Termination

[Al Iglesias]

What is the name of your state? FL

Hello to everyone and a special hello to Beth

I am Controller for a German owned company (12 employees in the U.S.) that has had it's EVP (with employment contract) and highest ranking employee in the U.S. resign from the company on Friday leaving 11 employees. His wife, (age 53) is also an employee (Marketing Director) without a contract and the Owner would like to let her go as well. The owner also stated, he was unaware she was only working 4 days a week, as was supposedly agreed to in the beginning. The EVP verbally announced his resignation on Friday and followed up with a written one today. He also according to the owner declared his wife's resignation, which I presume he can't speak on her behalf. The company wants to follow appropriate steps without any legal implications in letting her go. How can the company handle this?

Al

 

[Beth3]

Hi, Al.

If the husband said his wife was also resigning, the first thing I would do would be to contact the wife and verify that information. If she says "yes," and the CEO wants her gone right away, you can respond "We're going to accept your resignation immediately." (That means she gets her coat and leaves. Now. Or at the time of your choosing.)

At your U.S. size, you really are exempt from just about all employment reg's (excepting wage and hour) that occur to me, so you really don't have any worries on that score. If she says she doesn't intend to resign, then you are free to tell her "Your services are no longer required" and let her go right away.

Unless there's more to the story than you've shared, I don't see any legal implications at all.