You Don’t Need to Be an HR Expert… But You Do Need to Stop Googling ‘How to Fire Someone’

Letting someone go is one of the hardest parts of running a business. It’s rarely a quick or easy decision and it’s never pleasant but at some point, almost every employer will face it. 

If you've ever found yourself typing “how to fire someone” into Google at 10pm, well it’s a common move for small business owners without HR support but it’s also a risky one. 

Spoiler alert, you can’t just ‘let them go’.  

And if you try, you may find yourself facing a claim that’s expensive, time-consuming and damaging to your business reputation. 

Here’s the truth, you don’t need to be an HR expert. But you do need to understand the basics of handling dismissals fairly, legally and professionally because getting it wrong can be very costly. 

Why the DIY Approach Is Risky 

It’s tempting to rely on free advice online when you’re under pressure. But employment law in the UK isn’t one-size-fits-all and the right approach depends on things like: 

• The employee’s length of service 
• The reason for dismissal 
• The process you’ve followed so far 
• What’s in their contract and handbook 

Google can give you the ‘what’ but it can’t give you the context, nuance or protection that good advice can. 

And without that, you could be heading straight for a claim of unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal or discrimination. 

Common Mistakes Small Business Owners Make 

Here are a few of the most common (and avoidable) pitfalls we see: 

Skipping a proper process 

Even if someone’s underperforming, you can’t just terminate their contract on the spot without clear steps and consideration of their contractual terms. 

Failing to document conversations  

If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen, at least in the eyes of an Employment Tribunal. 

Relying on probation periods to avoid process 

Probation isn’t a free pass to dismiss without a fair reason. (And the rules around this are going to get even stricter in coming years.) 

Getting emotional 

Frustration is understandable, but emotional reactions often lead to poor decisions. 

What You Do Need to Know 

We’re not saying you need to turn into an HR specialist overnight. But you do need a grasp of the essentials, particularly around: 

• Fair reasons for dismissal under UK law and the reasons that are protected under employment law from day one 
• Procedural fairness (even for short-serving employees) 
• The importance of documentation and clarity 
• Your legal obligations around notice, pay and appeals 
• How to hold those difficult conversations with professionalism and respect 

Doing this well protects your business from legal claims but it also protects your culture, reputation and relationships with the team who remain. 

There’s a Better Way Than Googling 

Firing someone isn’t just a legal process; it’s a people process. And if you want to handle it properly, you need more than a search engine result. 

That’s where our disciplinary and dismissal templates come in. Inside our subscription platform, you’ll find guide to fair dismissal procedures, clear templates for disciplinary meeting invites and scripts, and more tools to help you manage risk and stay compliant. 

These resources take away the guesswork and give you confidence that you're doing things properly and lawfully. 

Ready to stop Googling and start leading with confidence? 

Join Dakota Blue Academy today and get instant access to our disciplinary and dismissal templates plus everything else you need to manage your team the right way.