Zephaniah 3:2, 6a “She obeys no one, she accepts no correction … l have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished …”
God’s tolerance for rebellious nations had limits. They had rebelled against Him by refusing to obey His clear revelation.
Principle: Reasons for termination include resistance to direct orders.
Employers need to have written guidelines, which are evenly enforced and clearly state what the grounds for termination are. Of course, exceptions and second chances can be made with fair warning. But some actions call for on-the-spot dismissal with no exceptions.
I have a friend who had a hard-working but difficult employee who refused correction. Her negative attitude and abruptness with the people she supervised and worked alongside was a source of irritation to everyone. My friend confronted her several times about her behavior with the warning that unless a change took place, he would dismiss her. This was duly entered into her personnel file, but her attitude and actions continued. At the termination interview, my friend came to find out this employee was stressed about finances, and this had led to her negative behavior. She had already been looking for another job.
My friend came up with a solution, which was not in the employee manual, but the sense of it was in the Bible. He gave her a month’s severance pay and a portion of the forthcoming employee bonus for the period worked, and He did it in Jesus’ name. Months later, she later came by to express regret for her attitude and gratitude for his kindness. She was grateful to her former employer and thanked him for the correction and dismissal because it was life-changing for her.
Do you have an employee manual? If not, rather than start from scratch, ask a friend for a copy of theirs or find one on the Internet. Adapt it for your own use and refine it as you go along. It will save you a lot of grief and provide a sense of security for your employees. People are comfortable with having well-defined boundaries.
Discussion:
1. Outline the steps you take when letting a person go “for cause.”
2. Do any of these phrases make sense in that kind of a situation? Prayer – Consult with Christian friends – Assign the employee to another role – Dialog with the employee – Search the Scriptures for an answer.
