Dismissed over performance? The process matters as much as the reason.
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A genuine performance-based dismissal usually follows a real process: clear expectations, honest feedback, a fair chance to improve, and a decision that actually reflects what happened. When any of that is missing, or the performance issues never felt genuine to begin with, it's worth having looked at.
This might be your situation if
- You were never told clearly what needed to improve, or given a real chance to.
- You were put on a PIP with unrealistic targets and then dismissed anyway.
- The stated performance issues don't match your actual reviews or feedback history.
- You suspect the "performance" reason is covering for something else entirely.
If you're currently on a performance improvement plan and haven't been dismissed yet, it's worth reading our page on responding to a PIP as well, the earlier you get advice, the more options stay open.
Common questions
It's possible, but harder to justify. Most fair processes involve clear expectations, feedback, and a genuine chance to improve, typically through something like a performance improvement plan, before dismissal.
That's worth raising directly. If the real reason was something else, a personality clash, a restructure in disguise, or retaliation, that changes the picture significantly.
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Tell us what's happened and we'll connect you with the right employment lawyer or adviser.
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