As a more general advice - person in position of power should not joke about causing harm. Whether is is manager joking about firing employee, stronger person joking about beating up weaker one or parent joking about throwing child out of house when they misbehave. This kind of humor works only when it is coming from weaker position and even then only in certain situations.
Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
11–20 of 278 posts
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#12What about quitting? I always joke about quitting
If one of my reports were joking about quitting, I would at least consider whether they were in a ha-ha-only-serious mode, and probably bring it up at our next 1:1. I don't think there's as much risk of hurting someone personally if you joke about quitting, but i do think it's an easy way to attract potentially unwanted attention/conversations with your manager!
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#13What about quitting? I always joke about quitting
not a lot of upside to jokes like that. it's not wildly funny, and it might freak someone out.
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#14It's weird, I have worked at many organisations - and at almost none of them did my manager have the ability to fire me. Is this an American thing?
In most of these orgs, getting rid of someone is kind of hard work, usually involving a lot of HR. A manager would have much more luck getting you moved to a different team.
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#15Ok, that's nice. I'm sure some people do it carelessly but lets at least be honest and acknowledge that many also do it deliberately. It's an easy and cowardly way to assert your dominance. If you get called out on it, and you won't, you'll just say you were joking. When you're not called out on it it's a easy way of reminding people that you can do it. Maybe not now but maybe in the future when you're not feeling so generous.
I remember a job interview where the interviewer launched into a story, unprompted, about firing someone. Didn't express any regrets or sympathy for the person. That interview was over that second. Maybe that person was the most deserving person in the world to get fired but just the fact that he thought it was something to be discussed with an interviewee spoke volumes.
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#16Better advice - rent The Office and do the exact opposite of everything Michael Scott does.
(No throwing stars or nunchucks either.)
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#17I love advice like this - it is clear, easy to remember, and simple to apply.
You can also have new managers watch a season of The Office to learn what not to do ("fake /joke firings" happened a lot on that show!)
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#18What about quitting? I always joke about quitting
not a lot of upside to jokes like that. it's not wildly funny, and it might freak someone out.
How is it funny that your manager tells you as a joke that he is gonna fire you?
The truth it: neither of them is a joke. It's just pure BS that comes either out of sheer and innocent incompetence or stupidity.
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#19I have made this mistake, I think the damage was between none and low but I still regretted it.
Re: Advice to New Managers: Don't Joke About Firing People (2020)
#20sorry for folks working under this at-will employment where managers can just fire someone. In Germany, it involves consultations with HR, workers council etc. before you can fire someone.
Most tech companies use packages to get rid of people.