I often read on here about the ways people are ‘terminated’. In the UK it’s different….
1) We say ‘let go’. The implication being we are gently released. You say Terminated as if you’ve been thrown into an industrial killing machine.
2) We aren’t ever immediately removed from site unless it’s a criminal issue such as theft. We work out our remaining time and have time to say goodbye to colleagues. We get a card, we have drinks etc. So many times I read in here about Americans getting told they are surplus to requirements and then kicked out there same day without getting to even say goodbye.
3) if a company does want to exclude an employee for commercial reasons (typically high powered sales jobs to protect client lists) the employee is out on Gardening Leave. This is paid leave sometimes up to one year where you are paid full salary not to work.
4) There are laws around letting someone go which make it either financially costly and a lot of effort on the employers part. It’s not easy. Hence it’s rare.
5) Culturally we don’t ever threaten to fire someone. ‘Do this or or your fired’ is just not something we’d ever say. Yet I see that all the time on US anti work. It’s like they use this threat as a management tool.
In short the US approach just strikes me as inhuman, harsh, traumatic and fucked up. And IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE.