Anyone fire employees within the first couple months post-acq?

December 28, 2025

by a searcher from Dartmouth College - Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in Bellevue, WA, USA

Posting anonymously in case anyone knows my employees. I closed on a business acquisition two months ago and just wrapped up the transition period last week. I inherited two employees who are proving challenging. Despite December being our slowest month, they constantly say they're "too busy" to take on tasks. The sellers confided that they'd wanted to fire one of them for years but never pulled the trigger—they basically chose to sell rather than deal with it. The second employee is friends with the first but also harbors resentment toward her (it's complicated). When I took over, I brought on additional staff who are fantastic. The sellers were so impressed with my new hires that they actually encouraged me to let the two problem employees go if they cause any issues for the new team. Here's my dilemma: I really hate firing people. Part of me believes I can turn things around with coaching and clear expectations. But another part wonders if I should just start fresh with a team that's excited to be part of a (hopefully) growing business. Has anyone faced a similar situation with inherited employees after an acquisition? I'd really appreciate connecting with someone who's been through this. Feel free to DM me.

Reply by a searcher
from North Carolina State University in Sykesville, MD 21784, USA

From my experience, fire them by giving them notice they have 30 days to shape up or ship out. I learned this in my corporate job, and saw how bad of a cancer a bad employee can spread ill content within a team. Yet, when faced with the same situation within my acquisition, I hesitated, and paid dearly for that hesitation. Cost me multiple times as much as I was paying my employee by waiting over a year. No one, likes firing. I have been the manager in -30 such situations. Of that only 1 ever turned around and became a good employee. The coaching pattern usually goes like this, they start pointing fingers, saying you don't understand, etc. Then you have to tell them this is the way it is and it is not up for discussion. They then try to make an effort to at least appear to not be a problem, while they look for another job. Most that can get another job do so within a month of this discussion, and you get rid of your problem and they aren'tleft unemployed. Those that can't slip back into their problem ways. If you try this coaching for a second time, they and everyone else won't take you seriously.

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