There are no sacred cows, always go for the jugular from day one. The company typically does so once once they make up their minds. This is coming from a business owner (that really stresses about my staff), if I need to let someone go, I need to make sure my ducks are in a row (I have been burnt before) and try to do it in a civil manner. But it never goes down that way, so these days it is a clinical procedure, and you should also approach it that way too. Leave emotion out of it, it makes it so much easier.
