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You can decrease the impact employee terminations have on your business and remaining employees, as well as the potential resulting legal issues, by taking the time to manage the situation carefully. Having an employee termination strategy is a good starting point. As you develop your strategy, you should remember that most terminations will fall under one of these three categories:

1. Employment that's terminated by the employer due to the employee's behavior or performance issues.
2. Employment that's terminated by the employer solely due to economic reasons.
3. Employment that's voluntarily ended by the employee.

Any Type of Termination

• Set up a process to follow. Following the same set procedure, including a checklist for each termination step, will help ensure that you treat all your employees equally.
• Consult an attorney to ensure you understand how the employer-employee relationship is regulated legally and all the applicable guidelines.
• Communicate effectively with your employees so that they understand exactly what's expected of them and all possible disciplinary actions. This will help you avoid misunderstandings.

Employer Terminates Due to an Employee's Behavior/Performance

• It's vital that all employees understand what you expect and require of them. It's equally vital to document warnings and counseling thoroughly. This will not only help you protect your business should you ultimately need to terminate an employee, but it will also give you the opportunity to allow some deserving poor performers a second chance to do better.
• In certain circumstances, an immediate termination will be the most prudent course of action to protect yourself and your other employees. For example, the immediate termination of an employee that steals or poses a danger could be warranted. However, it's still critical that you understand your legal responsibilities.

Employer Terminates Based Solely on Economic Reasons

• Layoffs can be very difficult for you, the employees being laid off, the employees staying, and your management team. You can help control anxiety and tension by keeping the lines of communication open and ensuring that all employees are kept in the loop about what's taking place.
• The layoff process can be somewhat less traumatic if you remember to let your employees know they're still valued, appreciated, and respected. It can also help if you're able to help them secure alternative employment and/or provide a severance package.

Employee Voluntarily Ends Their Employment

• You'll want to clearly understand why an employee is ending their employment. An exit interview policy is a great tool to understand why an employee is leaving, how well your company is competing in areas like wages and benefits, and if you have any operational or management problems to be rectified.
• You might want to make a counter-offer if a valuable employee is leaving and you'd like to retain them; after all, turnover can be very expensive for employers. Discuss the reasons your employee has decided to leave. If the departure is based on wages, then you might find that it would be cheaper to agree to a raise than it would be to recruit and train a new employee.

In closing, most all employers will be faced with employee terminations at some point. If you plan ahead and have the proper procedures in place, you can both minimize the effects and protect your business against any legal ramifications.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as carpal tunnel can create serious health problems for employees who work all day on a computer. Risk factors include repetition (the daily, lengthy use of a keyboard and mouse or trackpad) and awkward postures (extending arms to type, hunching shoulders, and/or sitting for long periods). A properly designed and arranged computer workstation can go a long way toward preventing MSD.

To help evaluate the safety and comfort of your workstations, OSHA has developed this checklist:

Working Postures. Are your workstations designed or arranged so that they allow the user's:

• head and neck to be upright, or in-line with the torso
• head, neck, and trunk to face forward
• trunk to be perpendicular to floor (might lean back into backrest. but not forward)?
• shoulders and upper arms to be in line with the torso, about perpendicular to the floor and relaxed
• upper arms and elbows to be close to the body
• Forearms, wrists, and hands to be straight and in line (forearm at about 90o to the upper arm)?
• wrists and hands to be straight
• highs to be parallel to the floor and the lower legs to be perpendicular to floor (thighs may be slightly elevated above knees)
• feet rest flat on the floor or are supported by a stable footrest?

Seating. Is the chair designed so that the:

• backrest provides support for the lower back (lumbar area)
• seat width and depth accommodate the specific user
• seat front does not press against the back of knees and lower legs
• seat has cushioning and is rounded with a "waterfall" front
• Armrests support both forearms and do not interfere with movement?

Keyboard/Input Device. Is the keyboard/input device designed or arranged so that:

• the device platform is stable and large enough to hold a keyboard and an input device
• the input device (mouse or trackball) is next to keyboard so it can be operated without reaching
• the input device is easy to activate and the shape/size fits hand
• wrists and hands do not rest on sharp or hard edges?

Monitor. Is the monitor designed or arranged so that:

• the top of the screen is at or below eye level so users can read it without bending the head or neck down/back?
• users with bifocals/trifocals can read the screen without bending the head or neck backward?
• the monitor distance allows user to read the screen without leaning head, neck or trunk forward or backward
• the monitor is directly in front of user, so that he or she doesn't have to twist their head or neck
• the screen does not reflect glare from windows or lights, which can cause the user to assume an awkward posture so they can see information on the screen clearly?