As remote work becomes the norm, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to let an employee go virtually. But what are the protocols when this can’t be done face to face? You certainly don’t want to make headlines like Vishal Garg, the CEO of Better.com, who fired 900 people on a brief Zoom call. How can you ensure that a termination is accomplished professionally and with the appropriate amount of humanity? First, it’s important not to catch employees off guard. Let them know in advance that you’ll be setting up a one-on-one meeting with them and that they should be prepared for bad news. If the termination is performance related, you’ll have had several conversations with the employee already. Getting let go is an emotional experience, and allowing space for employees to decompress from the news is essential. Empathy is critical, especially right now. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, and displaying grace is important when your former employee is vulnerable.