Thank you CB for all the useful termination pep talk tips! Some of them probably would have resulted in me getting terminated too. 🙂

During the final meeting with HR he seemed completely defeated and didn't offer any comments or rebuttals. Our HR was actually outstanding and asked him many times if he had any questions or concerns about what was happening and explained all the paperwork, insurance, final paycheck etc. My mind was swirling so I can't imagine what his was doing.

He had already cleaned out his desk so when I accompanied him back he just grabbed his keys and wallet. He knew it was coming. We rode down the elevator together in almost silence and I told him that I and many others enjoyed working with him and that he needed a new start. He was definitely burned out. I told him to find someone to vent to about what happened and that it would be very therapeutic.

He was let go because he could never come to work on time. You pick your own start time and then can be up to 7 minutes late. Since we work in a manufacturing environment, if you call in sick without 24 hours notice you get a mark, if leave your shift early you get a mark, no show you get a big mark. You can have up to 20 in one year before you are terminated. He probably had 40????