AFP - French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking just ahead of an EU summit on Friday, insisted on the need to "coordinate economic policies" in Europe, while admitting this is "a controversial subject".

Brown escapes defeat in Scottish special election (AP)

AP - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday the Labour Party's surprise victory in a hotly contested special election shows the public approves of his handling of the economic crisis.

To develop your guidelines for employee dismissal, work with your legal organization. Why can't you make the time to document this separation adequately through escalating discipline? The first recipient, the worker in question, needs a brief account of his or her behavioral problems. Similarly, there will be certain special considerations you'll need to take for workers based on their disabilities. When downsizing a firm, there may be some legislation that mandates time allowed for a worker notice of lay off.

Thank you for your time at our business and best of luck to you in the future. You'll have kept the fired employee's dignity intact and not disheartened the rest of the staff. o A separation meeting according to the Chapter 9 procedure. What to say when separating a jobholder carries with it the need to know what to say to the other employees. The worker will want someone he can complain to about his old department and boss. You and the employee should sign all written documents to show the employee knew of the possible separation. This is a waste of the business's money and of the insubordinate employee's potential. The resulting drop in productivity will then cause your sales to plummet further decreasing employee group spirit. This approach can save you and the worker the agonizing emotions associated with a full-blown terminating. Yelling "you are terminated" across the office or calling the employee a name will only bring about future legal problems. Step 6: Evaluate The Substantiation And Draw Conclusions.