Employee equity is a rounding error compared to what founders and investors make. You’re talking about 2% of the company, max? That’s usually vested over four years, so the one year cliff means they’d get 0.5%.

They put a year of their life into making you rich. I would part ways amicably and be generous.

If you IPO, none of this will matter either way. So if you fire them early, it’s a needless risk.