Would you use a subordinate employee to perform a major task knowing that you were going to fire them?

Answer 1

without doubt, they're getting paid arent they?

Answer 2

Why would you use "a subordinate employee to perform a major task knowing that you were going to fire them?"

Have you considered that person may already know that you are going to fire them?

You are not too bright. You could be the next to be fired since you obviously do not have the management or decision making skills required to be in a position of authority.

If you are the owner, consider another line of work.

Answer 3

The way I see it, this is not a question about ethics. It is about HR tactics. I assume this employee you are referring to is good enough for you to entrust him/her with a major task. However, you are going to fire him/her, regardless of the outcome in the task.

The question you need to ask yourself know is that whether that employee is aware of your plans for terminating his/her employment. If he/she is aware, then you would be better off not delegating an important task to this person.

A person who knows that he/she will be fired soon after an important task is completed will have all the motivation in the world to badly mess it up. And given it being a major task, it will reflect negatively on you and maybe even your business. Therefore, it really is not worth squeezing one more ounce of service from a person who knows his/her accomplishments will have no effect in changing your heart.

So just fire the guy/gal and get someone else to do that major task.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Possibly. If you're a very unethical employer, you might do such a thing for the purpose of engineering the employee's failure on a task so complicated, that he was unlikely to do it satisfactorily. It may add reason for the termination, which was going to happen anyway. I suppose it may backfire a little, if the employee accomplished that task in exemplary fashion, but that wouldn't preclude just a simple layoff due to budget cutting.

Answer 5

This is unethical. If I wanted it done properly (and it is a major task) I would give it to a reliable, dependable and trustful employee.

It's not fair to the employee I plan to fire. It's not worth the tension and aggravation. And, I could be setting myself and the company up for a lawsuit.

Answer 6

In the modern "lean and mean" arena of corporate stupidity, it's become standard practice to chew up a subordinate's juices and then spit them out. After all, there are no persons in Personnel, and no humans in Human Resources. The top of all company pyramids support the entire structure in the eyes of the executive staff; they are mental wizards who take credit for their underlings achievements and then give themselves huge bonuses and salary raises to help them sleep at night. In your example, there's no doubt that the subordinate is smarter than his boss, and the boss knows it. Can't have the cream rising to the top, can we? It would dilute the ignorance pool that's running the show.

Answer 7

This is a contradiction in terms.
You should make up your mind - either fire the employee or keep him to do the major task.

Answer 8

I would not fire someone that important to the company.

Answer 9

It takes a stupid boss to do so,because of ignorance and self indulgent.

Answer 10

Remember what goes around comes around. I wouldn't

Answer 11

No certasinly not. Thats unethical.