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Termination is often referred to as 'capital punishment in the workplace' (Segal, 2000). When the termination or separation process is improperly managed, the traumatic nature of the situation escalates. The purpose of this paper is to provide policy suggestions on what an organization can do to minimize the occurrence of workplace aggression during employee termination procedures. In the first eight months of 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a net decrease in total national employment of 33,000. In the last four months of 2001, the decrease was 1,098,000. Some of these cuts were in firms that had long maintained policies that promised employees job security such as Hewlett Packard (Fortune, 2001). The reasons given by employers for the dismissals are general business or industry downturns, efforts to improve financial and operational efficiency, and competitive pressures (Gross, 2001; Peter, 1997). Workforce reductions have been accepted as a strategy to cut costs by lowering overhead, eliminating bureaucracy, and reducing surplus employees. Alternatively, downsizing can be used to seek favor with investors and financial analysts, and stock prices tend to rise in response to workforce reduction announcements (McKinley, Sanchez & Schick, 1995). Recent studies have raised serious questions concerning the long-term effects of downsizing as a strategic response to competitive pressures. An American Management Association's study reported that only 43 percent of firms increased operating profits, and only 30 percent increased worker productivity (Peter, 1997). The AMA study also documented a profound decrease in morale with those who survive the downsizing that could result in higher turnover in the future (Peter, 1997). According to Gross (2001), the results of the empirical research suggest that 'downsizing does not appear to be in the best interest of the corporation, its employees, or its shareholders.' The general state of the economy, plant closings, layoffs, and downsizing are listed as high risk factors for workplace violence (Nigro & Waugh, 1996). The 'death of job security' has created feelings of powerlessness and frustration in the workplace that could lead to aggression and thus workplace violence (Filipczak, 1993). Although the declining economy has been blamed for violence, there is evidence that layoffs or terminations do not provoke violence in and of themselves. Violence may be more the result of wounded pride and humiliation that occur when the termination or separation is improperly managed. According to the results of one study, displaced workers did not complain about termination decisions rather 'the manner the termination was handled.' That is, the dehumanizing way the termination action was implemented (Bensimon, 1994; Schweiger, Ivancevich & Power, 1987). Perhaps the Golden Rule can guide who, when, where, why, and how to conduct the termination interviews and thus alleviate the violence (Mantell, 1994; Rothman, 1989)., INTRODUCTION On April 11, 2001, a month after being terminated, a postal employee returned to the job site, stabbed four of his former coworkers, and was killed by the police [...]