Almost every business owner has, at some point, kept someone on too long — a staff member who isn't working out, who they know in their gut isn't right, but who they can't quite bring themselves to let go. It's one of the hardest things in business, and the delay almost always makes it worse: for the business, for the team carrying the gap, and often for the person themselves, stuck in a role they're not suited to.
Keeping the wrong person isn't kindness — it's avoidance, and it's unfair to everyone. Your other staff see it and it demoralises them ("why do I work hard when that's tolerated?"). The work suffers. And the individual is denied the honest feedback or fresh start they might need. The kindest version of this hard situation is usually to address it directly and earlier, not to let it drift.
That said — and this matters — letting someone go must be done properly and fairly, with genuine care for the person and full attention to your legal obligations under Fair Work and any applicable process. General education here, not advice: when you're facing this, get proper HR or legal guidance, because doing it badly creates real risk on top of the human cost.
Done right — fairly, lawfully, and not left too late — it's hard but necessary leadership.
Leading a team well, including the hard calls, is part of the Grow and Scale courses.
Or find your stage with the free Business Stage Assessment.
Annie
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