I have to sack my best friend, any advice?

Question

I run a small business, and one of my employees is my best friend. I have no option other than to let her go, and do her workload myself. This will triple my income, and enable me to carry out major plans for my future, which have been on hold for 2 years because she has not built up much business . Although she's very good at her job, she has not performed as well as I had hoped. I love her to bits, and I am dreading breaking the news to her. She's due to come and stay for a few days in a month's time. Shall I wait and do it then? Or just phone her and tell her everything before then? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

I think I would want to know now.
Friend or not she has a future that she
needs to plan for too.
I don't know about the money involved for her
but planning to visit and spending money while
visiting you....could that hurt her pocket book?
I think being honest is best, do it now get it over with and maybe you could give her time to find another job?
That would be a great thing to do....inform her now...give her the month to find a job while she continues to work or give her severance pay...and then hopefully you can keep the friendship.
For future note remember its not good to mix the two...business and friends or family for that matter.

best wishes

Answer 2

I'm not sure what type of business it is, so this will be general.
First step, try to remove her for the positions she is lacking. Or the things that are "losing" you the most money. If she is a good worker find where her potential shines and reappropriate her to that area. Explain to her why you are doing it, but keep her on "losely". You can even tell her it's probation of some sort. Either way, it will be much easier to push her to become more productive in the ways you see fit by prodding or pushing her in the way she needs to go. Dismissing her all together could lead to unforseen problems. Such as, but not limited to, Fraud, retaliation, lawsuits, or otherthings that could hurt your earnings. I am not sure how close of a friend so i am giving you a general idea. Also if you want a good worker and would like to hire someone, I'll do the work (wink). [e-mail]

Answer 3

Well if you are prepared to wait a month to tell her, could it be best to explain it to her now, about how things aren't working, and asking her if she would look for something else. If she's a friend she will. So removing the need to actually sack her.

You say you've had the plans on hold for 2 year, what's another couple of months, to avoid bringing hardship to a friend? If she is good at her job, she should have no trouble getting something else, especially if you give a great reference.

Answer 4

ok,
first off you never employ family members or friends cause usually they start getting very comforable and think that you will never let them go and they think they have it made, you know. and you cant really get all mad at them like you could with others, cause then they will try to put a guilt trip on you or you'll just feel bad about it on your own, so that takes away from the professionalism you want to maintain in your business.
but i think you should give your friend a second chance, it was your misstake you to hire her and not seeing this coming in the first place and by not setting these very important ground rules from the beginning.
let her know what is going on in the business right now, and tell her she is not meeting your expectations. and that is what you want when you two are working, and set some ground rules tell her that in work she will be treated as equally as everyone else( but you can hook her up every now and then;) she's your Best Friend) try to make this as best friend like as you can as much as possible along with making it as professional as you can as much as possible as well. uneploying her may end your great relationship and you dont want that (i wouldnt) you may think she'll understand, but umeploying someone is always something very serious and also being unemployed by your "Best Friend" it'll be very hurtfull. after you talk to her about what you want, and she doesnt improve then you can Fire her but dont just do it by surprise.


oh yeah and do it in person!! and this is an awsome question;)

Answer 5

It's fair enough people saying if she is a true friend she will understand. I think that is utter rubbish. On the flipside if you were a true friend you would not sack her..

What are your reasons for sacking her as that is not entirely clear? If it is her performance, have you spoken to her before about it or is this going to come like a bolt out of the blue to her? She is obviously going to be gutted and you cannot expect her to react in a good hearted way. It will also be hard for her to see her 'friend' profit so vastly, as you say, from her sacking!

My husband worked for my brother until he walked out after 3 years. This has caused a major family rift and breaks my heart every day as I feel like I am being torn in half. Never ever mix business with family or friends!

Good luck... I have a feeling you are going to need it!

Answer 6

Cut her hours firstly and inform her she is not performing and if she bucks up her ideas she can have the hours back if not you will have to let her go all together, let her know where she stands maybe there is a deeper problem holding her back which you could help with, to loose your best friend would be a crime so let her know if it was anyone else they would be out the door, she may realise she is on borrowed time and suprise you with new and better business. Good Luck.

Answer 7

I think as you are friends you need to do this face to face NOT on the telephone. You need to be honest but also need to check you are not breaking the law by sacking her. Could you perhaps make her redundant instead with a little pay off? I think you should take legal advice here to make sure you do everything by the book - if you fall out as friends you don't want it to end up with a court case. Hopefully she will understand, be honest and explain the situation to her but it probably won't go down well and if you are very unlucky it will, of course, affect your friendship. Get advice and do it face to face as soon as possible to get it over and done with.

Answer 8

Dont be too harsh, just becasue she hasnt reached your expectations, just see how she is going at work and if she isnt putting enough work into it, then just try and explain to her and ask her to try a little harder ebcaus it will make more money for the businuess, but please dont be harsh about it or it will cause a fall out and i am sure you really dont want that. I think that you shoudl try your best to be nice about it all!!! If it gets too much and you really have to sack her, do it in a really nice way and explain why but dont be nasty about it, be calm and make sure you dont hurt her, and do not sack her over the phone that is one of the worst things you could do, wait until you see her and make sure she is okay with everything and that it doesnt cause you both to fall out, explain to her that it is the businuess side of things and that you dont want it to ruin your friendship!!!

Answer 9

you must tell her as soon as possible to save any awkwardness when she comes and also to give her more notice so she can find another job, explain you love her to bits and it has nothing to do with her as a person its just you cant afford to keep her on, she wouldn't expect a different boss who wasn't her friend to keep her on if work wasn't good so why should you , she might be a little off with you and say some hurt full things, but if she is a good friend she should understand you could even write her a glowing reference and give her some contacts for a new job, good luck friendship and business don't always do well

Answer 10

first off; never employ friends or family... down that road lies madness.

you sack your friend, and youll be doing evrything... the rest of the staff will see this..and think; bugger, shes sacked her best friend, who's next? and you lose all their loyalty...and have a nervous breakdown as well as go bankrupt.

and her not performing is your fault, youre the boss, accept responsibility for your inaction... youre not a good boss, are you. we have to make these decisions every day... you puttiing it off says far more about you than it does about your soon to be fired ex best friend.

triple your income? how? by working 3 times as hard.. whos doing your accounts gordon brown?

it isnt going to happen.. all youll do is alienate your workers, and find yourself working 20 hours a day...

have a word with your friend by all means... but be realistic in the goals you set... or you'll lose the lot, and have no best friend to talk to.

yes. life is hard