This is a case study of an American manager who hired a European sales manager from Belgium to manage operations there. When the employee wasn't happy and was underperforming on the job, the manager tried to fire him with severance pay. The employee did not fight the decision, but the severance pay turned out to be more complex than expected. According to Belgium law, severance included not only three months pay, but also bonus, social security, pension plan, vacation, the 13th month and medical coverage. The manager concluded that European employees are too expensive to hire or fire.