There likely won’t be a big return to the office in the near future, so CEOs and managers should get comfortable setting up a clearer set of expectations than they would have with in-person work. Whether this is for a performance review, a promotion, or disciplinary action, expectations need to be formalized and explicitly communicated to all employees, even more clearly than if you were in a physical office.
Terminations and layoffs
First, when it comes to firing someone, it should never be a surprise to that person. There should be a set of expectations that each employee must be meeting to fulfill their job requirement, and when they are not meeting those expectations, a private call should be scheduled to communicate that to the person. Additionally, it should be communicated in writing what the consequences will be if these expectations are not met. It is important to give the employee time to meet these expectations before any action is taken, with very clear deadlines outlining what needs to be done by what date. In a physical office, this kind of communication about work performance should never be done casually in corridors, and remote work has been a good excuse to formalize that process.
