Termination Letter Template
Terminating an employee is never easy, whether due to the emotions or due to the legal minefield. It is vital that an employment termination be handled properly to protect your company from future litigation. A key part of the termination process is a well written termination letter. Use our free sample Employment Termination Letter Template below to help you get started. Keep reading below for a sample employment letter of termination, additional tips and links to other resources.
Employment Termination Letter Template
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⤓ Word (.docx)Other Versions
Author: Brent Weight and Jon Wittwer
License: Limited Use
Description
Nobody likes writing a letter of termination of employment (we hope). Use this template to help make this difficult situation more bearable. You can find sample wording for various situations in the sample termination letters below.
Tips: How to Write an Employment Termination Letter
- Be concise and stay on topic.
- Use a proper business letter format See our free Business Letter Template
- Do your homework before beginning the termination process. A letter is only part of the process.
- Keep it professional and respectful.
- It may be better to show genuine concern instead of no emotion at all.
- Don't write anything that you wouldn't want the whole world to see.
- Be cautious and seek council from your HR or legal departments.
Need help leaving your job on your own terms? Visit our Letter of Resignation page for free samples, tips and other resources.
Use AI To Help Write a Termination Letter
There are multiple generative AI tools that can help you come up with a draft for a letter. For example, using the Bing AI Chat or ChatGPT, you could use some of these prompts:
- Create a formal brief termination letter. Reason is continual tardiness.
- Generate a termination letter for an employee who is being immediately terminated due to [reasons, e.g., violation of company policies].
- Generate a letter notifying an employee about the termination of their position due to downsizing in [Company Name].
BONUS!If you have a ChatGPT Plus account, check out our Letter Writing AI.
Sample Termination Letters
Sample Employment Termination Letter
Tracy Pope
HR Director
ABC Company
123 Anywhere Street
Somewhereville, Best State 88889
January 1, 2011
Mr. Ryan Francom
456 Somewhere Road
Best Town, Best State 88888
Dear Mr. Francom:
We regret to inform you that your employment with ABC Company is hereby terminated immediately.
Despite verbal and written warnings about your performance, you have not obtained the performance objectives we set on 11/5/2009 and reviewed again on 12/10/2009. Please return your desk key and id badge to the security desk.
As part of your separation from ABC Company and per company policy, we will be providing you with two weeks’ severance pay. Please also note that all other benefits will end on the termination date including your health and dental insurance. Please contact the health insurance company directly for information on COBRA options.
Should you have any questions about your benefits or other details about your termination, please contact Mike Speth in HR at (123) 456-7890.
ABC Company wishes you the best in your future employment.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
Tracy Pope
More Termination Letter Templates
You can find more templates for Word by going to File > New and searching for "termination" or "layoff." Below is a list of some of the types of termination letters you may find:
- Letter Notifying Employee of Layoff - If you need to let a group of people go due to a downturn in the economy or company profits, you can look for a letter using the term "layoff" instead of "termination."
- Notice of Termination Due To Job Abandonment - Consider this letter if you need to terminate someone who has not been showing up to work. Then you just have to figure out how to get it to them.
- Notice of Termination Due to Job Performance - Another sample letter dealing with letting go of unproductive employees. It details the performance that led to termination.
- Notice of Termination for Falsifying Information - Lying is not a good idea unless you want to receive a letter like this.
- Notice of Termination Due to Policy Violation - Use this letter to help you terminate someone who can't seem to follow the rules.
More Sample Termination Letters
- Writing Termination Letters - WriteExpress.com - Some tips and sample termination letters.
Additional Resources / References
- 10 Don'ts When You Fire an Employee - thebalance.com
- The Right Way to Fire Someone - entrepreneur.com : Describes ten steps to help you through the difficult process of letting someone go.
