How to Fire a Virtual Assistant Professionally

Before you decide to end things, ask yourself one honest question: did this person actually fail, or did you?

A lot of business owners on online forums admit they pulled the trigger too fast. They never set clear expectations. 

They said things like “be proactive” or “figure it out” without defining what success actually looked like.

Then they got frustrated when the person didn’t read their mind.

So before you fire someone, review:

• Did they have clear KPIs? Response times, task volumes, error rates, specific hours?
• Did you give them at least one real performance conversation with a chance to improve?
• Did you document what needed to change and give them a timeline?

If you didn’t do these things, you’re firing someone for your own management failures.

Try this instead: one written recap of the issues, one clear timeline to fix them, and then a follow-up check in two weeks.

If you still want to fire them after that, you’ll feel calmer and more confident about it. And you’ll know you gave them a fair shot.

Understand What You Actually Agreed To

A lot of termination horror stories start with “we didn’t really have a contract” or “I just used the platform’s generic terms.”

Then someone feels wronged about notice, pay, or who owes what.

You need to understand three layers here:

Your written agreement. Whether it’s a direct contractor contract, an agency agreement, or Upwork’s terms. What does it say about termination, notice periods, and final payment?

Your country’s laws. If you’re in the US, you probably have at-will hiring norms. If you’re in the UK or Australia, there are unfair dismissal protections that might apply even to offshore contractors if you manage them like employees.

Philippine labor rules. These are protective if someone is legally an “employee” with fixed hours, exclusive work, and direct control. They usually don’t apply to true freelancers, but the line gets blurry fast.

There are actual cases in Australia where offshore workers won unfair dismissal claims and back pay because they were treated like employees even though they lived in the Philippines.

So if you’ve been managing someone with fixed schedules, ongoing control, and long-term expectations, you might have more legal obligations than you think.

What Remote Workers Say Hurts Most

Filipino remote workers talk openly online about how they get fired.

What hurts isn’t usually the fact of being let go. It’s how it happens.

Here’s what they call out as unprofessional:

Zero notice. The client just stops replying. Tasks dry up. Access gets quietly revoked. Payroll ends. No explanation.

Vague blame. “You’re not a good fit” with no concrete examples. This damages their confidence and gives them nothing to improve or reference in future interviews.

Money drama. Clients withholding final pay for completed work. Or demanding repayment of advances for reasons that feel made up.

The Professional Way to End the Relationship

Here’s a step-by-step process that works for remote workers at any scale.

1. Check Your Agreement First

Go back to your contract or platform terms.

Confirm the notice period. Is it 7 days? 14? 30? Is there a difference between performance-based termination and immediate termination for misconduct?

Identify what you’re obligated to pay. Hourly? Project-based? Retainer? Are there any open invoices?

2. Gather Specific Evidence

Don’t fire someone based on vibes.

Business owners who handled terminations well cited specific missed deadlines, quality issues, or communication gaps. Not personality complaints. Not “they just weren’t proactive.”

Write down:

• What went wrong (with dates and examples)
• What you expected versus what happened
• Any previous conversations about performance

This evidence keeps the conversation clear and, in serious cases like theft or fraud, justifies immediate termination.

3. Decide on Notice or Immediate Cut-Off

For normal performance issues or changing business needs, 2-4 weeks’ notice is seen as fair for long-term workers, even if your contract allows less.

This gives them time to find new work and doesn’t leave them scrambling financially.

For serious misconduct like fraud, data misuse, or overbilling, terminate immediately. Secure your systems first, document what happened, then send the notice.

4. Plan the Task Transition

Before you have the conversation, map out what this person owns:

• Login credentials
• Files and documents
• Automations and workflows
• Client communications
• Recurring tasks

Decide whether they’ll document SOPs during the notice period or whether you’ll transition everything yourself and revoke access immediately.

Don’t wait until after the conversation to think about this. You’ll forget something critical.

5. Have a Real Conversation

Don’t fire someone via a one-line chat message.

Remote workers consistently say this feels disrespectful and blindsiding, even for part-time roles.

Schedule a brief video or voice call. Keep it short and clear. Don’t drag it out.

What to Say When You Let Them Go

The worst termination calls are rambling, defensive, or passive-aggressive.

Start with clarity. State that the working relationship will end and give the last working day. Don’t bury the lead.

Give 2-3 concrete reasons. Tie them to expectations you previously set. Response times. Error rates. Changed business direction. Budget constraints.

Avoid attacking character. Frame it around business requirements and role fit, not personal deficiencies.

Many remote workers appreciate when clients own their part. “I’m growing the business in a different direction” or “I need someone with more specialized experience” lands better than implying they’re generally incompetent.

Leave room for them to ask questions. But don’t re-litigate months of performance issues in one call.

Keep it focused, respectful, and final.

Handle Final Pay Correctly

Filipino communities are extremely sensitive about final pay because there are too many stories of clients withholding last invoices.

Here’s what’s fair:

For contractors and freelancers: Pay in full for all completed work. Honor your agreed rates. Set a clear written cutoff date for the last invoice.

For employee-style relationships: If someone had a fixed schedule, exclusive arrangement, and long tenure, they might be entitled to notice pay or severance under Philippine law or your country’s laws.

Don’t withhold pay because you’re upset.

Don’t demand repayment of previous advances unless your contract explicitly allows it for specific breaches.

If there’s a genuine dispute about work quality on the final deliverable, document it clearly and explain what portion you’re paying versus withholding.

Most conflicts around termination come down to money. Handle this part cleanly and you avoid most of the drama.

Revoke Access and Secure Data

Business owners often only think about access control after something goes wrong.

Build an off-boarding checklist:

• Email accounts
• CRM systems
• Social media accounts
• Payment processors
• Internal tools and project management software
• Cloud storage
• Any API keys or tokens

Revoke or change passwords as soon as the work relationship ends. Don’t wait.

Make sure you have copies of all key documents, SOPs, and files. A lot of founders realize too late that the remote worker is the only one who knows how certain systems work.

References and Future Work

Many Filipino remote workers rely on testimonials and portfolio items for future clients.

If performance was acceptable but it’s no longer a fit due to budget cuts or role changes, offer a short honest reference. 

This costs you nothing and helps someone put food on the table.

Remote workers appreciate honesty even when it stings.

Some business owners who kept terminations cordial ended up re-hiring the same person later in a more suitable role.

Or getting referrals from them.

Don’t burn bridges unnecessarily.

When You Need to Fire Immediately

Sometimes you discover fraud, misuse of funds, or serious trust breaches.

Examples include:

• Deliberate overbilling or fake invoices
• Setting up fake vendor accounts to siphon money
• Copying proprietary data or client information
• Misrepresenting identity or credentials

In these cases, terminate immediately.

Secure your accounts first. Document everything with screenshots, emails, and transaction records. T

hen send a brief written termination notice summarizing the reason and what will and will not be paid.

Stick to documented facts. Don’t vent emotionally or make accusations you can’t prove.

This protects you from defamation claims and keeps things from escalating.