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1. Unreasonable termination

Under section 32K of the Employment Ordinance, the five valid reasons for dismissal relate to:

 

  1. the conduct of the employee;
  2.  the capability or qualification to perform work;
  3. redundancy or other genuine operational requirements of the business;
  4. statutory requirements; or
  5. other substantial reasons.

 

With regard to point (a) above, there are many examples of employees’ misconducts which may be considered as valid reasons for dismissal. These examples include: persistent lateness, drunkenness during working hours and disclosing confidential information, etc. Reasons for summary dismissal are also included (see “Summary dismissal”).

 

If an employee has been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 24 months and is dismissed by the employer without a valid reason as specified above, then the dismissal would be unreasonable.