“I Just Want Them Gone” — The HR Mistake That Costs Businesses the Most

There’s a moment every business owner hits.

Frustration builds. Performance drops. Patience runs out. And the thought becomes:

“I just want them gone.”

It feels justified. It feels necessary. It feels like the fastest way to fix the problem.

But in HR, the fastest decision is often the most expensive one.

At Integrated People Solutions, this is one of the most common calls we receive, and it almost always starts the same way.

The Situation

A small business owner reached out mid-crisis. An employee wasn’t meeting expectations. The team was feeling the impact. The owner had lost confidence and wanted immediate termination.

On the surface, it looked like a performance issue. But once we stepped in, the real risk became clear.

What Was Actually Going Wrong

This wasn’t just about one employee. It was about everything that hadn’t been done before this point:

• There are no clear role expectations or KPIs
• No documented feedback or performance conversations
• Formal warnings or improvement plans havbe not been documented
• No evidence to support termination

From a Fair Work perspective, this is where businesses become exposed.

Because even if the employee is underperforming…

If you can’t prove it, you can’t defend it.

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The Real Risk Most Business Owners Miss

Many business owners believe “If someone isn’t doing their job, I should be able to let them go”. Commercially, that makes sense. Legally, it doesn’t work like that.

Without process YOU:

• Increase the risk of an unfair dismissal claim
• Lose control of the narrative
• Rely on emotion instead of evidence
• Put your business in a reactive position

This is where HR shifts from being a “people issue” to a business risk issue.

We didn’t rush to termination. We introduced structure, clarity, and control by:

1. Define what “Underperformance” actually means
2. Implement a compliant Performance Management process through protection and consistency
3. Coaching the Business Owner because how you deliver the message matters as much as the message itself
4. Create a lawful exit pathway.

Once the process was followed, a business has options to work with the employee to improve and they stay, or the business proceeds with termination. But make sure you have evidence and considered ways to reduced risk. This is the difference between reacting and leading.

What You Should Do Instead

If you have an underperforming employee right now, the goal isn’t speed.

It’s structure.

Ask yourself:

• Have I clearly defined expectations?
• Have I communicated concerns formally?
• Do I have documentation to support my position?
• Am I following a fair and consistent process?

If the answer is “no” to any of these… You’re not ready to terminate yet.

At Integrated People Solutions, we don’t just step in when things go wrong. We help you build the systems so they don’t.

We support clients with:

• Performance management frameworks
• Compliant warning and documentation processes
• Coaching for difficult conversations
• Lawful and low-risk termination strategies
• End-to-end HR systems aligned to your business

Because HR shouldn’t feel like guesswork.

You don’t get in trouble for making decisions in your business. You get in trouble for making them without the right process behind them. And that’s the difference between reacting as a business owner… And leading with confidence.

If you are looking for a HR Consultant, Tailored Recruitment or Payroll support, we service the following areas:

Whittlesea, Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Nillumbik in Victoria

Suburbs we service in Whittlesea

Beveridge, Bundoora, Donnybrook, Doreen, Epping, Lalor, Mernda, Mill Park, South Morang, Thomastown, Whittlesea, Wollert, Woodstock, Yan Yean

Suburbs we service in Darebin

Bundoora, Coburg, Coburg North, Fairfield, Keon Park, Kingsbury, Macleod, Northcote, Preston, Reservoir and Thornbury

Suburbs we service in Hume

Broadmeadows, Bulla, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Craigieburn, Fawkner, Gladstone Park, Greenvale, Jacana, Kalkallo, Keilor, Meadow Heights, Melbourne Airport, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park, Somerton, Sunbury, Tullamarine, and Westmeadows

Suburbs we service in Nillumbik

Doreen, Eltham, Eltham North, Greensborough, Hurstbridge

Contact Us: (03) 7076 1567 or email hr@integratedpeoplesolutions.com.au

If you want to handle performance issues properly, or know someone who does, contact Integrated People Solutions, or forward it to them to guide you through it.