p5gal5 - 2:06 pm on Oct 4, 2012 (gmt 0)

Is the two weeks pay a requirement or do you do it to be nice?

We sort-of do it to be nice, but there's also an ulterior motive. If you give them two weeks pay, it pushes out the point at which they can start to file/claim unemployment insurance, which increases the probability they will find alternate work. So, for example, if you offered them 4 or 6 weeks pay (you would need to pay at regular payroll intervals instead of a lump sum), you would push out the timeframe they could apply for unemployment by 4 or 6 weeks, respectively.

Where does 3-6 months come from?

The 3-6 months comes from 3 corrective action warnings (verbal, written, final written) * whatever timeframe you need to see the improvement in (1 month, 2 months) per corrective action. If you're going to contest an unemployment claim because they were incompetent or careless in their job performance, you need to show that they were corrected/counseled and given the opportunity to improve their performance.