Can an employee be fired for not fitting into workplace culture? Ask HR

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

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Question: A friend of mine was recently fired for not being a "culture fit?" Is this a legitimate reason for letting someone go? – Gary

Answer: Yes. Provided the decision is not motivated by illegal discriminatory bias., employers can and do indeed fire people who aren't a cultural fit. Employers, in many cases, rank workplace culture right next to technical competency.

As employers examine the role culture plays in workplace performance, more and more they look for cultural alignment in the recruitment process. In most instances, workers don't work alone on an island. How well they engage with others affects collaboration and overall performance. If a worker is at odds with the organization's mission, it can affect morale and productivity. Employers recognize having the right people in the right place can mean the difference between surviving and thriving.

The employment-at-will doctrine applies in all states except Montana. It allows employers the legal right to terminate employment with or without notice and with or without cause for any reasons not explicitly prohibited by law. Race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, age, and genetic information are considered illegal discriminatory criteria.

In cases of termination or any adverse employment action, the burden of proof typically falls on employers to demonstrate a nondiscriminatory, legitimate business reason. I am not privy to the specifics of your friend's termination, but the employer should be responsible for clearly articulating their rationale.

Many workplace elements make up culture, like work performance, personality, work style, work ethic, etc. Once a performance or behavioral fit issue arises, employers should candidly address it. Bringing awareness or making minor adjustments can often resolve cultural fit problems. However, regardless of tenure or status, employers can allow time for improvement or terminate immediately, provided they follow protocol.

Similarly, employees can and do choose to resign for any reason they see fit. The employee and employer relationship can be as volatile or harmonious as any. If someone is not a fit for one situation, they may still be the ideal fit for another. Cultural alignment is critical for employers and employees in the long term.

Culture is the fundamental defining element of the workplace. If the work is what an organization does, workplace culture is how the organization does it. With this in mind, organizations should be purposeful in shaping their culture. Employers and employees will rarely be an exact match, which is why each should bring flexibility and grace to their association. However, forcing a square peg into a round hole ultimately hurts both.

Knowing yourself, how you work, and your workplace preferences helps you discern if an organizational culture aligns with your persona and career aspirations.

Helping a co-workerAm I allowed to write a letter of recommendation?

Our new, younger staff’s work emails exhibit poor grammar. They've demonstrated that they can write professionally, but many have developed poor habits in exchanges with co-workers over text, Slack and email. It is most problematic when writing clients. How can I help improve their business writing? – Kiris

This can be a tremendous learning opportunity for you as a people manager and your direct reports. As tempting as it may be to judge younger staff for not following traditional business writing rules, this presents a great opportunity for you to guide and direct them as they grow.

Start by setting up a team meeting or carving out a portion of a regular meeting. Rather than flag mistakes, approach this as a chance to share company protocol, communication expectations, and even some basic office etiquette. Afterward, make it a part of the ongoing feedback at work to keep everyone on the same page.

Electronic messaging systems like texting and Slack are less formal and come under less scrutiny. So, encourage them to be mindful of the channel and the audience (clients, external stakeholders) when writing. While young and seasoned professionals must get this right, remember to bring some empathy to this common struggle. How we text a "BFF" will look and feel different than an email to a client.

This conversation should be more of a dialogue than a monologue. As a people manager, you should offer guidance and feedback and invite employees to ask questions and address their concerns. If they've demonstrated they know how to write professionally, then it may be wise to focus on why it is critical to communicate professionally. In your case, email may be a vital touchpoint with your client or other external stakeholders.

Learning the ins and outs of office protocol, including email etiquette, is necessary, but this rarely happens overnight. Consider partnering your newer, younger staff with seasoned team members who can help them acclimate to the work environment. When it comes to higher-profile external emails, have them check each other's work. Additionally, most email systems have spell and grammar check tools to help identify basic mistakes. Online tools and apps are also available to perform extensive grammatical reviews.

Check with your HR team for insight on any professional development opportunities. There may be a few business writing courses to help your staff gain familiarity with professional tone and format. It may be helpful to show examples of professional and effective emails you have written to better set expectations.

Best of luck!

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