Nearly all working individuals – from entry-level employees to top executives and decision-makers – experience termination at some point in their careers. This phase of an employee’s life cycle occurs for various reasons. One might choose to leave their current workplace in pursuit of better opportunities and career growth elsewhere, as a result of job dissatisfaction, or as they retire after years of service and proceed to well-deserved rest. Involuntary terminations may arise from performance issues, legal violations, or workplace conflicts.

‍

External factors such as company restructuring, bankruptcy, market volatility, and global economic challenges can also lead to layoffs. Therefore, it is vital for all to understand matters related to termination, and how those function.

‍

‍

We make the HR world easier to navigate with The HR Glossary, our latest blog series where we explain the most popular HR terminology professionally and accessibly. Make sure to also explore the Time Off segment.

‍

This edition is dedicated to distinguishing between the following types of termination:

‍

• Resignation (also known as Voluntary Termination)
• Dismissal (also known as Involuntary Termination), including Constructive and Regular/Direct Dismissal
• Mutual Termination
• Redundancy

‍

and breaking down the notions commonly associated with the process of termination:

‍

• Notice Period
• Severance Payment
• Unused Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Payment in Lieu
• Garden Leave

‍

‍

What are the differences between resignation and dismissal?

Resignation (also referred to as Voluntary Termination) occurs when an employee voluntarily decides to leave their job and typically, but not necessarily, provides their employer with a notice of termination as outlined in the employment contract. The specifics of the process, such as minimum required notice periods (see the definition further down) and resignation benefits, can vary depending on statutory laws and the company’s internal policies.

‍

Dismissal (also referred to as Involuntary Termination) occurs at the employer’s initiative, typically due to reasons such as poor performance, misconduct, or redundancy. A dismissal where the employer directly terminates the employee’s contract is often referred to as Regular/Direct Dismissal, while a Constructive Dismissal means that the employee was implicitly forced to resign due to intolerable working conditions caused by the employer. The specifics of dismissal are outlined not only in the employment contract but also defined by statutory laws and the company’s internal policies. In unionized workplaces, collective bargaining agreements may also affect the procedure.

‍

‍

When does mutual termination occur?

Mutual Termination (also known as Mutual Resignation or Agreed Termination) is a voluntary agreement between the employee and their employer to end cooperation. In this case, the parties negotiate notice periods, severance benefits, and other terms of the separation.

‍

‍

What does termination due to redundancy mean?

Redundancy occurs when an employer eliminates a position or several positions due to financial difficulties, company closure, automation, restructuring, or changes in market demand. Thus, an employee can be terminated due to redundancy as a result of challenges or changes within the company, rather than based on their individual behavior and performance. This type of termination typically comes with specific legal obligations regarding notice periods as well as relevant payments and benefits.

‍

‍

What is a notice period?

A Notice Period is the amount of time that must be provided by an employee or employer as advance notice before termination. The employee continues to work and receive salary until the notice period ends. The length of the notice period depends on factors such as statutory requirements, the terms of the employment contract, and the amount of time the employee has spent at their current job.

‍

Notice periods for Resignation (Voluntary Termination) and Dismissal (非自愿终止雇佣) 可能大相径庭。当员工辞职时，通知期通常在其雇佣合同中明确规定。

‍

在解雇过程中，终止雇佣的原因可能会影响通知期。

‍

在极端情况下，雇主可以无需通知即时解雇员工。另一方面，与辞职相比，因裁员或绩效不佳而被解雇通常会伴随更长的通知期，因为这段时间是员工寻找新工作所必需的。

‍

‍

离职福利有哪些不同类型？

为了向被解雇员工提供经济支持并降低法律纠纷的风险，雇主通常会提供一系列福利。

‍

遣散费 是向被非自愿解雇员工支付的一次性款项，可以一次性全额支付、分期支付或两者结合。金额取决于职位、雇佣时长和薪资，具体条款受雇佣合同和当地劳动法规定。此外，雇主还可能提供延长医疗保险或职业咨询作为遣散方案的一部分。

‍

在被解雇员工希望立即离职而非完成通知期工作，或者雇主需要尽快完成终止雇佣手续的情况下， 代通知金 （也称为 代通知金 或 PILON适用。该术语指支付给被解雇员工的一笔款项，以补偿他们在通知期内本应获得的工资和福利。代通知金通常由雇佣合同和当地劳动法规定。

‍

花园式休假 是指离职员工在终止流程完成前，必须远离工作岗位，但仍可领取工资和正常福利的时期。雇主选择使用花园式休假是为了防止员工立即跳槽到直接竞争对手公司、保护机密商业信息和商业秘密，或避免潜在的工作场所冲突，尤其是在因不当行为而终止雇佣关系的情况下。

‍

‍

在终止雇佣关系时，未使用的带薪休假 (PTO) 如何处理？

未使用的带薪休假 (PTO)，或 未使用的假期工资，是指员工在终止雇佣关系时已累计但尚未使用完毕的带薪休假天数。这可以包括年假、病假、事假以及雇佣合同中规定的其他类型的带薪休假（欲了解更多信息，请阅读 人力资源词汇表：休假）。未使用的带薪休假/假期工资将在终止雇佣关系时一次性支付，除非适用“不用即作废”政策，在这种情况下，员工离职时未使用的带薪休假将被没收。然而，“不用即作废”的做法并不常见，在某些地区甚至可能违法。

‍

‍

Acvian 如何协助处理终止雇佣关系流程？

作为您的 名义雇主 (EOR) 或 专业雇主组织 (PEO)，我们处理员工生命周期的所有阶段，包括终止雇佣关系。我们提供的服务和任务包括合规管理、遣散费和相关福利的管理、提供解雇通知、流程监督以及风险规避。如需开始，请联系我们安排一次 立即会议。