Lawyer Explains Why Termination Meetings Are Short and 3 Questions To Ask When Fired

According to new figures, published by payroll provider Deel, the UK is witnessing a rapid increase of contract terminations compared to more than 160 countries across the globe.

Deel's statistics highlighted the sharp 14 per cent rise in contract terminations around the world towards the end of 2023, jumping from 28 per cent to a staggering 42 per cent.

Matt Monette, the Country Lead and Head of Expansion for Deel UKI, blamed inflation, the current wage squeeze and the mounting energy prices for "hurting businesses" and the mass layoffs in the UK.

While the UK has also seen low redundancy figures, the Head of Expansion reassured employees that "there is still room for optimism."

"The overall number of UK layoffs remains low when compared to the growth in hiring in the region," Monette said, recognising how work layoffs have remained below pre-pandemic levels despite the recent rise.

Craig Levey is a Massachusetts-based Employment and Business Attorney who uses his social media platforms to advise workers on corporate behaviour.

In a video posted on his TikTok profile, followed by more than 277,000 people, Levey addressed the short length of termination meetings.

"Many employees are so stunned to be fired that they do not ask any questions," he said, noting that they should "ask three questions during termination meeting."

"One, why am I being fired? Two, when do my benefits end? And three, am I being offered severance?"

Termination meetings are usually cut short because "employers design these meetings to last only a few minutes," Levey added, going on to note that there has been a recent incline of companies being opened up for liability after answering an employee's many questions.

Workers filming their termination meetings has also become a new trend that employers want to avoid, according to Levey.

"Companies are becoming more and more aware of this bad press as a viral video could cause incredible repetitional harm," he continued.

While speaking to International Business Times UK, Levey said that staff members who feel like they are going to get fired can expect that their company will "follow the 'HR ambush' approach, where a supervisor schedules a meeting with an employee on very short notice, the employee then walks into the meeting or joins virtually, only to see that HR is present along with the supervisor."

"The employee is often very stunned, and the meeting typically only lasts a few minutes. The company schedules the meeting same day, so that the employee cannot plan for the departure or prepare questions for the termination meeting," he added.

To employees who have recently had their contracts terminated, Levey says, "Employees should use this time wisely, and try and gather as much information as possible. It could be useful in the future for seeking unemployment benefits and/or potential legal claims."

"It is never fun being terminated from your job, however, in some cases it is a 'blessing in disguise'. If an employee did not love their position, was poorly compensated, or was required to travel a long distance, the departure could lead to a better job in the future."

Levey also suggested that those who "loved their job" should "reflect for a short time on why they were terminated, but then direct their attention on getting 'back on their feet' and finding a new job".

"There is no point dwelling on the past."