When someone leaves their job, in a way it's still a bit like a breakup. Of course, in a breakup it also matters whether I'm the one breaking up with you, or you're the one breaking up with me. Whoever initiates the breakup is somewhere proud of themselves for having dared to take the step, and considers themselves the party who came out ahead.
Is it always like this?
We can probably agree that the situation is awkward no matter what.
The boss and the subordinate who, until then, smiled at each other (at least on the surface), greeted each other with a loud hello, had coffee together, and fought shoulder to shoulder for the holy profit, break off all contact almost overnight.
Let's look at what happens when the employer is the one breaking things off, i.e. thanks the unsuspecting employee for their contribution on a rainy autumn day. The reasons can of course be varied, and I think one should act accordingly. What is certain is that either the person's work is no longer needed, meaning there's a financial reason behind it, or it is still needed, but the employee has really pushed their luck.
In the former case, there is no emotional charge that would make it harder to behave like an adult, so it would be right for the managing director to let the colleague — who had been a good employee until then — go into the rocky terrain of the labor market in the most honest and supportive way possible.
At the same time, it's the employee's responsibility not to think like the turkey in the story, who received feed from the farmer every single morning, day after day, and believed this would go on forever, until Thanksgiving Day arrived... In other words, they should keep training themselves, keep learning, and keep building relationships, even if they feel great in the henhouse.
But what about the situation where someone actually needs to be fired? Many managers fail this test and don't dare do it, because the situation isn't really that bad — why cause a fuss, and who will do the work of the person being let go? Yet a manager is a manager precisely because they get a bigger salary and a company car in order to also take on the uncomfortable conversations. At least, that's how it should be.
If the situation gets to the point where someone has to be fired, it's essential to state clearly (again) what the problem is, even if this feels completely pointless because it has already happened many times before. Hopefully. Since both sides are on edge, it doesn't hurt to do this with a surgeon's cut, and to waive working out the notice period, which is in everyone's best interest anyway.
When, on the other hand, the employee feels they have reached the horizon of their opportunities at the company and simply got tired of it, or has been offered something nicer, better, bigger, more colorful, more interesting, more spacious, and more loving elsewhere, they must be aware that their departure is a loss for the company.
And if they want to be fair about it, they don't announce it at the last minute, they don't lure the others away with them, but instead do everything they can to fill the gap left behind with as little pain as possible, for the sake of their colleagues and the owner.
Because the employer is human too, and has been providing work all along.
