Procedure, procedure, procedure!
Yes we know we bang on about this all the time – you might have every good reason to dismiss an employee but if you don’t follow proper procedure you will fall foul of employment law and potentially lose a claim at tribunal.
Just such a thing happened to a Town Council who dismissed a town clerk and found themselves facing an unfair dismissal claim. The tribunal concluded that the Council had justifiable cause to summarily dismiss the employee, however he will still receive a basic award for unfair dismissal due to procedural errors.