“Employment Appeal Tribunal establishes 'band of reasonable responses' test for unfair dismissal”
An employee was dismissed for suspected dishonesty involving alleged theft of company property. The employer conducted an investigation and concluded that dismissal was appropriate. The employee challenged the dismissal as unfair, arguing that the employer's response was unreasonable in the circumstances.
What test should employment tribunals apply when determining whether a dismissal is fair or unfair under employment legislation?
The tribunal should not substitute its own view for that of the employer, but should determine whether the dismissal fell within the band of reasonable responses that a reasonable employer might adopt.
This case established the fundamental 'band of reasonable responses' test that remains the cornerstone of unfair dismissal law in the UK. It prevents tribunals from substituting their own judgment for that of employers while maintaining protection for employees against unreasonable dismissals.
You're reading the free summary of Iceland Frozen Foods v Jones. Create a free account to unlock the full reasoning, the cited authorities and the verbatim judgment — plus structured briefs for 412,000+ UK judgments.
No card required. Free forever.
OSCOLA Citation
Iceland Frozen Foods Ltd v Jones [1983] ICR 17 (EAT)
Multiple official and mirror sources — pick whichever loads cleanly on your network.
Falls back to Google for old citations BAILII catalogues separately
Common Room
0 comments · About the Common Room →
No comments yet — start the discussion.
Voted-best comments help future students and feed Caselaw's AI study tools.