Dismissal Letter

The word 'dismiss' means to let go, to be done with and to remove. We can dismiss a project, meeting or an employee. In all the legal and formal procedures of the dismissal, a dismissal letter is very important. Whatever is the dismissal letter is written for, some points while writing a letter should be taken care of.

Dismissal letter is an unfortunate incident. The person writing a dismissal letter is a person is a person who has a respectable position in that organization. The language of such a letter should be very formal and even curt. While writing a dismissal letter we suggest not using such a language which can have devastating effect on the person who is being dismissed. What ever may be the reason, the language should not be derogatory. It should not be insulting and unparliamentary.

Dismissal letter should be written in a particular format. The purpose of this letter is to convey the orders without any conflict. Mention the reason of the dismissal letter only if necessary. Even if you are taking such an action on someone, at least be sure that all the opportunities are not closed for the person.

The following tips and suggestions will help you in writing a dismissal letter.

Dismissing any idea, process or a person is a difficult decision. Seek advice from your supervisor, labor relations or legal departments for correct forms and protocol. For every company the dismissal policy and laws are different.
While writing a dismissal letter, open the letter with a confirmation of termination. Be very professional in tone and language.
Mention details of the project, person or processes to prevent confusions. Mention the date from which the dismissal would be in effect.
State the reason of dismissal in bullet points. Be clear and straight forward while mentioning those. If an employee is being dismissed, mention the important points of previous meetings which involves the reasons of termination like indiscipline, earlier warnings etc.
If there is anything that is to be returned to the company like tools, computers, clothes etc. mention those in the letter of dismissal.
If you have any legal issues with a lawyer, clear them up.

Points to be remembered when dismissing an employee

Your dismissal letter should portray a sincere concern for the fact that the process of dismissal for the person, being dismissed is not easy.
A good language with concern will reflect good on you and your organization
You might need the same employee back for some reason.
Avoid making derogatory or insulting comments. Do not make any personal comments.
Include the contact information in case the dismissed employee needs to contact you for anything like benefits, or anything to follow up.

Quick things :

Dismissal letters should follow a specific company policy.
They should be concise and professional in tone.
Keep your dismissal letter to one page. Do not write a lengthy letter. Be specific. In the main body of the letter also write short paragraphs and avoid long ones.

If you are in doubt about the content and the format of your dismissal letter, we suggest it to send it to a legal professional for the verification.

More types of dismissal letters: