Regarding logistics, some companies escort terminated employees off the premises with the help of armed security; other companies ask human resource representatives to accompany employees back to their desks to oversee the packing of their belongings. Each circumstance has to be reviewed on its own merits.

In general, you should be able to allow employees to gather their personal belongings as they see fit. Some employees require assistance with boxing; others prefer to return to work on a Saturday or after hours so that they don’t feel humiliated in front of their peers. Still others will simply want to walk back to their desks on their own, clear things out, and say goodbye to their coworkers. The important point is this: Ten minutes before the termination meeting, they were free to roam about the office as they saw fit. They weren’t criminals then, and they shouldn’t be treated like criminals now.

In cases where information systems (IS) or finance employees have computer access to critical company information and where you have an active practice of shutting down computer systems ofthose people during termination meetings, continue your practice. However, be sure to explain to the employee that when she returns to her desk after your meeting, access to her computer will be denied if she tries to log on. Confirm that this is how all IS separation meetings are handled and that this case is no exception. That should allay any concerns that the employee is being treated more harshly than others who have been asked to leave the company.

Taken From : The Hiring and Firing Quention and Answer Book