Those are words that no employee ever wants to hear and that employers’ hope they rarely have to utter. In a period of more-than-full employment such as we are currently in, with an unemployment rate that’s just under 4 percent, it is particularly problematic to lose an employee, especially by having to discharge them. The costs of taking such action are both emotional and financial. However, no matter the cost of replacing an employee, at times employers must make the tough decision to show an employee the door.