered that rejection is an inevitable part of entrepreneurship, and learning to embrace it is crucial for achieving success.