If you know someone is going to be fired - do you tell?

[Lucky724]

I work in a facility that someone is going to be terminated. He is a nice person but does a lot of "running around doing nothing" - this is not because he has not been given guidance or support - most of it seems to be he is disorganized and chronically late - his truck died, his neighbor blocked him in, his water line broke and on and on. So, earlier a coworker was looking at our job listings on our hospital site - she has wanted to transfer to another unit for some time and checks periodically to see if there are openings...she called me over and showed me HIS job is listed (yes, 100% it's his) as the posting date was 6 days ago - the day he left for vacation. He is on vacation for this week and next. "Rumor" was he was going to be let go but now, we know it - they would NOT offer him a transfer elsewhere in the hospital nor to work on the unit with us. He is that "bad" as far as being able to be counted on. He has a large child support payment - he has talked about this many, many times...she thinks we should tell him about the posting - I think it's not for us to get involved in...he is aware the unit manager has been unhappy w/his performance for some time, he has received multiple chances/educational times. It's not like the management hasn't tried to help him - some of it I think he just likes the "woe is me" life - but...given how hard it is to get a job and w/the holidays coming - should he be told? He will NOT see this posting because he still can't log on to our system after a year!

[just keep swimming]

If you're talking about this thread, he WILL be able to see it anywhere he can get on the internet: home, school, public library, etc. And he wouldn't need to be logged into AN either. So you may want to edit your original post if you think he could see himself in it.

I think the OP is referring to the job posting

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I think the OP is referring to the job posting

Re-reading the original post, you're probably right

...but who's to say he's not lurking around here as well?

[systoly]

You could ask yourself one question.

Do I feel lucky?

[kool-aide, RN]

Don't go there.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Do NOT tell him anything. You have no idea what management is planning to do. Political suicide for you if you get involved in a gossiping kind of way. Stay out of it.

[akulahawkRN, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

In general, management doesn't post a job for a "replacement" person until after the firing has been completed otherwise the person being fired might find out about it beforehand... On the other hand, he may have been "advised" to take a 2 week vacation and get all his apps out and not to come back... which may be something you all may not be aware.

So, generally speaking, I would stay out of it. It's better to play "dumb and blind" when it comes to these things so that a friend stays a friend even after the firing.

[sethmctenn]

If you don't want to get dragged in but feel somehow morally obligated to inform him, consider doing so anonymously by email from a hotmail or yahoo account you set up then delete later. If you do so, I wouldn't tell anyone that you did

[leslie :-D]

i would definitely stay out of it...even if it was my bff.

i can't think of any reason why i would tell...

seriously, what benefit would a "heads up" give?

if anything, if a coworker was messing up at work, i might try advising him/her accordingly, just so it didn't come to this/being fired.

but after that, i'm not seeing anything positive from telling someone they're being canned.

leslie

[sweetnurse63, BSN, RN]

I would not tell him. it would not be my place to tell him and it could create more harm than good; it sounds like he has had plenty of time to change his ways and now sad to say, he has to suffer the consequences of his actions. Hopefully he will learn from this situation and do better on his next job; Just my opinion.

[NellieOlsen]

No, no, no. Stay out of it.

What if he runs off to management and the first words out his mouth are "So and so told me I'm about to get canned.." Looks way bad on you.

Definitely a case where you have to MYOB. :)

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

This week, this very week, my boss told me she was going to fire not one but two people.

Suddenly that changed and only one was to be fired.

I know she interviewed someone for that job.

Has it happened yet? No.

Am I telling? Not a chance. You never know what will happen. YOU could be the one looking for a job.

[rn/writer, RN]

If you don't want to get dragged in but feel somehow morally obligated to inform him, consider doing so anonymously by email from a hotmail or yahoo account you set up then delete later. If you do so, I wouldn't tell anyone that you did

If someone has to be this sneaky, that says what they are doing is probably wrong.

Someone else mentioned enabling a "woe is me" kind of person. An employee with this kind of track record needs a wakeup call. They need to understand that their behavior can lead to unpleasant consequences. That shouldn't be coming from a co-worker before the event takes place.

he may have been "advised" to take a 2 week vacation and get all his apps out and not to come back...

This sounds highly plausible. The manager has a way to let someone who is likeable but not dependable down gently and lets him save face with a "vacation" exit.

As others have said, things may not be as straightforward as they seem on the surface. Even if you do have it right, delivering this kind of news is not something a co-worker should be doing. Imagine telling someone they're about to be fired and the bad news causes them to have a heart attack. Or to go home and swallow pills.

The only thing worse would be finding out later that you had the information wrong.

Back away from the situation.