Time's up | What to do when a high-level underperforming employee just won't quit

After weeks of speculation, and scandal after scandal that would have unseated a less tenacious Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has finally agreed to step down. However, it took a revolt from within his own party, and multiple resignations from Government ministers, before he could be persuaded to do so.

This raises an interesting point for business leaders: what happens, from a leadership perspective, if a high level, underperforming employee won’t leave voluntarily?

Kirstie Beattie, Employment Solicitor at employment law and HR support firm WorkNest told Grapevine Leaders that when there are concerns about performance, conduct or team relationship with high-level employee, and it seems the employee won’t jump before they are pushed (perhaps because they’re waiting to see what, if anything, the employer will offer so that they can leave on mutually acceptable terms), the normal procedure would be to approach the employee with an offer of settlement.

“This is the route most employers will take in these circumstances,” Beattie said. “They will approach the employee with an offer of settlement whereby they usually leave with a sum of money in exchange for terminating their employment and waiving their employment rights.”