SOSR – A Low Threshold For A Fair Dismissal?

Of the five fair reasons for dismissal, 'some other substantial reason' (SOSR) is often viewed as a 'catch all' justification for dismissal. It does not give an employer freedom to dismiss for an irrelevant or trivial reason. However, the threshold to meet in order to be able to rely on an SOSR dismissal appears not to be prohibitively high in light of the recent case of Ssekisonge v Barts Health NHS Trust UKEAT/0133/16/LA.

Ms Ssekisonge was a registered nurse who worked for a number of NHS Trusts. She came to the UK and obtained indefinite leave to remain and then British citizenship. Her citizenship was revoked when the Home Office had concerns regarding her identity. Ms Ssekisonge did, however, retain her leave to remain. Following a disciplinary process, the NHS dismissed her, again due to concerns over her identity.