Just do it. Keeping someone around who doesn't pull his weight AND has a bad attitude is poison. Cut the losses (yours and his) and get it over with. Also, do

Just do it. Keeping someone around who doesn't pull his weight AND has a bad attitude is poison. Cut the losses (yours and his) and get it over with. Also, don't give advance warning and don't give reasons. Warning just creates risk for you and stress for him. Giving reasons is legally problematic, and he's not going to believe what you tell him anyway. Just tell him that it's not working out, that you wish him the best, and hand him a final paycheck. Severance might be nice, if you can afford it.