The Weekly Huckberry Giveaway: September 26, 2015

Last week’s winner was James W. from Grove City, PA, and he chose the Seneca Blazer — a dapper wardrobe piece for fall!

My Picks This Week

We’re big fans of the stylish, versatile, and functional clothing from Ministry of Supply. In the words of Huckberry, “Take the taste of a Brooks Brothers stylist, the technical approach of a MIT spacesuit designer, and the city smarts of a London native and you’ll have Ministry of Supply.”

When you have a date over for dinner, do you want the bright glare of a fluorescent light, or the warm glow that emanates from a handcrafted fixture and a handsome Edison bulb? It can make a world of difference, and that’s where Southern Lights Electric comes in. Their light fixtures are made to order, and will increase the ambiance of any room.

Wool doesn’t have to mean itchy and scratchy. The gents at Duckworth grow their own wool, and then make ultra-soft and naturally stretchy garments that you can wear year-round. Their shirts make the perfect base layer in the winter, or morning running garb in the warmer months.

The Prize

Any item currently available on Huckberry (up to a value of $500). Be sure to check out the current line-up of items as it changes every week.

Enter the Giveaway

If you are an email subscriber, do not reply to this email to make your entry. You must click on the title of this post, which will take you to the post on our web page where you can make your entry. Use the form below to enter. Don’t forget! You have multiple ways to enter! The more of them you do, the better your chances are!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deadline to enter is October 1, 2015 at 5PM CDT. We’ll then draw one random winner. Good luck!

Do You Have an Emotional Insurance Policy?

vintage 1940s 1950s man writing desk office

In the 1993 film My Life, Michael Keaton stars as Bob Jones, a dad-to-be who learns he has cancer and may not live to see his son’s birth.

Bob doesn’t want his unborn child to grow up not knowing who he is, so he starts making home movies of himself, in which he talks to his son and shows him how to do things like shave and jump start a car.

Bob does live long enough to see his son be born, but soon after, the cancer reaches his brain, his health rapidly declines, and he passes away while his boy is still a baby.

The movie closes with a scene of Bob’s wife and son watching a video of Dad reading Green Eggs and Ham.

My Life is truly one of the saddest films of all time, and is the only movie I’ve ever seen my dad cry at. It’s like Beaches for men. The idea of knowing you’re not going to be around for your children pummels you right in the fatherly feels.

Bob knew he was living on borrowed time, and wanted to pass along his love and knowledge to the son he wouldn’t get to raise himself. It’s a position we hope to God we’ll never find ourselves in.

Yet it’s actually a spot we all do find ourselves in. For we’re all living on borrowed time. None of us know when death might snatch us from the earth.

That’s why in addition to taking out a life insurance policy to ensure your children’s financial future is taken care of, you ought to consider taking out an “emotional insurance policy” that’ll cover some of their inner needs.

An emotional insurance policy is made up of letters, emails, videos, or journal entries in which a father shares his love and wisdom with his children. You can give them these missives on a regular basis or save them up to be read at a future date — and not necessarily just upon your death! They can simply be bundled into a gift given to your son or daughter when they become an adult or reach a certain milestone in their life. An emotional insurance policy acts not only as a back-up should you expire before you get to tell your children everything you wish to say, but also as a chance simply to convey those things you might have trouble verbally expressing — things that might otherwise go unsaid while they grow up.

How and Why to Create an Emotional Insurance Policy

A few years ago, when I shared General George S. Patton’s letter to his son, AoM reader Bob Pearce sent me the following email:

“I really enjoyed reading George Patton’s letter to his son. I have been thinking for some time about the way I communicate with my son and with my grandson. My father passed away four years ago and I have nothing that he wrote. He never wrote me a letter nor I him. I would cherish a letter written to me from my late father. I have, for the past year, written a monthly letter to both my son and my grandson. The letters are not about important or historic events. They are about the things I think were important that perhaps we didn’t take the time to really talk about. I hope in future years, they will refer back to the letters when they want to know what I would think or what I would do in a certain situation. I hope they will find something of value in them to help them in their own decisions. I hope they will remember how much I admired, loved, and wanted the best for them.”

When I posted Bob’s email on our short-lived side blog, I got some great responses that show the different forms an emotional insurance policy can take, and offer some inspiration on why you should create your own for your children:

____

“I started writing letters to my son before he was born. Mostly the way some people write blogs. Just in case something happens to me before we get to talk about he and I and us.” –adamsimon

____

“I am a father who lives a fair distance from his son who lives with his mother whom I separated from several years ago. I also work on industrial construction projects that keep me on location in remote areas for long periods of time. When he was young I started a journal to write about our time together, my thoughts on things in the moment as well as a bit of a personal view into his old man’s life. Once he is old enough to read I will send him letters as well to read. The journal I hope to fill and give to him when the timing is right in his early adulthood and hope it means as much to him to read as it does to me to write.” –Bobcat

____

“I think that I’m going to write every year, on my future son’s birthday, several letters to give him at different points in his life (16th bday, 18th, 21st, when I die, when he marries, etc.).” –Matthew W.

____

“For my son’s first birthday I bought a bottle of Bushmill’s Black [whiskey] and had all of the folks at his party write him notes for his 21st birthday to keep in the container. I took the opportunity to write my son a letter to say all the things I could think of that I would want him to hear or know about being a man and put it in there as well as a sort of insurance policy in case I was ever not there to tell him myself. It was a very difficult and emotional thing to do but I hope that in 20 years when he opens it I’ll be there to witness it and toast to his future.” –Jason H.

____

“I write my sons a letter weekly. I write them on nice stationery, note cards (I am in the process of getting some custom letterpressed ones from a local print shop), or photos of things that we have done together that I have printed into postcards (this can be done online through most photo processing places). I mail my letters, as my kids love to get ‘real’ mail in the mailbox. It is a surprise for them.

In my notes I always tell them that I love them, that they are growing and learning to be solid men, and that I am proud of them.

I don’t expect they truly appreciate the letters yet, and I don’t care. Some day they will. What matters is that I am mentoring them to be great men, fathers. and husbands.” –Swimmerman

____

“Looking back I have only one heartfelt letter from my father; to me it is a treasure. Looking forward I understand that I need to offer the same to my sons. Email easily corrupts connections, emotional and otherwise. Best to expose one’s heart, goals, dreams and praise.

A few years ago a seat neighbor on a flight to somewhere confided that he’d spent hours writing to his daughter and that it was the hardest letter he’d ever had to write. So don’t let any of us be in that position of writing from guilt or regret. Let us all write from a position of joy and hope founded on truth. Let’s give all our children, girls and boys, all our best – even if we don’t (or can’t) express it verbally.” –Susan

____

Email may not be for everyone, but it can be a great choice for some. My brother-in-law saw this Google Chrome ad around the time his son was born, and loved the idea of creating an email address for him, to which to send him notes he’d someday read. (Note that you can’t actually create an email address for a minor, but you can do so by using your birthdate instead of theirs.)

My brother-in-law doesn’t write to the email address quite as much as the video shows — just a few times a year, especially when he’s traveling. He and his wife hope to show their son this treasury of emails and record of his childhood once he reaches his teen years.

In whatever form you do it, creating an emotional insurance policy is a fantastic way to solidify your bond with your kids, and make sure you leave them a legacy of your love.

How to Wear a Sports Jacket With Jeans

The sports jacket is one of the best, most versatile items a man can have in his wardrobe. The benefits of this piece of clothing are myriad. First, it enhances your silhouette, broadening and heightening your shoulders, slimming your midsection, and giving you a more masculine appearance overall. Second, it offers a good number of pockets, so you can lighten the load on your trousers and have what you need ready at hand. And third, it affords you an opportunity to be a gentleman; should a lady friend become cold, you can remove your jacket and lend her its warmth.

Thus, any way to extend the times and places in which a sports coat may be worn is a win by me. And one such way is to pair one’s jacket with jeans.

Wearing jeans and a sports coat is a somewhat controversial move; it has been called “the business mullet” (formal up top, casual on the bottom) by its critics. And it’s true that done wrong, the look can come off quite poorly.

But executed well, pairing a sports coat and jeans results in a sharp, casual look that will easily become your go-to getup for a variety of situations. The key to pulling it off is simply to choose the right jeans, the right jacket, and the right accessories. How to do that is what we’ll be covering today.

The Overarching Principle for Successfully Pairing a Sports Jacket With Jeans

Too formal top + too casual bottom = business mullet.

The main reason the sports coat and jeans look fails is that the two pieces are too jarringly matched. Generally, the jeans are too casual, and the jacket is too formal. And often both pieces are too baggy. The solution of course is to make sure that top and bottom complement each other well — that your jeans are a little more formal, your jacket is a little more casual, and everything fits well. Remember, fit is the foundation of style!

Choose Your Jeans

Baggy, over-casual jeans (left), look incongruous paired with a sports jacket, while jeans with a more tailored look (right), complement the jacket nicely.

This is the easiest part of the equation: choose clean, dark, well-fitted, trouser-esque denim. Avoid ripped, baggy, faded, and distressed jeans. Lighter denim can sometimes work, especially if you’re Robert Redford circa 1975. But to keep it simple, go with a nice, deep indigo.

Choose Your Sports Jacket

This is the area where you’ll have to exercise more discretion.

The first question that often arises is whether one’s coat has to be of the sports variety, or whether one can pair jeans with a suit jacket or blazer.

When it comes to wearing a suit jacket and jeans, the answer is, with very few exceptions, decidedly no. A suit jacket is more structured, spare in details, smooth in fabric, and formal in appearance; thus, paired with the casualness of jeans, the resulting look is simply too discordant and jarring.

The blazer jacket sits in-between the formality levels of the suit jacket and the sports jacket. It can work with jeans, especially if it is made of a thicker, more textured fabric like flannel or serge, rather than the fine worsted wool common to suit jackets. But it can still come off as too formal to pair well with denim.

When it comes to style, most men are better off adhering to fairly simple rules, rather than delving into nuances and exceptions, so when it comes to donning a jacket with your jeans, I recommend sticking solely with the sports coat. It’s hard to go wrong with it. The sports jacket was created in the 19th century for gentlemen who needed a more rugged, utilitarian garment for active pursuits like shooting, hunting, riding, and golf. The jacket was thus constructed of thicker fabrics and adorned with patch pockets for cartridges, elbow patches for durability, and slits in the back for mobility. These rustic, casual style details are what make the sports jacket a quite fitting companion for the rustic, casualness of denim. In fact, the more casual the jacket, the better it will complement your jeans.

For more on the differences between suit jackets, blazers, and sports coats, check out this article.

Here are a few things to generally look for in a sports jacket that will pair particularly well with jeans:

A jacket in a color that contrasts with your jeans (right), generally looks better than a jacket in a similar color (left).

• Unstructured and soft-shouldered.
• Casual, textured fabric. Linen or cotton in warmer months; tweed, corduroy, etc. for colder weather.
• Casual style details like patch pockets and elbow patches.
• Two buttons over three.
• Thin notch lapels over peak lapels.
• Well-fitted. Sports coats are cut roomier than suit jackets and blazers in order to allow for layering underneath. But you don’t want the fit to be too baggy.
• High color contrast with jeans. Sports coats, unlike suit jackets, aren’t supposed to match your pants, and in fact look best when they form a sharp contrast with them. Thus a light-colored sports coat generally looks best with dark denim.

The Accessories

This is a good example of just about the peak of formality that can be reached with a sports jacket and jeans. Go any further and you risk trending into business mullet territory. Note how versatile this look is, though — it would be quite appropriate for  a variety of business casual functions and more.

The other pieces you pair with your sports coat and jeans will go a long way towards ensuring your getup works. You can choose to go with a slightly dressier look, or a more casual one, but your general goal is to dress the jacket down, rather than to dress your jeans up. There’s only so much dressing up of the look you can do before the elements of one’s outfit become discordant.

A crisp, open-collar button-down looks right at home under a sports jacket. Image from Articles of Style.

Shirt. Go with a casual, open-collar button-down. A crisp oxford looks good with a slightly more formal sports jacket, while a denim or chambray button-down goes well with a very casual one. Checked and striped shirts often look sharp. Wearing a t-shirt underneath a sports coat is almost never advisable, as its casual nature clashes too much with the jacket.

Examples of layering possibilities.

Sweater/vest. A layered look goes great with jeans, so don’t hesitate to pull a v-neck sweater or casual vest over your dress shirt, and under your jacket.

Shoes. When dressing up the look, choose a brown pair of brogues or oxfords. For a step down from there, go with leather loafers or double monk strap shoes. More casual still, would be to don dress/work boots (like my personal favorite, the Wolverine 1,000 mile) or chukkas. And of course cowboy boots with jeans and a sports coat is a classic look that transcends categories and works well in certain regions of the country.

A knit tie works well in matching the rustic quality of both jacket and jeans.

Tie. A tie is an unnecessary addition to what is a relatively casual look, but it can be pulled off, as long as the tie is heftier and more casual, and thus complements the rest of your getup. Think textured and thicker — beefier wool over shiny silk.

Pocket Square. Another sharp addition if you’re going for a snazzier ensemble. Just like with ties, choose a thicker, more rustic fabric rather than silk, and it’s usually best to go with a simple, low-profile fold rather than a puffy, flowing one.

In incorporating all of these elements, stick with a consistent theme; that is, if you’re going for a slightly dressier look, rock brogues, a crisp oxford, and a pocket square. If you’re going for a more casual look, pair leather dress/work boots with a chambray shirt and no tie.

When to Wear a Sports Coat and Jeans

One good time to wear a sports jacket and jeans is when you’re running from the FBI, who mistakenly believes you’ve killed your wife. These are the only circumstances under which you’re allowed to wear black sneakers with your getup as well.

A sports coat paired with jeans is not a formal or semi-formal look. It’s inherently casual in nature. That being said, it’s an extremely versatile outfit that’s particularly perfect when the dress code is a little squiggy — events where you know things aren’t going to be very dressy, but you don’t think it’s going to be super casual either. Sports coat + jeans bridges the gap between causal and dressy, town and country, and is thus a highly adaptable outfit that will allow you to seem neither too dressed up nor too dressed down in a variety of situations, including:

First date. A handsome look a lady friend is sure to appreciate. The sports jacket provides plenty of pockets to hold the essential items in a man’s first date arsenal, and you can offer your coat to your gal should she get cold. Plus, as ladies often wear dressed-up denim out on the town, this getup will allow you to look sharp without outdressing your date (something a gentleman strives to avoid).

Casual/creative job interview. When you’re applying for a job in a very casual workplace, where employees wear t-shirts and hoodies to work, the sports coat/jeans combo can be just the right sharp, but not-too uptight look for an interview.

A job that straddles field and office. If you work a job where you’re sometimes in an office, and sometimes out in the field (at a construction site, for example) the combination of durability, functionality, and put-togetherness of a sports jacket + jeans will allow you to move comfortably between different sites and roles.

Traveling. The sports jacket’s pockets come in handy when you’re traveling, while the jeans will keep you comfortable. Together the look ensures you’ll arrive to your destination in style.

Other situations where a sports coat and jeans would fit right in include casual business functions, casual church services, dinner at a steakhouse with friends, parent/teacher conferences, etc. Tinker with the formality of the accessories listed above to arrive at a look that’ll best fit the particular situation. Antonio Centeno at Real Men, Real Style recommends making the sports jacket/jeans combo your default getup for day-to-day life!

How to Escape Quicksand: An Illustrated Guide

Quicksand has held an interesting place in our cultural zeitgeist. Particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, it played a role in nearly one-third of Hollywood movies. Lawrence of Arabia, winner of seven 1962 Oscars, features a dramatic scene in which actor Peter O’Toole races across the desert sands in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save a young boy from quicksand. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, and used the line “lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice” to implore the crowd and nation. When scientists were debating the safety of landing on the moon, plenty of smart men argued that lunar quicksand could envelop the lunar lander entirely and ruin the mission. Even the Vietnam War was often described as and compared to being a quagmire or pit of quicksand.

Quicksand was once something that kids feared, and adults thought was a seriously dangerous real-life scenario. Today, that’s not so much the case (unless the kid in question has discovered The Princess Bride, and been watching it over and over). There isn’t any research as to why this is; it’s possible that the idea of quicksand simply ceased to cause fear once the culture was flooded with it, folks got inured to the trope, and fewer and fewer movies featuring this danger were made. In the 90s, the fear of quicksand was supplanted by that of zombies and ghosts — the most common deliverers of terror in our modern forms of entertainment. Since we’ve already likely reached the point of “peak zombie,” the undead may experience the same fate as quicksand in another decade or two, only to be replaced by some other wreaker of havoc. (For some more discussion about this interesting phenomenon, take a listen to this Radiolab podcast.)

While quicksand is indeed real, it’s not nearly as dangerous as Hollywood once made it out to be. First, this natural phenomenon can’t happen just anywhere; it requires some sort of underground water reserve, so in the U.S., you’re most likely to find it in the swamps/marshes of the Southeast, or the canyon regions of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Also, you won’t sink to your death unless you really panic. As long as you make slow movements, and know some basics about escape tactics (provided above), you’ll in all likelihood be just fine. In fact, death by quicksand is most often not due to drowning in it, but because escape isn’t made quickly enough and the person succumbs to the elements. Using the tips above, you can rest assured that won’t be you!

How to Fire Someone

Every boss (with the exception, of course, of Donald Trump) will say that one of the worst parts of their job is having to fire people. Even when you’re letting someone go purely for financial reasons rather than performance, it’s an unenviable task, as it obviously drastically changes the former employee’s life and is among the most stressful events he or she can experience. And yet it’s a necessary part of business, especially when you’re in a supervisory role. Firing an employee will be awkward and uncomfortable no matter what, but there are a few things you can keep in mind to make it a little less painful for everyone involved. You also want to protect your legal and financial interests, which can easily be forgotten in this process. Below you’ll find tips gleaned from seasoned executives, as well as logistics to think about, that will help guide you through the process.

Do You Give Advanced Warning?

In some cases, it’s necessary (perhaps because of company policies) and/or desirable to let someone know well in advance that the writing’s on the wall and that they’ll be terminated if they don’t make needed improvements. Unless the performance/behavior at issue is especially egregious — sexual harassment, for instance, is grounds for immediate termination — sometimes the employee can realize the error of their ways and turn things around.

You can set up an initial meeting to lay out the fact that things aren’t looking good for them, and to let them know the situation can be turned around with some measurable goals being met within a certain timeframe, generally 30-90 days. There is a standard action plan for this called a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Once the “probation” period is up, if the employee still isn’t up to snuff, they know what’s coming, and are fired. This also gives the employee the chance to resign and exit gracefully themselves within that timeframe should they choose to. When this type of performance plan is put in place, it’s common for that to happen.

If the layoff is related to finances versus performance, it’s best to carry out the termination without any warning. Announcing to the office that someone(s) will be let go if the business’ profits don’t improve will only cause stress, fear, and intense competition — not things that make for a good work environment.

Document Everything

Protecting yourself legally has become ever more important in today’s litigation-happy society. You need to document any infractions or performance problems well in advance of any action being taken. Keep digital (and physical) folders of emails sent, write-ups given, PIPs, etc. You want any communication in writing, so even if your conversations were face-to-face you’ll want to send summary emails. Don’t let any communication or reprimanding happen prior to the firing without documentation.

Act Swiftly

After you’ve documented what needs to happen, you need to act quickly. While bosses and corporations often have a reputation for being ruthless robots without an iota of human sensitivity, the reality often tells a different story. Multiple people I spoke with mentioned the need to act quickly once a decision is made to terminate someone, as all too often a supervisor will put off the firing because of how uncomfortable and sometimes heart-wrenching it can be.

While business often becomes personal, the bottom line never does. One exec I talked to ensures that his relationship with coworkers isn’t very close because you just never know when hard business decisions will need to be made.

The phrase “I should have fired them a long time ago” should not be uttered from your lips. Rip off the band-aid as soon as a decision has been made, and don’t let those decisions be influenced by personal relationships or uncomfortable feelings on your end.

Plan Ahead

So you’ve set in place a PIP to no avail, and you’ve documented the employee’s need to be let go — what do you do next? Before you go about even setting up a meeting with the to-be-terminated employee, make sure you’ve planned ahead about the logistics of firing someone. Besides just physically getting them out of the office, you need to think about the following aspects:

• IT security — make sure they no longer have access to company files, clients, etc. as soon as they’re let go. Also be sure passwords become deactivated immediately.
• Benefits — there are logistics to canceling insurance plans, transitioning 401ks, etc. Be sure whoever is doing these things — be it HR, a third-party company, or yourself — is ready and notified that changes are coming. Their final paycheck needs to be planned accordingly, and you should also know how unemployment works so you can explain it to them.
• Company property — ensure that your company receives back anything that is your property: computer, flash drive, cell phone, credit card, etc.
• Non-compete clauses and non-disclosure agreements — look through the original contract the employee signed so that you’re aware, and can remind them of, any NCCs or NDAs they may have forgotten about. Also know if your particular circumstances have rendered them null and void (in general, though, it’s hard to break these agreements).

Is the Employee a Danger?

While not common, it’s important to know if security and/or local police will be needed should the employee become belligerent. If there’s even a hint that an employee could pose a threat to themselves or others, you should notify security and/or police. And frankly, it’s not a bad idea to let security know to be on call, even if you don’t perceive a possible threat; it’s impossible to know who could have a short fuse, and even just the presence of security could keep someone from lashing out. Always better to be safe than sorry!

Have Someone With You in the Room

It’s good to have backup in the room if possible. This person — often from HR in larger companies — acts as a witness to what is said, and what happens after the deed is done. If legal actions are taken, this backup can verify details as a third-party so that things don’t get personal or devolve into a match of he-said/she-said.

Keep the Meeting Short and to the Point

This isn’t a time for idle chitchat. Get right down to business, and keep the meeting short and informative. Explanations are okay, but not necessary. This isn‘t a time to justify or to assuage your guilty feelings. It can be as simple as “We’re letting you go effective immediately. Your last paycheck will be deposited _____. Do you have any questions?” It seems cold and impersonal, but frankly, it needs to be.

This also isn’t a time for discussion. You should only be doing this if the decision is final anyway, so if the employee tries to talk themselves back into their job, calmly say something like, “This decision is final, and you need to pack up your things.”

Be prepared for any number of reactions — upset, confused, angry. Mentally walk through how you’ll handle each of these emotions. Also be sure to have a clear way of ending the meeting if it seems to be dragging on a bit. A good way of doing so is to stand and offer a handshake (if they accept that handshake is up to them — a gentleman always offers though!).

Leave Emotion Out of It

You are likely going to feel bad terminating someone. That’s human nature. Unfortunately, you can’t really let that show. Apologizing only weakens your position, and could hurt you legally. It may also lead the employee to think you don’t really want them gone, which can make them try to argue for their job (see above). The old cliché that “it’s not personal, it’s business” needs to ring true when firing someone. Having said that, you need to learn to walk the fine line between impersonal and callous…

Treat Them With Civility

No matter what, strive to treat the terminated employee with civility. Even if the termination is of their own doing, it’s most often a humiliating and shameful experience. The last thing you want to do is pile on and add to that. Let there be no demeaning language, keep your voice calm and level, and under no circumstances should you fight back — with words or fists! — should they become angry and resort to yelling or name-calling. Be both magnanimous and stoic.

Another aspect of this is simply giving the employee space to process what’s just happened. Hearing the words “We’re letting you go” is a surreal experience. Having gone through this myself once, I can say that it does take a few minutes for the reality of the situation to actually sink in. You sort of go into asking questions and muttering incoherences without even realizing it. As a boss, you can give them that space to just sit and process for a little bit. If they ask questions, it’s up to you whether to answer or not, but generally it’s safer not to (for legal reasons), unless it’s about logistics regarding the end of their work with you (see above about planning ahead).

Which Day of the Week Should I Fire Someone?

There are various schools of thought when it comes to which day of the week is best for firing someone. You’ll find proponents for Mondays, Fridays, and also mid-week. I’ll briefly break down those arguments, and let you come to your own informed decision on the matter.

Monday: If you let someone go early in the week, the idea is that they then have the rest of the workweek to immediately take action to find new work. They can communicate with their network, send out resumes, apply for unemployment — all while the week is still young. That thinking means a little less these days in our largely digital world in which you can do all these things from a computer. But, people are still more likely to be reachable early in the week versus later, especially in summer months.

Friday: A firing at the end of the workweek theoretically leads to less commotion in the office. It’s more likely that not everyone will be in the cubes, and it’s even possible to arrange a late meeting and ensure that the termination happens after most people have gone home. This also gives both the fired employee and the rest of the office team (if they’re present when it happens) the chance to absorb the news and decompress from any angry feelings over the weekend. This is also risky, though, as it’s possible the employee feels used for having worked the whole week when it’s likely that the superiors knew at least a few days prior.

Any other day: Many HR reps and supervisors will say that you should let someone go as soon as the decision has been finalized, no matter which day it falls on. Dawdling doesn’t help anyone: it makes the employee work longer than necessary, and protracts your brooding over the task to come.

Does Time of Day Matter?

Just as there are differing ideas on which day of the week to let someone go, so too there are varying theories for time of day. Doing it in the morning gets it out of the way rather than having to think about it all day, and also keeps the employee from putting in a full workday. This can be tricky because it’s also when the office is filling up and people are getting coffee and saying hi to each other — it may cause more commotion than at other times. It’s also possible that it sets up a poor day of productivity for the whole office; will folks just be thinking about whether their own job is on the line?

The end of the day can ensure that people are filtering out of the office, and after it’s done, the employee can clean out their things with some privacy. If other employees are still present, it can give them the evening to process what’s happened rather than doing so during working hours. One negative of this may be that the employee doesn’t get a chance to say goodbye to coworkers. In my own experience, I was let go at the end of the day, but was able to say goodbye outside the office because we had developed true friendships.

Firing someone is an unpleasant experience. There’s no way around it. In spite of that, you can work to make the experience as smooth as possible, protect your company, and treat your ex-employee with courtesy on the way out. Remember, it’s not personal, it’s business.

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Send us a tweet or join the discussion on Facebook!

Nepal – The Annapurna Base Camp Trek Begins

The third in a series on hiking the Annapurna Base Camp trek in Nepal with Active Adventures. If you’re not acclimated to cities – especially cities in the developing world – a day and a half in Kathmandu might have you feeling a little on edge. On Day 2 of Active Adventures‘ Annapurna Base Camp Trek,…