Career & interviews · Manager’s Hard Talks
How to fire someone: practice the script for a termination meeting
Keep the meeting short and private, with HR present if you can: state the decision in the first minute (“We’ve decided to end your employment, effective today”), give the reason in one sentence without debating it, then cover final pay, benefits, returning equipment and next steps. Stay kind and firm, and don’t reopen the decision or promise anything HR hasn’t approved. Practice with Jordan Ellis, a support rep who disputes every point.
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Updated October 2026
Who it's for
Who this practice is for
- New managers who have never told someone their job is ending today.
- Small-business owners who have to deliver the news themselves, with no HR in the room.
- HR teams who train managers and want them to rehearse the words before the real meeting.
- Anyone who has the facts ready but freezes when the employee starts to argue.
What happens
How a session goes
- You speak first. You open the meeting with Jordan Ellis, a customer support rep with one year on the job.
- Jordan reacts to how you deliver the news. He disputes the record, asks for documents, and pushes on each point.
- You stay kind and firm, cover the logistics HR gave you, and avoid debating the record.
Real lines from a test session
What Jordan Ellis said in a test session
“Wow. I mean, I knew things hadn't been perfect, but effective today? That's pretty sudden. Can you walk me through exactly what happened to get us here?”
“Okay, but can you show me which emails or documents spell out that exact core target? … So what changed?”
“Fine. I'll take the separation notice with the performance reason in writing before I hand over the laptop.”
From a test session of this practice in the app, lightly trimmed. Your session goes its own way: the character reacts to what you say.
You go first
Ways to open
- “Jordan, thanks for coming in. I'll get right to it: today is your last day with the company.”
- “I have some difficult news, and I want to be direct with you.”
- “We've talked about response times over the last five months. The decision has been made to end your employment, effective today.”
Example first lines to adapt. Fill in the brackets with your own details.
The scorecard
What the scorecard looked like for Firing an Employee
“I don’t have the exact documents in front of me, but HR confirmed the decision, and I trust their review.”
You admitted you lacked the documents, which invited the employee to question the decision's basis.
Try instead: “I have the written warnings and the 60-day plan here—they all reference the same response-time SLA of —so I can share that with you after we go through the next steps.”
What went well: You stated the decision in the very first sentence with no small-talk or sandwiching.
Real scorecard output from one of our test runs. In test runs the practice answers are written by a test script, not by a customer.
What good looks like
What a strong answer does here
- You state the decision in your first two sentences, so Jordan hears it before anything else.
- You do not re-open the record or argue about the warnings and the 60-day plan.
- You show empathy without apologizing for the decision or saying it is hard for you too.
- You cover the logistics clearly: two weeks severance, final pay today, laptop returned today.
Scored on:
- Clarity of the decision
- Evidence & consistency
- Legal & policy safety
- Humanity & next steps
Common mistakes
Weak lines, and what to say instead
Weak: “How are you doing today? How was your weekend?”
Better: “Jordan, thanks for coming in. I will get right to it: today is your last day with the company.”
Small talk first buries the decision and breaks the goal of stating it in the first minute.
Weak: “This is hard for me too. I really hate doing this.”
Better: “I know this is difficult news. The decision has been made, and I am here to walk you through what happens next.”
Making it about your feelings pulls focus from Jordan and scores low on humanity.
Weak: “Let us go through the record again and see if we can work something out.”
Better: “The decision has been made. I am not going to re-litigate the record today.”
Re-opening the record invites debate that HR says not to have.
Weak: “You should have hit your numbers. The warnings were clear.”
Better: “We have talked about response times over the last five months. The decision has been made to end your employment, effective today.”
Blame sounds legally risky and fails evidence and consistency.
Fire an Employee (Termination Meeting): start talking in a few seconds. Your own side stays yours to fill in.
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Your manager’s hard talks practice plan
- Explain the decision with specific examples
- Listen without making promises you cannot keep
- Set expectations and support
Start with a free worksheet, then test your own response with a voice or text roleplay. Your first complete coaching report is free once across all areas. Create a free account to save your goal, actual words, and downloadable notes.
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FAQ
Questions about Firing an Employee
Who am I in this practice?
You are the manager. Jordan Ellis, a customer support rep with one year on the job, is the employee being let go. He missed response-time targets five months straight after two written warnings and a 60-day plan. You speak first, and Jordan reacts to how you deliver the news. Try it free →
What does Jordan do during the conversation?
Jordan is defensive. He disputes every point, asks you to walk him through what happened, and asks to see the emails or documents. He may push on whether the plan named an individual number. At the end, he says what he will do next, such as asking for the separation notice in writing before handing over the laptop. Try it free →
What should you not say when firing someone?
Avoid “this is hard for me too,” jokes, long explanations, debating the record point by point, and anything about age, health, family or other protected traits. Don’t hint the decision might change or promise a reference HR hasn’t approved. Say the decision, the reason in one sentence, and the next steps. Try it free →
Should HR be in the room when you fire someone?
When possible, yes. HR can answer questions about pay and benefits, act as a witness, and keep the meeting consistent with policy. If HR can’t attend, follow their script closely and write up what was said right afterward. Try it free →
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