I wrote a post on this topic on my other blog Small Business CEO a few months ago and it has been one of the most trafficked posts I have ever had.

Here are 10 expert tips that I found, most of which I support:

"GIVE WARNING: All performance-based firings should begin with a warning or probationary period. If you let employees know they're on the bubble, they just might turn things around. If they've put in years of service, it's the least they deserve.

DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT: Once you've told an employee he's on probation, document every task and interaction. The better records you keep, the easier it will be to justify your actions should you find yourself defending them in legal proceedings.

TIME IT RIGHT: Fire early in the day and early in the week. The worst time to terminate an employee is the day before a weekend or holiday.

Read the remaining Secrets of Letting People Go Correctly