Reuters - Times are tough in Beverly Hills. Well, tougher, anyway. As recession looms and Wall Street shivers, the Los Angeles area's richest are perhaps perspiring — although they never actually sweat like other people.

A escalating disciplinary program is always best when possible. By following this order of questions, you lead the fired worker from anger to contrition. (You may want to state here evidence to support the claims of any employee stealing or misusing business property. You can also choose to lay off someone because they are not meeting productivity expectations or even if they have a bad outlook. A cover story is a positive explanation for a laid off worker's departure from the company.

2) You should tell the jobholder to whom else you're offering "the package" including their ages, job titles and business units. 3) State you have ended his employment and give the effective date of layoff (for the most part that day). When you have a difficult worker, you should carry out the worker layoff program appropriately. As a reminder, when you layoff the jobholder due to "firm needs," you can't refill the position for at least a year, or you risk the worker bringing a wrongful lay off suit. If the bad behavior continues, the employee forces you to the next discipline step, the written notification. If you are considering corporate outplacement services, understand that they not only provide help with the termination program but also with the discontinuance package you will offer, and other details. If the worker's last day is the day you're speaking with them, have that final paycheck ready for them to take home immediately. Policies for dealing with bad employees in this area differ from company to company. As a boss and executive, I've always appreciated the Hr department's help. And the strain of a wrongful lay off suit may affect your personal life. Be aware that employee insubordination can severely damage the small business.