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If you supervise employees in any capacity, there will come a time when you need to let someone go. Here are some tips for making the best of a bad situation and avoiding legal trouble in the process.

Progressive discipline plans are great for correcting the behavior of employees in whom you have invested time and money and getting them back on track. But always leave yourself an “out” for those cases when retaining the worker just doesn’t make sense.

Have you ever presented an employee the option to resign or get fired? Maybe you believed you were helping the employee to graciously exit the workplace without the embarrassment of a termination. However, doing so today just may fall under the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished category.

Employers don’t necessarily have to detail why they decided to fire an employee, for example in a formal termination notice. If they are later sued, it’s enough to provide original documentation justifying the legitimacy of the discharge.

Certainly, terminating a worker after he was just approved for FMLA leave might seem suspicious and prompt a lawsuit. But if you can show a judge the employee’s poor disciplinary or performance history, courts will likely toss out the case.

It may be tempting to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies entirely. But before you do so, consider the potential unintended consequences, especially if you lay off everyone you hired to run the programs. Those sidelined employees who were supposed to help you create a diverse workplace may sue you.

Nothing is more likely to spur a lawsuit than a termination for misconduct or poor performance. Former employees may feel they have nothing to lose by suing you. That’s why you must prepare carefully. Before making a termination decision, you should follow these steps.

Remind supervisors: Firing an employee while she is undergoing medical testing could easily trigger a lawsuit. Reason: It’s illegal to discriminate against an employee based on suspicions she might become ill or disabled in the future. That would amount to regarding her as disabled, which violates the ADA.

Disciplinary and termination meetings are emotionally charged events that carry the potential for nasty words, hurt feelings and even legal troubles. You need to be prepared for anything, including employees who “let it all out” in long, loud tirades.

Most handbooks explain the kinds of employee misconduct that might warrant termination. However, it’s impossible to envision every situation that might add up to a firing offense. That’s OK. If an employee does or says something that clearly requires immediate discharge, don’t let the lack of a handbook policy stop you from acting.