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Reasons for dismissal ― capability

Produced by Tolley in association with
Employment Tax
Guidance

Reasons for dismissal ― capability

Produced by Tolley in association with
Employment Tax
Guidance
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Dismissal for incompetence / poor performance

Dismissal for incompetence (otherwise known as poor performance) is a potentially fair reason for dismissal. As long as the employer has acted reasonably in reaching the decision to dismiss, a tribunal will not interfere with that decision even if they themselves would have reached a different conclusion. The test applied in deciding whether or not a dismissal was fair will be whether the employer genuinely believed, on reasonable grounds, that the employee was incompetent to do their job. It is not necessary for the employer to prove that the employee was in fact incapable or incompetent.

However, the employer will usually be expected to provide evidence that they:

  1. •

    had adequate evidence of incompetence at the time of the decision to dismiss

  2. •

    adopted a fair procedure prior to the decision

  3. •

    considered whether there was suitable alternative work for the employee to do

Evidence of incompetence may come in a number of forms. In some jobs, there may be a clear and objective

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Hannah Freeman
Hannah Freeman

Barrister at Old Square Chambers , OMB, Employment Tax


Hannah is an experienced employment law specialist advising on all forms of discrimination, maternity and paternity rights, unfair dismissal, contractual disputes, part-time working and TUPE. Hannah acts for claimants and respondents in both the public and private sectors, including the NHS, the police, local authorities, educational institutions, financial services and the hospitality industry, as well as providing training and support to in-house legal and HR teams.

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  • 14 Sep 2022 10:19

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