Fortunately, email has changed all that. All that emotion, all that thinking and sympathizing and empathizing – all that is tossed aside by one brilliant button: Send. That being said, when you’re firing someone by email, you can’t just write:

From: Richard Hlava, CEO
To: Sap
You’re fired

^^
RH

(or)

From: Richard Hlava, CEO
To: Sap
Important message

You’re fired. ..!.,

Thanks,
Richard Hlava, CEO

That’s classless. This person did some things of value during their tenure, one assumes, and they deserve to be fired with dignity and respect. Make your email sound both dignified and respectful.

From: Richard Hlava, CEO
To: Sap
Thank you for your help

Dear Sap,
I want to personally thank you for your help on recent projects – projects that I will remember forever but am unable to list off as of this moment. Without you, they probably would have never been finished until we found someone to do them.

Which reminds me, we have decided to make a change in your department, and that change is you. We have set up for you a nice compensation package equal to two-day’s pay as severance, which is one day more than we give most people. Your hard work and dedication, as you can tell by that extra day of severance pay, has not gone unnoticed.

Thank you for your service, and security should be standing right behind you to escort you out.

Sincerely,
Richard Hlava, CEO