Donald Trump makes it look so easy. “You’re fired,” he declares firmly, terminating an aspiring apprentice from the popular reality TV series, who will never be seen from again. 

In reality (and reality TV is not reality), the issue of termination is far more complex. While the vast majority of residential building employees are hardworking, ethical, and all-around assets to the communities they serve, one does occasionally come across the proverbial “bad apple.” 

Whether the issue is sloppy performance, foul attitude, or outright illegal behavior on the job, sometimes co-op or condo administrators have no choice but to terminate the employment of staff members. This process can be complicated when, say, a super (and possibly his or her family) lives in the building, or when a supers' union objects to the termination. Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of termination. 

Say a surveillance camera catches a super breaking into the penthouse apartment and making off with a laundry basket full of cash and jewelry. Pretty simple case, prospectively…you should fire him immediately, right? 

The answer, unexpectedly, is both yes and no.